Mary-Joan Gerson (Wirklich)
Undergrad college/major: Arts and Sciences/English.
Affiliations at Cornell: Alpha Epsilon Phi.
Advanced degrees: Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Certificate in Psychoanalysis.
Career/occupation: Faculty and Supervisor, Director of Advanced Specialization in Couple and Family Therapy at N.Y.U.; Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy; Psychoanalysis Private Practice, N.Y.C.
Honors and awards: Parents’ Choice Award; N.Y. Times Best Book of the Year award for children’s books.
Important affiliations: Board: new NGO, Global Family Support; Board member: Minuchin Center for the Family, N.Y.C. (past); Division 39 (Psychoanalysis) of the American Psychological Association.
Published work: Professional Book: The Embedded Self: An integrative psychodynamic and systemic perspective on couple and family therapy Rutledge, 2009;
Children’s Books: Why the Sky is Far Away (Little Brown & Co); Fiesta Femenina (Barefoot Books) and others.
Marital status: Married.
Spouse: Charles Gerson.
Children: Daniel (Cornell) and Jessica.
Grandchildren: Claire, Asher, Daisy and Henry.
Outstanding Cornell memory: The division in the Straight between Christians and Jews—how strange today!
How has your life differed from what you expected? Feminism made all the difference. From a bit of “dumbing down” to fully owning competence/intelligence has been great.
Personal reflections: I loved the social life at Cornell, and made friends that I still feel close to today (including my husband).