Member since
1993
His job
James is executive director and owner of South Shore Counseling and Psychological Services, a community-based practice in Wantagh, New York, with 11 independent practitioners. "As director, I usually get in first and typically leave last. Sound familiar?" James asks.
Inspired by the father of psychology
Yes, James says, he was influenced by sharing a name with the more famous William James. "I have read quite a bit of his books and treatises." But, he says, trauma in childhood had a greater impact on him. At age 4, he lost his left eye, which led to teasing and bullying throughout his school years, "causing me significant emotional distress, depression, anxiety and self-isolation." By age 10, he wanted to speak with a professional but, he says, "my parents didn't believe in such things and these early painful experiences festered." In college, his pain led to experimenting with marijuana and psychedelics, and he began to have panic attacks. He had to leave school and took on several different jobs, including as a sailor delivering yachts from Long Island to the Caribbean.
Changing course
In the 1980s, he was captain of a vessel that was smuggling $10 million of marijuana to South America. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, time he spent "taking stock and responsibility," he says. It was then he decided to become a psychologist and applied to Hofstra University. "The admissions process didn't ask about arrests at the time, and I didn't tell," he says. He graduated in 1993 with a doctorate in psychology from their dual-track program, clinical and school psychology.
Finding peace
Now, at age 63, he's found contentment and fulfillment in his work and hobbies. "I am fortunate for such an unlikely history to have generated such a passion," he says. He enjoys every day of practice and sees his co-workers as family. He also has many interests, including archery, kayaking and photography. "For a short period of time, I was an adjunct photographer for Time Life," he says. He lives on a house barge and still sails whenever he can. But he says, "I am, at the deepest level in my heart, a psychologist and intend to practice, supervise and administrate for years to come, albeit in an ever-reducing capacity."
— Sara Martin
Each month, "Random Sample" profiles an APA member. You may be next.