[vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full”]“Annette took me to see Lake Street and meet Harriet and Mark. I saw the power of community and spirituality, and I was immediately hooked,” says Dr. Susan Krevoy, a member of BTS’s Board of Directors since 2000 and a member of this year’s Running4Recovery marathon team.
A few years after the birth of her two daughters, Dr. Susan set out to find a career that would help others. She enrolled in graduate school at UCLA, where she received her doctorate in psychology. Dr. Susan learned about the human psyche and the need to heal underlying psychic wounds in order to move forward. Basing her work on these ideas, she built a private therapeutic practice. “Then I met and married Leo Spiwak, the love of my life, and I shifted from survival mode to sharing mode,” Dr. Susan says. “I started a non-profit eating disorder clinic for those who needed treatment but couldn’t afford it,” and the Susan B. Krevoy Eating Disorders Program was born.
But Dr. Susan wanted to give more. She was taken with Beit T’Shuvah’s mission and its combination of the 12 steps and Jewish spirituality. But she thought that adding a therapeutic component – a third prong – to the mix might further help an addict heal and build a life worth living. She started a therapy program staffed by volunteers, and now, under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Share, Beit T’Shuvah has become a training site for qualified doctoral students to hone their skills and offer their services to BTS’s residents.
Dr. Susan’s commitment to Beit T’Shuvah is not limited to her directorship; she is also participating in the March 18 L.A. Marathon with the BTS team. “I joined the Running4Recovery team as one more way to support Beit T’Shuvah,” Susan says. “Last year I walked the half-marathon and loved the experience. There was a great feeling of community involvement and of accomplishment. This year, I am walking with Sam Delug and really looking forward to it.”
Dr. Susan’s enthusiasm for Beit T’Shuvah hasn’t waned over the years, and she is quick to point out that she too has benefitted from her involvement. “I got involved with Beit T’Shuvah back in the Lake Street days, to help BTS and its residents. Over the years, though, I’ve gotten more personally from my connection with Beit T’Shuvah then I’ve given,” Dr. Susan says with a smile.
