Director, Peer Counseling Program

Sheila Segal, MFT

For the past eight years, Sheila has been clinical head of the Peer Counseling Program, providing both training and supervision to the paraprofessional peer counselors at WISE & Healthy Aging. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. Her first career was launched upon graduation from UC Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree followed by attaining her license as a Registered Physical Therapist.

The Peer Counseling Groups at WISE & Healthy Aging includes support groups for people 50 to 65 who have reached crossroads in their lives and are unsure which path to choose. There is a support group for women and men 55 and older who are interested in gaining insight and clarity in their lives. A loss support group helps those who are struggling with the loss of a loved one. Another support group for women provides a safe place for women to share the pain and pleasure of life, and to provide and receive emotional support. A men's support group provides a confidential and trusting environment in which men can talk about personal issues in their lives, covering both physical and emotional concerns.

Ms. Segal has worked for the Contra Costa County Health Department as a physical therapist. Following semi-retirement, she and her husband entered the business world developing and running a musical restaurant in Santa Monica through the 80’s and early 90’s. She is pleased that her third career offers her an opportunity to apply the education and life experience developed in her earlier years to the challenges of life’s later stages.