Rachel Weinstein, Clinical Social Worker

Rachel Weinstein, Clinical Social Worker I work with folks in one-on-one, group, & family settings experiencing transitions & change. My clients feel hopeful and supported by our work together.

They look forward to not only being heard, but leaving sessions with practical, relatable, and doable problem solving techniques. I value honesty, integrity, and meaningful connections both within and without clinical settings.

More on this later, but MAN does this resonate!You?
16/10/2025

More on this later, but MAN does this resonate!

You?

16/10/2025

I met with a young man earlier this week who, after detailing ways in which his life has felt out of control, shared a change in his perspective.

When we think about things becoming unmanageable we often describe them as spiralling downwards or out of control. For many months this gentleman has felt like his life was spiralling into oblivion. His very existence has been frought with questions of identity, acceptance, and purpose with nary an end in sight.

Describing how his life has begun to show promise and a glimmer of light though, he unassumingly said, "Y'know spirals don't just go down, they go up, too. Maybe things are starting to spiral upwards for me."

The change in perspective was so simple yet so mind blowing. His insight into not only the paths his life may take but the fact that he has the power to conceptualize them as he sees fit stopped me in my tracks.

The truth is that sometimes things come crashing down before we get the opportunity to rebuild. And sometimes things swirl into a dark abyss only to create an entirely new picture somewhere else.

I'd be lying if I said I knew why things had to fall apart, spiralling downwards and out of control in the first place.

But then I'd also be lying if I didn't admit that the idea that we can spiral upwards, slowly and intentionally rather than tumbling down face first, is profoundly moving.

One could say that life is a series of spirals moving up or moving down.

Which way are you going?

It's all so big.So much uncertainty and so much hope,So much pain and yet, so much recovery.We are being forced to hold ...
12/10/2025

It's all so big.
So much uncertainty and so much hope,
So much pain and yet, so much recovery.

We are being forced to hold two things, a thousand things, at the same time
With dignity, grace and superhuman courage.

Today I felt neither superhuman nor courageous.
Today I sat under the sky and let myself feel the vastness, the open spaced-ness, the majesty and awe.

I felt small in size,
Able to respect that I am just one speck of a universe that is wider and wilder than I will ever understand.

When I let myself get lost in the clouds and the ways the light danced about, I felt reassured that somehow it would ultimately be ok.

That somehow we'd all be ok.
Somehow,
Some way,
Some day.

When I stopped trying to control the bigger narrative and focused on what mine is I felt free; still cautious, still worried, and still unsure, but free all the same.

Wherever you are I recommend looking up at the sky and getting lost in the clouds.

Who knew letting go could be so comforting.

Yet again (still?) there is a so much going on in the world. We are sitting at the potential precipice of deals and ends...
06/10/2025

Yet again (still?) there is a so much going on in the world.

We are sitting at the potential precipice of deals and ends and beginnings, all while sitting nervously, cautiously, and terrifyingly in the dawning of the 2 year anniversary of October 7th.

I have tried to conjure motivational words, thoughtful words, words of comfort, safety, and hopefulness but if I'm being perfectly honest, they all seem to converge into an aspiring blob. The sentiments are there, as is the belief that life will one day be less chaotic, but I can't fully articulate them, and that just adds to the chaos no one needs more of.

So my not-so-random thoughts, the ones that I'm trying to put out in the world?

When you don't feel safe because of people, places, or values intended to hurt you, remember that there is safety within: in your body, your soul, and your mind, you have the power to create a sense of calm, peace, and quiet.

When the world seems so unbearably heavy, remember that you don't have to hold everything or everything by yourself. If its not yours to hold, or even if it is, put it down at least for a bit.

And when you feel that the monsters are no longer under the bed but in the open spaces around you, remember that they don't always need your attention. Some vie for it but don't deserve it. Some need to be tended to, but not all at once. And while indeed there are some that need more aggressive responses, those are often few and far between.

I hope for health in all forms, lasting safety, the return of our hostages, happy holidays, and intentional, not-at-all random wishes for calmer, better days.

If you're celebrating, Happy Sukkot!
❤️
Be well,
Rachel

As Yom Kippur is ushered in, I pray that each of us learns how to...Forgive when appropriate and acknowledge when its no...
01/10/2025

As Yom Kippur is ushered in, I pray that each of us learns how to...

Forgive when appropriate and acknowledge when its not,

Live lives that are boundaried, protected, and enjoyed,

Express kindness to those who need it and those who dont- including ourselves,

Do for others and allow others to do for us,

Be unafraid to stand up for ourselves even when it seems impossible or unbearable,

Follow a moral compass based on compassion, kindness, and love,

Discern fact from fiction in order to live lives that are authentic,

Understand that not everyone thinks like us- and that that's ok,

Know when to speak up and frankly, when to shut up,

And sees ourselves as the perfectly imperfect human beings that we are.

Whether tomorrow is just a Thursday for you or the holiest day of the year, I wish you peace, health, and safety.

To those fasting, may it be an easy one.
To those fasting or not, may tomorrow be insightful, meaningful, and lovely.

Until the next post,
Rachel
❤️

Tashlich, a brief ceremony in which one stands near a body of water metaphorically tossing away their misdeeds and indis...
26/09/2025

Tashlich, a brief ceremony in which one stands near a body of water metaphorically tossing away their misdeeds and indiscretions before Yom Kippur, has become a time for me to connect with nature.

As I sood by the river you can't see in *this* shot, breeze blowing through the willows, water rippling about, I felt tremendous peace and tranquility.

Every year when I am in this spot and see the trees in this photo, I am always reminded of the very end of Robert Frost's iconic poem:

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

Perhaps you've chosen the one less traveled or maybe you've picked the well trodden one. Whatever path you choose know that there is always a choice you can make.

For me at least, the fact that there IS a choice is what makes the difference- every single time.

May you have a Shabbat Shalom, a peaceful weekend, and bountiful good choices fro. Which to choose

Rachel
❤️

P.S. other pictures added just 'cause

Just a parting message as the old year exits and the new one begins.May your weird, your wild, and your everythingness s...
22/09/2025

Just a parting message as the old year exits and the new one begins.

May your weird, your wild, and your everythingness shine brightly always.

See you next year! 😉

The new year sits uncannily on the coatstrings of misery and miracles-As we reflect upon everything we’ve experienced An...
21/09/2025

The new year sits uncannily on the coatstrings of misery and miracles-
As we reflect upon everything we’ve experienced
And look ahead to all we hope for.

We’re at a moment, a crossroads, of belief and doubt
Atop a precipice of excitement and despair
At a juncture between endless possibilities and ferocious longing.

Some days we are everywhere and nowhere,
Lost and found,
Aware and clueless,
Determined but stuck.

As 5785 cautiously becomes ‘86
We can no longer afford
To measure our years in missile counts and bomb shelter runs
But the lives we’ve touched and those that have shaped us;
In hugs and kisses
Tender embraces and laughs,
Knowing glances and moments of joy.

More than thoughts and prayers of harmony and peace
The unity we need isn't only about what happens between ‘you and me’
But within each of us in our own right.
Perhaps what we need is oneness of mind and spirit
Without masks, veneers, or hiddenness.

Perhaps the unity we desire requires vulnerability, presence, sincerity, and
Realism about the struggles we share, the wounds from which we suffer,
And the parts of ourselves we need to address.

True unity asks us to look in the mirror,
Recognizing that we are a culmination
Of the love we've shared,
The hurt we've caused,
The memories that warm,
And the truths that burn through us.

And as we wade through it all
With newness up ahead and the tired behind,
I pray that we find safety within,
Learning to sit comfortably with our strengths and our flaws,
Trusting our wholeness to add solace, zeal, and wonder to the world.

In so doing I pray that we realize that the only ones who can save us is us
And not the leaders or charlatans we are tempted to deify.
I pray we remain steadfast in our beliefs
Even when they, and each of us, are pushed to the limit.

May we bring out the best in ourselves and each other,
Counting not just the things that divide us
But the things that brings us together
In wholeness,
Completeness,
And solidarity.

Shana Tova,
Rachel ❤️

Earlier today I counseled a young adult to go to sleep.He'd called me in tears, unsure of how to get done all the things...
14/09/2025

Earlier today I counseled a young adult to go to sleep.

He'd called me in tears, unsure of how to get done all the things that he needed to get done. His list was long and just kept growing.

He said that he'd given himself plenty of "days off" and felt like taking just one more would be pushing his luck; "Rachel, I can't take more time- I HAVE to get this stuff done!"

I agreed with him; indeed these tasks have become his necessary evils that no one else can do.

But.
If you're already falling apart, I asked, how much will you realistically be able to do today?

If you're barely able to think now, where are you planning on pulling energy from to think more?

After a few more rounds that included validation, understanding and open ended therapy-type questions, he agreed that perhaps today was not the day to grab the bull by the horns. Perhaps, he said, the bull needed a little more time to rest and recuperate before entertaining a red cape chase.

Life demands so much of us, demands that we carry so much with us. Sometimes its the nature of our responsibilities, sometimes its a function of who we are, and sometimes its a result of not allowing ourselves to take breaks and breathe.

It's ok to do that, you know.
It's OK, healthy even, to lay down the load from time to time.
Indeed, its OK, and you're allowed, to put things down.

Those things will always wait for you. So take care, take a break when you need to, and pick up the load when you're ready.

It's OK.
Really.

Today I bought a magnet. A simple, 20 shekel ($6) magnet to attach to my phone. I desperately needed it because I can't ...
12/09/2025

Today I bought a magnet.

A simple, 20 shekel ($6) magnet to attach to my phone.

I desperately needed it because I can't prop my phone on my dashboard without it and let's just say that without a map in front of me I can (and have) easily get lost in a paper bag!

Before today I had turned a heavy duty magnet, tape, and a phone case into a fairly ridiculous art project that worked... until it didn't. Not being able to have a map in front of me and relying on my passengers to play wingman was a bit insane.

This is why I'm so dang happy with my new magnet. SQUEE!

That magnet, its price, the lovely clerk in the phone accessory store, and the customer who wished me well as I giddily placed the magnet on my phone brought me a much needed pick-me-up.

Although my magnet won't solve any of life's major issues (unless you include getting lost with me) it brought me a sense of actual peace. It made me feel like I'd addressed a problem, resolved it, and could leave it behind.

It reminded me that while none of us can fix everything or even most things, we can take care of individual pieces and fragments that are important to us and even the world at large.

That magnet has exponentially decreased my chances of getting lost. The possibility it'll happen even with the map still exists, but I know I did what I needed to and what I could to address the problem. There is something genuinely comforting and calming about taking control where I could and knowing that I did my best.

***
May you have a safe, healthy, lovely Shabbat (and weekend) that is filled with light, kindness and your own special magnetism.

-Rachel ❤️

It's hard to gather your thoughts when you spend so much time in a bomb shelter, sleep deprived. I'm recycling this bit ...
15/06/2025

It's hard to gather your thoughts when you spend so much time in a bomb shelter, sleep deprived.

I'm recycling this bit of wisdom from my mother-in-law, of blessed memory. I found myself wanting to reach out to her a few days ago because being attacked by Iran is most definitely NOT normal.

Despite the rocketfire and air raid sirens, it seems that laundry still has to get done. So do dishes, work, and self care, too.

Things don't feel normal. But I know that there's plenty of normal to hold on to. I'm holding on- tight.

Stay safe ❤️

Address

Beit Shemesh
Beit-Shemesh

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 19:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 10:00 - 19:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday 10:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+972528745589

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Rachel Weinstein, Clinical Social Worker posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Rachel Weinstein, Clinical Social Worker:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category