Meet Our Team - Laura Hirschfield
Laura Hirschfield, LICSWA, M.Ed
Position at the Hallowell Todaro ADHD Center:
Therapist
How long have you been working at the Hallowell Todaro ADHD Center?
4 months
Where did you grow up?
Scarsdale, NY
What are your favorite books / TV shows / movies?
The last two books I read and loved were Lydia Yuknavitch’s novel The Small Backs of Children (I adore her writing; her memoir The Chronology of Water is also a favorite) and The Sisters Antipodes, a memoir by Jane Alison.
For TV series, current favorites are Fosse/Verdun, Better Things, and Catastrophe.
Favorite movies – Hmm, well, if I go back to my teenage years, it’s Altered States and The Rocky Horror Picture Show for starters…
What is your favorite sport and/or sports team?
I’m a new Sounders fan.
Complete the following sentences:
When I’m not at work, you can find me....
on walks with our chow/shepherd mix pup, doing yoga, listening to podcasts, and hanging out with my family and friends.
When I want to de-stress, I...
do the above.
My favorite time of year is...
I love at least one thing about every season. Right now, in late Spring, it's the gazillion shades of green.
My favorite thing to cook is...
pancakes and vegetarian onion soup for my daughter.
The best gift I ever received was...
love and friendship.
If I could travel anywhere in the world, I’d go to...
so many places! I love traveling.
What led you to pursue a career helping others?
I’ve always felt drawn to working with people in one way or another. I’m endlessly curious about how different people come to feel and think and say and do what they do. And how a sense of connection, and being seen, can change a life. A transformative experience my senior year in high school started me on this path.
What education, skills and expertise do you bring to your role?
Over the years I’ve worked individually and in groups with adults facing a wide range of life challenges, new parents with infants and toddlers, survivors of domestic violence, and kids in public- and after-school settings. I completed a Master’s in education about 25 years ago and started out developing arts-centered curriculum and educational programming to reach kids with different learning styles and temperament traits. My work in education eventually led to my completing a Master’s in social work, and currently I work with adults seeking therapeutic and coaching support for ADHD symptoms, depression, anxiety, trauma, and other issues affecting relationships, home life, work, parenting, self-care, and overall confidence and wellbeing.
Who/what inspires you?
My daughter’s resilience and laugh.
What’s your personal philosophy/approach toward the work you do?
Everyone has stories about who they are, how they got here, and what they wish. There’s so much beauty and hope in listening. That’s where I begin.
What is one small thing people can do to improve their lives and increase their happiness?
Take time to look at an animal at play – a pet, a video – it’s practically guaranteed to make you smile.
We provide coaching and therapy to help people manage a variety of cognitive and emotional conditions.