Staff Highlight: Dr. Yvonne Kaye

Dr. Yvonne Kaye will be the first to tell you that her hardships during her childhood contributed enormously to empathetic person she is today. Growing up in London during World War II found her dodging bombs that came dangerously close to taking her life, and that left her homeless and at the mercy of strangers. The compassion and kindness that these strangers offered to her at one of her greatest times of need became a driving factor, an inspiration to the impressionable young girl. “I want to be like them” became her mantra.

Her strength of character, however, can be easily attributed to her immediate family and a mother who put her into foster care not once but three times. Finding herself alone as a young girl led to what she describes as a “Watch This!” confidence that nothing could or would get in the way of the person she was meant to become.

After a difficult first marriage marked by co-dependency and addiction, Dr. Kaye found her inspiration. The mother of one of her children’s friends handed her a book, insisting she read it to find her happiness: Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning. Although she admits that she resisted at first, she started reading the words that would ultimately provide the strength she needed to change the direction of her life.

“This book went straight to my heart,” says Dr. Kaye. So inspired, she called Dr. Frankl’s office expecting to speak to an assistant when Dr. Frankl answered the phone. After asking her to slow down (she was, after all, very excited to be speaking directly to this larger-than-life individual!), they proceeded to have a conversation focused primarily on the message in his book: One is not in control of what life gives you. It’s what you actually do with what life gives you that’s important.” And Dr. Kaye has lived by those words ever since.

Dr. Kaye from the age of 12 knew that there was something different about how she was able to sense pain in people. One night during the war, she was woken by someone wiggling her toe. It was her 19-year-old cousin, Lawrence, who came to explain that he was going away and had come to say good-bye. The next morning, she found her entire family in the kitchen weeping. They had learned that Lawrence had been killed on a battlefield that night, close to the time he had visited Dr. Kaye. She often can sense pain simply by touching a person’s skin or by an emotional feeling she receives from being in someone’s presence. Recognizing her gift led her to understand her power for healing that included a late-night radio call-in program for people who just needed advice—or just needed to talk to someone who would listen.

Today, Dr. Kaye finds a welcome environment for her practice at Libertae, which she describes as a place of hope. Whether running a group therapy program for clients, training Libertae’s staff or holding workshops for the public and healthcare professionals, Dr. Kaye brings her expertise, humor and warmth to every activity. Her favorite experience is when someone she’s working with comes to realize that they have the power within themselves to change their course for the better, much the way she did.

In the near future, Dr. Kaye will be spending more time with the families of Libertae clients, educating and providing tools during orientations to support and cope. She has a lot of faith in Libertae and its ability to respond effectively and creatively to new approaches to treatment that will assist in the

recovery process, and commends the Libertae staff on their intimate, compassionate connections to their clients.

“It’s an honor to be [at Libertae],” notes Dr. Kaye. And it’s Libertae’s honor to have Dr. Kaye