Member Highlight — Julia Zabasky, LMFT

Alan Croft, MA, Registered AMFT

Alan is easy to talk to, friendly, and kind. I had the pleasure of meeting him to write the highlights this month.

Alan shared that he is currently working at San Fernando Valley Counseling center as an MFT Associate and completing his last 500 hours. He works with individuals suffering from depression and anxiety, as well as with couples. Before this, his first and only traineeship was for Grandparents as Parents; he interned at the Center for Individual and Family Services; he worked for Optimist Youth Homes and Family Services in Palmdale, where he enjoyed working with kids and families in foster care and the adoptive care system. Alan graduated from Phillips Graduate Institute in 2012 with an MA in Psychology. As an undergraduate, he attended UC Santa Barbara and majored in English.

Alan began working for the Jewish Community Center of Greater Los Angeles in the Teen Services department co-facilitating student groups on high school campuses as well as coordinating other religious, travel and social events. After an anti-Semitic shooting at the University of Judaism, North Valley Jewish Community Center, as well as the murder of a U.S. Postman on 8/10/1999, he filled in for several months for the receptionist grazed by a bullet. He then worked as a teacher for LAUSD, teaching ESL at a high school for 1 year, followed by 2 years teaching English at a middle school. Alan also had a corporate career at Bank of America for 7 to 8 years, and left as he felt that the Banking Industry was too heartless.

Thus, he decided to find a new career. Alan shared according to his occupational testing, he was adept with being a teacher, a rabbi, or a therapist. Alan thought about becoming a rabbi. Alan decided that he felt more connected to counseling than going to rabbinical school.

Alan shared that he was diagnosed with late onset Tay-Sachs 5 years ago. Tay-Sachs affected him both physically and mentally in that he has brittle bones and with his speech is occasionally slurred and he can have difficulty accessing his words. He went through challenges before the diagnoses and thought he had MS or Parkinson. Alan explained that both of his parents carried the gene and there was a 25 percent of him being a “Tay- Sachs baby.” Alan shared that his fiancé who worked as a Cantor, broke off the engagement when he was diagnosed.

As a silver lining, Alan wants his work to focus on treatment of people who have medical challenges and disabilities. Alan initially wanted to work with the elderly. He feels that his experience gives him a lot of perspective on how to help people with these challenges in helping them navigate through their medical diagnoses and adapting to life with a disability. He attributes his ability to succeed to his attitude of positively and pushing forward. He shared that he looks at things as “challenges and not obstacles, whether it be school, travel, and anything in life.” On the horizon is the possibility of participating in a drug trial to slow down the progression.

Alan shared that his parents are his biggest supporters. He also has a service dog German Shepherd, Collie, and Teruvian mix named “Jeri.”

Alan shared that he joined the SFV- CAMFT while studying at Phillips and stayed for the networking, the wonderful people, friends and great experiences.

Alan lives in Porter Ranch with his parents and service dog- Jeri. In his free time, Alan loves listening to music and traveling to concerts, visiting with friends, watching tv and movies, reading, and exercising.

Alan Croft
alan.croft.ma@gmail.com
818.527.5141