Emile B. Gurstelle, Ph.D.

On this page, I would like to tell you about who I am, what I do and provide you with some of my career highlights. My name is Emile Gurstelle. Most of my patients call me Emile. The “e” at the end of Emile is silent.

I am a licensed psychologist with 30 years of experience working with people with a variety of problems. However, I do specialize in anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive (OCD), social anxiety, panic, worry and post traumatic stress (PTSD). I also work with people with depression and those having difficulty coping with changing life experiences.

My approach is known as cognitive-behavioral, which is problem solving and solution focused, and doesn’t rehash the past. However, sometimes our reactions in the present are similar to what we have had in the past. Then it is necessary to understand that coping skills that may have been effective in the past may no longer be effective in the present. We develop new ways of thinking (cognitive) and reacting (behavioral) to our new circumstances.

In psychotherapy, one learns new ways of:

– coping with problems
– responding to others
– explaining and reacting to events
– understanding other people’s behavior
– managing anger
– reducing tension and anxiety

SEE MY BLOG: The PsychMinder

HERE ARE MY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

EDUCATION

Ph.D.  (1973); M.A. with Honors (1970)    Hofstra University
Hempstead, New York  11550
B.A.with Highest Honors (1968)    State University of New York
Oneonta, New York  13820

POST-DOCTORAL TRAINING

(1976) The Institute for Research in Hypnosis: The Morton Prince Center
New York, New York
(1983)  Biofeedback Society of New Jersey sponsored course
in Biofeedback.  Christopher Gilbert, Ph.D., Instructor

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

•    New Jersey Licensed Psychologist     # 35SI00160800        (1981)
•    New York Licensed Psychologist       # 004422-1        (1974)
•    Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards – Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology – Certificate # 3518
•    National Register for Health Service Providers in Psychology # 19127

MEMBER

•    American Psychological Association
•    New Jersey Psychological Association
•    Phoenix Critical Incident Stress Management Team

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

•    Critical Incident Stress Debriefing –
•    Member of Phoenix C.I.S.M. Team of New Jersey since 1990
•    Participated in numerous debriefings of Emergency Service Personnel including
•    Vernon Bus Crash
•    Carteret “Home-Alone” Fire
•    Lodi Chemical Plant Fire
•    Seton Hall Dormitory Fire
•    Fairfield Mid-Air Collision
•    Fair Lawn Police Officer Shooting

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR – WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY (1999-2004)

•    Undergraduate Courses
•    Psychology of Consciousness
•    Introduction to Counseling & Psychotherapy
•    Abnormal Psychology
•    Social Psychology
•    Senior Seminar
•    Psychological Testing
•    Developmental Psychology

•    Graduate Courses Taught in Clinical Psychology
•    Theories of Psychotherapy and Counseling
•    Psychological Assessment
•    Introduction to Clinical Practice II
•    Clinical Practica II & IV
•    Professional Orientation

PUBLICATIONS

•    Reducing Anxiety in Interracial Situations: A Group Approach, Doctoral Dissertation, 1973
•    The Protestors: Who, Where, and Why, Hofstra Review, 1969
•    The Prevalence and Value of Foreign Language Requirements in Graduate Programs, ERIC, 1969
•    Gurstelle, E; Heinzen, T; Makarec K; de Oliveira, J; Holle, C; Campbell, E. (2003). Helping students in introductory psychology process terrorist attacks. Psychology Learning and Teaching, 3(1), 40-47.
•    Gurstelle,E.; de Oliveira J.(2004). Daytime parahypnagogia: a state of consciousness that occurs when we almost fall asleep. Medical Hypotheses, 62(2), 166-168.

RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS

•    Gurstelle, E;  Holle, C.; Heinzen, T. (2004). Using the Psychology Classroom to Process Terrorist Attacks. Presented at the 17th Annual Conference on Teaching and Learning of Psychology: Ideas and Innovations. March 26, 2003.
•    Gurstelle, E;  Makarec K; Holle, C.; Heinzen, T. (2004). Processing Terrorism and Collective Trauma via the Psychology Classroom.  Workshop presented at Psychology Learning and Teaching 2004 (PLAT 2004), Glasgow, Scotland, UK, April 6, 2004.
•    Gurstelle, E. (2004) Daytime Parahypnagogia: A State of Consciousness that Interferes with Attentiveness.  Presented at the 28th International Congress of Psychology, Beijing, China, August 13, 2004
•    Gurstelle, E. (2004) Psychotherapist Sleepiness: Scope, Impact, Probable Causes and Coping Strategies.  Presented at the 28th International Congress of Psychology, Beijing, China, August 13, 2004
•    Gurstelle, E. (2005) Reducing Sleepiness and Improving Therapist Alertness During Psychotherapy.  Presented at the IV World Congress for Psychotherapy, Buenos Aires, Argentina, August 29, 2005