Ronit Herzfeld is a psychotherapist, life coach and a social activist who has made it her mission to "inspire others to live powerful lives in spite of fear."
In addition to years of ongoing practice helping families and individuals as a therapist and bereavement counselor, Ronit Herzfeld founded a not for profit human rights organization, , later corporate consultation company, , was one of the founding members of the Integral Institute, and recently founded , an organization whose mission is to "unify a global community committed to the promotion and embodiment of a vibrant, peaceful and thriving planet".
Education Ronit Herzfeld graduated from Queens College, City University of New York Magna Cum Laude, in 1983 with a major in psychology, and minors in philosophy, sociology and anthropology. In 1986, she received her Master's in Social Work (MSW) from Adelphi University.
Career and sucess Ronit worked at an in patient psychiatric facility, providing psychological assessment and treatment to severely mentally ill patients and their families. From there, Ronit went to work at the . As the head of the unit, Ronit was in charge of assessing and treating individuals, living in the borough of Queens, who were experiencing severe psychological and emotional crisis. Cases ranged from non-compliant individuals exhibiting various psychiatric disorders, to those experiencing difficulties adjusting to a range of medical problems, as well as victims of crime and individuals who had been involved in traumatic accidents or victims of crime. The latter included offering bereavement counseling to the families of passengers on TWA Flight 800 which exploded in mid-air and crashed on July 17, 1996, in the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, and counseling to the victims of the World Trade Center bombing and the . Working with a culturally rich and socio-economically diverse population, Ronit was strongly influenced by human beings’ capacity, with the proper support, to confront and transcend the most challenging and painful experiences; deepening her understanding of and appreciation for the resilience of the human spirit.
Social Activism Her social activism began in 1996, after learning of and becoming profoundly moved by the . Ronit left Mobile Crisis and founded a not for profit human rights organization, . As the president of this organization, Ronit co-developed the concept of a two month long world-wide arts celebration to bring attention to the ongoing cultural genocide in Tibet (July-August 1998) Working closely with the Office of the Dalai Lama and the European Parliament, Ronit created the web site and brochures, networked with major artists, celebrities, museums, galleries, theaters and clubs around the world, culminating in the coordination and production of hundreds of multimedia events in 45 countries, all celebrating the Tibetan culture and the human spirit. Some of the artists involved included, Yoko Ono, Richard Gere, Francesco Clemente, Leon Golub, Ultra Violet, Bread and Roses, The Beastie Boys, dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Merce Cunnignham and New York City Ballet, and singers from The Opera of Paris.
In order to support her philanthropic work, Ronit started a corporate consultation company, . Her mission was to help CEO’s and other managers recognize that when they treat every employee as a valued and respected part of the whole, their companies flourish. Her work has been written about in Fast Company magazine, June, 2000 issue the subject of the article , emergit.com, June, 2000 issue, and German business magazine, Netinvestor, August, 2000.
Additionally, during this time, Ronit participated in the founding of the Integral Institute, a think tank organization headed by the philosopher Ken Wilber, committed to formulating and forwarding an integrated approach to politics, business, environment, education, criminal justice, medicine, among other fields of humanity.
Ronit’s social activism work continued to exposed her to the hardships facing different parts of the world including, Haiti, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Ronit is currently building an organization; , whose mission is to unify a global community committed to the promotion and embodiment of a vibrant, peaceful and thriving planet.
In her private practice, Ronit continues to share her extraordinary experience, wisdom and spirit with individuals, couples and families, with the aim of "empowering them to step into the generous, expansive, selfless, passionate, creative and joyous creatures we were all born to be".