Pop 132 | Russia, Hollywood, And A New Documentary With Rima Simon, Msw, Lcsw

[0:00] Music.

[0:08] This practice and the practice podcast with joe sanok oxidation number one thirty two.

[0:14] Music.

[0:28] Thank you so much for joining me today i hope you are doing absolutely awesome in your world.
What a great day it is here in northern michigan i’m here in the radio center to building the epicenter of practice of the practice overlooking,
west bend for my microphone so i can she look at the water in this beautiful corner office right downtown people are walking execution serving going in,
i’m getting the hunch that the building is going in next to me and i i saw that coming cuz there is a sign that said condos for sale on the it last.
And i think i think the buildings going in next door and i hope it doesn’t block too much of my view or disrupt my high casting at a car alarm going off,
when i was doing the previous one last week’s,
i interviewed brad he doesn’t give last name is known as darian in line and he has the world record for completing super my brothers we talked about that we talked about.
What that’s done for his life and we’ve also talked about her applies to business it was fascinating did in a very unique way,
seventy if you missed that you can go and practiceofthepractice.com/in.

[1:42] Today i also want to think simple practice simple practice has been such an amazing sponsor they have the best electronic medical records.
Get there a group practice they take all the.
All the stuff that you shouldn’t be spending your time doing the billing the super bills scheduling all that can be done to simple practice and see if you had a simplepractice.com.
Four slash jo do bunch awesome tips about private practice and then you can learn all about,
simple practice and the electronic medical records system is just phenomenal and.
How it over there and his team they’re just such cool people to when i was out in seattle in the fall two thousand fifteen,
i see in service staff and then kelly marie and i we all went to the seattle yacht club because i’m yacht club member here in traverse city and there’s rissa,
capacity reciprocal,
how are you brother got sick we’re barcelona we are planning to go there but then it got and taking a nap and says chemical you can check out all these other clubs around the world and feel like.
The yacht club was much is smashing dollar well anyway so yeah it’s been fun getting hard and his team.

[2:52] So i wanted to share with you a little bit about how i met today’s guest room assignment she’s a social worker or clinical social worker.
From california and when kelly and i hosted our meet up out there,
at the church key is it was great cool little bar on c of the best meals i’ve ever had on killing and i each ordered the snapper it was on this like.
White rice cake that was like deep-fried also hash brown that had the snapper and.

[3:22] It was just one of the most mind-blowing meals and they also have these like homemade donut holes that was just is really cool place and,
kelly again and i who were half of the team that puts on the most awesome,
we just reset you’ll after this meal if no one shows up for meet up we don’t even care like this was a good enough meal to just do that but it was awesome we had like twenty people show up.
Get to know so many cool new people that are doing really interesting work in california towards the end of the night rina and i,
i really got to know each other she is talking about some of her work and she’s to be a hollywood producer,
and now she works for the va for greater los angeles healthcare system,
and what’s the veterans are dealing with just a wide range of issues pst homelessness unemployment in her private practice she works with creative adults like actors writers,
artists and musicians.
But her stories on service or click out amazing but you was born in russia she had to escape due to ethnic and religious persecution and then move to poland when she was five.
And it is real it was a finally moved to chicago and she was time and so she just has,
such amazing diverse background as a russian polish is really immigrant plus the fact that she also went back to school to become a therapist after working thirty years in the entertainment industry.
She’s just doing a really amazing work and so it’s so fun for me to meet these people.

[4:49] They’ve such a diverse background and worldview and then they somehow find what right now is there one thing that they’re working on.
And she is working on this thing called war stories which is,
a documentary has a really unique approach to integration of can historical cultural and personal perspectives allows that from five different wars world war two korea vietnam gulf war in iraq and afghanistan.
Words to share their traumatic experiences with each other and the audience so she’s gonna talking all about that project is gonna be talking about her history,
and is just fascinating story so i want to introduce you all.
Two remotes simon will re ms simon welcome to the practice of the practice podcast.

[5:34] Thank you so much oh it’s really a pleasure and an honor to be here thank you so much it was great hanging out with you and i was out in la and,
getting to see your town and it was so fun day can meet at the meet up and we got talking about how you were,
in tv and the movies and you’re making some really cool things now and you’ll also you to counseling so i think you have to be on the podcast so remote wont start with toss a little bit about your time in television and movies.
Why i moved out to california nineteen seventy eight i got my degree at,
as in mass communications and my whole passionate got time is working film and television,
i moved to california nineteen seventy eight and i started a career working in film and tv and production and i work,
in mac for line twenty five years,
i work on a bunch of bs television series i was with nbc for five years i produce a lot of electronic media tours satellite,
productions electronic press kits i work a lot with media and electronic promotions and also working richard pryor live in concert was my very first film lol.
And i was with her for five years and can i introduce thirty six half hour talk shows with dr.

[7:07] Dale adkins actually twenty four with her and those were dealing with life issues on those were produced for the jewish television network in conjunction with pbs in some cases,
and the shows ribald around,
issues such as substance abuse finding out your child is gay joe missed and violence turning fifty just to name a few on it and i was respond we,
we can brainstorm about the topics and then i was responsible in putting together and the panel,
people that would participate on her show and i i think that was a real turning point for me,
yeah connected with always love helping people but then just kind of understanding about the bigger issues of while talking about,
things house healing it was on and so i think if i if i think back about that was really the beginning of my interest in,
that was the scene that was planted for me wanting to do some sort of you know work when with mental health after that i produce twelve,
and it shows with,
celebrity just interview interviewing and i am loved the interview process on,
and what happened is my father and.

[8:40] Was in a nursing home for holocaust survivors and i was visiting him quite a bit,
and there was a social worker was just went back to school shoes in her fifties her life is falling apart and getting divorced and she needed a new career,
and i thought you know i can’t do that got the needy wanted you got my children were older by this point on and,
i apply to one school is it you i see,
and i was so happy i was not accepted on the first go round cuz i just couldn’t imagine going from sound bites and working in media,
tune theoretical fifteen page scholarly analysis papers,
yeah it’s funny how sometimes those rejections or the at the time seem like me and i can’t believe that i got rejected.

[9:35] They often times are such amazing blessing like i think back to apply for a doctorate program and didn’t get into it.
And when i look at how long it would have been in that program and all the things they did during that time to launch my career,
and just thinking wow what you so great that i didn’t get into the phd program.

[9:53] What is a little different for me because i ended up getting accepted,
it was an old is i got a call stating that they had a place for me on friday and i have literally until monday to actually accept or decline,
at stop and it was so stressful for me and my after consulting with my family and my boyfriend at that time i thought,
you know what is in front of me right now maybe that’s what i should be doing and i ended up taking that position and i,
i got accepted to usc,
remember going to camp is the very first day and going to the library and i called my children is that where the books,
and they said mom it’s an electronic library so what’s telephone library and on my so i learned,
yeah clinical work i did the masters in social work program at usc i started in two thousand seven i graduated in two thousand and ten,
and there were probably five people that were over fifty,
and i am so blessed to have this opportunity to have a completely new career,
where is the wisdom and experience of my past and to bring it into all.
Bad feeling the healing arts profession hat while we were back to have some questions about just your time in tv cuz i have to get questions that i don’t know how to answer of.

[11:27] People wanting to get involved more in tv are getting more exposure that way that you said you’d put together panels and what,
what would you have as advice for people that are aspiring to be on tv as a professional or an expert are there any just kinda quick tips that you can give and then they definitely here to me about your clinical work after schooling.
Are,
what do you mean like how are people getting to television from the same point of production,
from the standpoint of being in front of the camera from the same point of being in front of the camera so therapists that are listening now and their saying i feel like i’m really am an expert in a specific area,
how do i get into tv is set other any tips on that you could give.
Why not working is just the key to the profession and not working has really changed and i’m in the profession has changed a lot since that time that i was in it cuz it was only,
three networks at that time and my x husband was a very successful writer producer,
he worked on full house and fresh prince of bel air and sister and not about you just incredible list of credits in today and what happened in television is it when is the reality world so a lot of people such as writers and directors and actors,
you know found themselves unemployed in the world really changed with the advent of cable,
and that’s and he just all the rules that we grew up was just kinda went by the wayside so it what i think.

[13:05] You know what is the central today is really creatine on network attending not working,
opportunities as you well know cuz you’re a master at that her for the practice of the practice on also showcases,
and i think using the internet like you to,
blogs just any kind of exposure i think you know anything that’s really out of the box,
is up for grabs because it’s just not a straight line anymore it’s not a straight line in television or film or music everything is just really like thinking outside the box and,
using your creativity and innovation and just,
not being afraid well that that’s awesome advice so you finish school and then where do you go from there.
Oh once i graduate in two thousand ten with my and sw the year in two thousand nine i did my internship with that tissue by,
which is a jewish faith,
based treatment program in los angeles it’s the only one of its kind in the country and i also made a film on.
I’m so lost with them for a year and then i did my.
My second internship with a va working with batteries in the homeless program,
and i got hired by the va in two thousand and ten and i’ve been with them ever since and i have worked with veterans from i oversee the homeless programs.

[14:48] We have a lot of a lot of those so for the first couple years and work with the veterans from vietnam.
And then i work with the rocky afghanistan veterans than i work with families that i worked,
where is his are all homeless and i’ve worked,
in programs that are located in santa barbara and working treatment programs for specifically for veterans and my.
I have done a lot of groups as well as individual for,
and it’s an extraordinary journey and a wonderful experience to really understand the plight of the batter and how it continues to change,
through our history or politics,
through culture through music technology and through the perception of the american people.
So what are you discovering as you get to know these veterans that are homeless.

[15:49] I find it on day are brought into homelessness for a lot of different reasons it’s not just,
drug addicts who are area have mental health issues sometimes people,
set something some cases with va veteran’s for vietnam i have found that people have,
stopped working the retired and symptoms of pst have just like really come on very strong for them.

[16:24] I think that the va has got,
incredible resources today that certainly not available to the vietnam veterans because every area is different and because of the vietnam veterans and because post traumatic stress,
i was not really recognizing tell nineteen eighty four i think that.

[16:46] The iraqi and afghanistan veterans are really getting a lot of perks and plusses as a result of white the vietnam era vets did not.
We’re not ready to we will you have a lot of catching up for that started to change that.

[17:05] Nineteen eighty four pst became a real diagnosis okay.
So it became known diagnosis of what post traumatic stress disorder.
Is and you have to also remember the indian hours on the heels of.

[17:23] How do work to it was such a proud warrior and it was so proud for the citizens and,
everybody is just on board with that,
search for vietnam it was very difficult because a lot of those guys when you really believe in it they had they and they were americans and it was their duty to serve america.
And upon return,
to this country they were spit upon it recall terrible names and they were just devastated i mean it is and certainly we can help me out and the technology,
up today so they had no idea what was going on in america and are on our.

[18:12] Our land is so so for the current,
veterans that you work with that may be have more benefits and opportunities recipe t st what are some of the trans you’re seeing with people that have come out of the gulf wars or out of afghanistan and iraq.

[18:31] Well guess in specifically is very unique in the sense that it is the first war,
bad people are living kind of july is cuz they have their technology and they have access to their cell phones in their computers and they are.
Overseas and also the fact that there have been multiple deployments it is the first war that it is not a draft,
and so there are there’s a lot there’s a lot more complexities with people that are returning,
from iraq and afghanistan but i have to say that the va also,
has a lot of great resources we’re housing a lot of veterans were working together with the housing authority providing housing with the va supported,
the bash apartments so we are we house a lot of veterans in the last four years that were homeless,
and we continue to do sell on and right now i’m working with the program is skid row,
which is the toughest population in los angeles and we’re doing pretty well as far as getting them stay longer medication,
referring to the right resources hopping with family reunification,
substance abuse treatment programs has a lot of resources so i think the media always here.

[20:02] Horror stories and there are the horror stories but there are also a lot of you know there’s a lot of positive stats,
that are being taken by everyone,
to help these veterans and trying to kinda meet them where they are so me i’m in small northern michigan traverse city.
And i like i only have what the movies show me of skid row what would i see if i walked with you around to meet some these veterans on skid row.

[20:34] What do you know i have the secretary from the va to come and visit my program was just saying what you see you see.
What you can see on a lot of people living on the streets.
A hardware boxes you will see you see you’re really tough population i was placed in the skin re program when i first graduated on my master’s program and.
I was very difficult for me i have a real hard time adapting to attach i wasn’t there for very long i was there for just a couple of months back and it is program now for a couple of years until really comfortable with that and,
and it’s just amazing the stories on the p ball,
help with writing into homelessness and you know just in life,
cranks at a certain point you know we have these plans and it suppose to go certain way and it just it just breaks from our own expectations and we have these attachments to how it’s supposed to be awarded should have a,
and you know people just get stuck in that kind of thinking and you know depression is a big part,
of that population and so my job is a dui mindfulness based stress reduction group right now i’ll take an individual clients and i work.
How can people think.

[22:04] Definitely about whatever their situation is i do that private practice as well because the racing thoughts,
appears to me three c thoughts take on like you know being stuck on record,
and you’re saying the same thing over and over and over again and thought is feeling is speeding the feeling and the feeling is steam cleaning the behaviour so i work with trying to change people’s thinking,
and create other avenues of thought on and my phone is and on.
Just allow the avenues in assistance with.
Possibly you’re figuring out another way of looking at something because i really have this idea in life that were not,
done tell her dad and often times people turned forty and fifty but they continue to see the same kind of pleasures they had when they were twenty and thirty.
Which a lot of unique to me can they chemistry in your body will disallow you from doing that and so to try to help them move forward as opposed to being stuck,
in the past.
And just having my fault with the signs that are being provided in the present so that they could use those signs to advance them into the future.

[23:36] I’m really interested in your new project your working on cold war stories where just a little bit you told me when we hung la,
is that your kinda starting to work and the fundraising side of the documentary and,
just tell me about the vision that you have for this,
so through my with my dad from being a filmmaker and i’ll be a clinician ending of the va for six years i have noticed there’s a disconnect.
The battery is not dead i disconnect them the two,
because of their error it’s not that they’re all connected because there veterans,
each parent provided a different language and different point in time in our history a different perception by the american people a different perception.
Politically and culturally and its been so different in every way and like i always seem.
To know is why watch documentaries is people just talk about the severe traumas yeah there are a lot of traumas but there are also a lot of bonding experiences and there’s a lot of,
great stories that that’s translate from air,
to the right and he to create a be a call where we can put.
Different people from different areas together to kind of create an opportunity to listen to water.

[25:15] Each of the air was for our selected representative of will whoever we will decide,
in the direction that we casting in research would be the first step but it’s really putting the bridges of war it’s the threads of war it’s
going through the areas of the world war two veteran korea,
vietnam goals and iraq and afghanistan,
i am having and a conversation of what brought you into the military what was your experience there and what’s the integration like coming back and,
not just a horror stories of people there’s a lot of people that really pride themselves on the military and have had,
different kinds of experiences so we wanna kinda create our,
and understanding and compassion and empathy through are all the errors and part of our ideas to be able to take the group,
back to the location of where you know of where there are more is taking place.
It’s okay it’s a dial to be opened in a very non threatening way you’re thinking of having speaking of perhaps a facilitator but.

[26:49] As it is telling stories and being heard and understanding each other’s places is very healing,
yeah it seems like stories is really a common thread for you cuz you’re telling me a little bit about your life stories that you working and as well do you wanna share a little bit about that,
yes i’m really like working with the older population and it started recording,
life reviews because people get older they kind of forgot.

[27:23] A lot of detail so true motivation interviewing interest series of questions that i have designed i take them back through their life and it.
Buy video tape and,
and i include photos and they wanna including and i need to buy a bike chapters and the.
The actual interview on film to film it takes about six hours,
but i also be with a client prior to adjust to get a better understanding of what the story is and we are actually get,
and so that’s just started private practice that i’m doing,
and its people just kind of an opera calling moments that they haven’t thought about in,
fifteen years and i think it’s really sweet wine so when did you want a private practice.

[28:18] I launched my private practice at the end of last year and just got licensed in june of two thousand fifteen.

[28:27] Wow so it really new practice you doing so many amazing things to see got the life stories are doing tommy little bit about the actual practices self,
what the part is i have a couple of clients i speak fluent russian so i actually worked with russian all,
and i also have a private cleaned up and working with,
for the past four months and i work a lot with tons of behavior therapy i just got i just got certified with anger management,
as well as brief lost,
create a law specialist now on and i’m very eclectic in my approach i love working with people that are in transition either getting married,
having children and getting divorced career changes,
i like working with the creative community because i understand i’m really well like writers actors directors musicians on i was a single mom raised two children on my own.

[29:37] And with the assistance of my husband but i was,
my ex husband was the primary caregiver fee and i am also in immigrant this is the fourth country i have lived in so i feel in my cell,
have gone through so many transitions in an extremely resilient what countries have you lived in i was born in russia.

[30:01] When i was five to poland when i leave poland in living you pizza it’s just a good.
Yeah it’s not far from prague okay czech republic and was eight we moved to israel,
and when i was ten my family and i came to america by one of those boats we’re all the immigrants and gazing at the at the statue of liberty gosh the,
when the harvard,
we both doc my father got off the boat on his hands and knees because the american soil i spoke russian hebrew polish in yiddish,
and replaced on a train and taken to chicago or we have family and i was the very first child.
In my for my for my night the very first american child in my fourth grade class in america in english was my gift language so everything just kinda got mission other,
oh wow.
There’s so many questions that i could go down and with that but me and you are an interesting person rina while the yeah while i just,
i love hearing people’s stories about things outside of like.
No like the united states in particular just because there’s such a vast world out there and so often at least as someone raised in the united states like.

[31:32] Here’s your story to kindergarten you get all the way through you graduate you go to college and it’s just there’s so much out there that you can do that is unique and interesting that,
it’s just fascinating when i traveled right after my freshman year of college and just kinda never stopped and once a travel bug hits you and you see a world beyond your world your raised and it’s amazing to,
you just get back.
I hear you i feel the same way and i feel very comfortable in any country with a population and i have,
been so resilient in so many different circumstances that i think it,
i’m really sensitive to where people get stuck on and i.
Trying i love working with people who think the key is they think it’s the end of their life at forty or thirty or whatever and ia i take pride in.
Kind of helping people restart and re direct and have the courage and faith.
And it create a straight by then,
to move forward with your dreams and just kinda in change the channel on the fears right yeah,
so when you are coached setting up this practice for the people that are in.
Thinking about open a practice in there may be cut at the stage where you are where it’s starting to launch what were things that were really helpful for you in that process.

[33:07] What meeting you was really help me will you and go to networking events.
Just getting more and i’m getting my business card done and getting referrals from people that know me.
Doctors that i’ve know that i’ve known for a long time to mows.

[33:31] I am definitely reaching out to the russian community as well.

[33:37] And long and behold i have a better understanding of life.
And it continues to change and to,
find work with people becoming more flexible and just because something breaks apart and changes it doesn’t mean your life is over it just means that it’s time for a new beginning and.
Wow what to create you know the door opens find the window.

[34:10] And there is the window i believe god tell the news to you that if a door opens find window.
If the door closes and something there’s a window to be open for another possibility to coming gotcha.

[34:26] Selling something one wondering closes and in the entertainment industry people a shower and very young age and it causes a lot of depression,
and alot of anger a lot of those racing thoughts,
they can get people start for twenty years and i’ve seen that and i believe to take that energy.
And try to be creative and figure out what out how else that could be re directed.
And reads fire.

[35:03] And do to have faith in doing new things figuring out new directions,
you never planned on having to do,
so did you restart your life you know what’s left breaks apart you know people when they get married you never think about divorce.
Maybe today go bad things just happen along the way.
And it’s meeting life where it’s at and then figuring out how to create string forgiveness,
love and pay out of it yeah i think it’s been helpful for me is to just recognize that life isn’t a static thing it’s a dynamic thing in that you know who i thought i would be.
Five years ago is so different and that there’s.
I would guess that i be making money off of talking to people all over the world to a podcast or that i’d be doing more consulting that i am private practice or,
even when i leave a full-time job like i think that.
Do those things that just kind of being open to you okay what could this next chapter work this next maybe even book be in my life and to yell.
Look at it with and to think through and just like when you went to school you know you ask people that are close to you what they thought about this decision.

[36:24] So often i think we get the static mindset of oh i’m gonna be happy when x why or z happens but it’s usually you get there then you’re like well something else is interesting that i’m going into or you’re having that dynamic view of life.
I feel like for me has been really helpful and healthy mindset in just approaching changing transition different lee.
I think you actually resume without your very inspired yourself and you inspire others.
I think you have that gift and i can i just never heard of,
practice to practice but he is such a great idea because there are so many people like myself will blink didn’t even know where to start how do you do this what do we have to do it to create a community where are.
People can actually have a dialogue or no who to go to,
for a two he is certain answers and i hate the fact that you at work and i and i think you you’re a really good listener and you respond well to the moment oh well thank you re my really shit that,
so many counselor in the world were listening right now remote what would you want them to now what i just think that.
As a therapist and what i strive to depart all my clients is that life is this is a journey it’s not a straight line nor destination,
it’s about creating resiliency restructuring and resurfacing and moving on in a different direction what happened is always to give an.

[38:04] Howard shapes as in the meaning we assign to,
i love that so remake people wanna connect with you to hear more about war stories your life stories your private practice all that was the best way for people to connect with you.

[38:20] Well my office is four two four.
[38:39] I have an office in two thousand one direction avenue in la nine zero zero two five.

[38:46] My cell phone is eight one eighty six nine four nine four seven seven.
Wow so people wanna just show up at your office give you a call that’s awesome remote and will have links to some of that the shirts will put your personal cell phone and therefore yeah,
but please connect with three my if you want to get involved in you’re getting involved with war stories hearing more about what she does.
She has a ton of information that i can probably help you with your practice remote thank you so much for being on the practice of the practice podcast.

[39:20] Thank you so much for having me and a pleasure have a nice day eight to.

[39:26] Music.

[39:38] Thank you so much for listening today i just love what remote has to say it’s about helping vets in about telling their stories.
And hopefully you’re inspired as well.
If you’re in the twitter how about you tag me in regards talking about this podcast so i’m just at of the practice i’d love to connect and twitter also if you love this podcast as much as i do.
Is that possible maybe a bit more he cannot area,
i would love for you to go over to itunes and write a review and give us some stars let people know what you think about this.
Cast it’s a great way get the word out it’s one of the best ways to help it snow that were relevant to the matter that were making a difference and helping a.

[40:23] So yeah also have an over to simplepractice.com/joe if you’re looking for electronic medical records system that is going to just hope you save so much time hanging over there let him know we sent you.
Thanks for let me in two years into your brain you guys rock you do amazing things and keep up the good work.

[40:41] Music.

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If you need a professional will find one.

[41:26] Music.