Women of Atlantic County............30

Mikaela Crowley, PA-C

Advanced Care OB/GYN

Mikaela received her bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from Stockton University in Galloway Township in May of 2018, graduating with honors. She then went on to complete her Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Thomas Jefferson University in August of 2020, graduating number one in her class and receiving awards for academic excellence. Mikaela is board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and New Jersey State Society of Physician Assistants. As a south jersey native, Mikaela is passionate about providing high quality, compassionate care to women of all ages in her community. When she is not providing care for her patients, Mikaela enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to the beach, and playing tennis. For more information, call 609272-0506.

Dr. Mariya Rozov, DDS

Aesthetic Dental Creations

Dr. Mariya Rozov has a truly exceptional professional background. Prior to becoming a dentist, she worked as a scientist in biochemical and medical fields. Her resume includes helping parents fulfill their dreams of having kids via reproductive medicine, and working on projects for NASA. As a dentist, Dr. Rozov is committed to providing a high-quality compassionate general and aesthetic dental care in a warm and friendly atmosphere. She brought beautiful smiles to patients within the tri-state region.

Dr. Rozov graduated with a DDS degree from New York University School of Dentistry, top ten of her class. This was followed by an extensive residency training at Wyckoff Hospital. As a result, she is highly proficient in all areas of general dentistry and has been consistently recognized by her peers for excellent bedside manner. Dr. Rozov is a member of both the American Dental Association and American Dental Society of Anesthesiology. Dr. Rozov is married to her husband Alex and has a beautiful baby girl, Eleanor. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family as well as traveling and hiking. For more information or to book an appointment please call Aesthetic Dental Creations at (732) 363-5370.

Alexa D’Amato Barrera, Esq.

Counselor at Law, D’Amato Law Firm

Alexa is a Personal Injury attorney representing those injured in most types of accidents. Alexa received both the New Jersey State Bar Associations and the Atlantic County Bar Association’s Young Lawyer of the Year Award. Alexa has been recognized as a Top 40 under 40 in Atlantic County and as a top young lawyer by New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars since 2008 and as a New Jersey Super Lawyer since 2013. Alexa has been a speaker and moderator for NJAJ and on the national level for AAJ. The New Jersey State Bar Association, NJESQ Magazine and the American Associate for Justice have published her writings. Alexa lives in Linwood with her husband, Alexander J. Barrera, Esquire, their three children, Paul, Massimo, and Rocco, their Goldendoodles Emme & Kelce, and two cats, Mickey and Minnie.

For more information, call 609-926-3300 or visit www.damatolawfirm.com.

Photo by Donna Andrews Photography

Rhoda Kopy, CH

Nationally Certified Consulting Hypnotist & Wellness Coach, Founder, Hypnosis for Women

Rhoda helps people break free of negative habits, and limiting fears and beliefs, as a master hypnosis practitioner and wellness coach with specialty certification in Medical and Dental Hypnotism. Building each client’s sense of calm, focus, confidence, and empowerment is the hallmark of her approach. She firmly believes that when you learn to make your mind work for you, instead of against you, anything is possible. Rhoda recently celebrated her 16th anniversary as a clinical hypnotist. Ms. Kopy’s Toms River practice, Hypnosis for Women, which she founded in 2005, serves primarily women, teens, and children, throughout the tri-state area. After studying nursing and earning a B.S. in Biomedical Communications in 1984, she worked for various organizations providing community health education and counseling services. She later segued into career services and founded A Hire Image, which offered motivational coaching, marketing, and training services. As a result of success she achieved using hypnosis to improve her life, she completed an advanced training program in 2004, parlayed her education and experience, and opened her private practice. Rhoda also co-founded Jersey Shore Hypnosis Practitioners, a peer support and networking group, and is a certified member of leading professional hypnosis organizations. Born in Bayonne and raised in North Plainfield, she has lived in Toms River for most of her life. She enjoys coordinating Bookie Babes, watercoloring, watching meteor showers, traveling with her husband, and connecting with friends and family. She has a daughter, two grandsons, and an adopted cockapoo, Gracie. Rhoda can help you determine if hypnosis and coaching are appropriate for you. She offers confidential in-person and online sessions. Call her at 732-270-0080 for a brief complimentary phone screening, and visit www.HypnoForWomen.com

It’s Depression –

By Charles e. MeusBurger, MD, FasaM

Approximately 9.5% of American adults will have a serious depressive episode this year. Women are twice as likely to develop a depressive episode; however men and women are about even when it comes to developing Bipolar Depressive episodes. Roughly calculated, this means about 33 plus million adults in the United States alone will suffer from this very common, but oft times, overwhelming disease. For adolescents aged 12 to 17, the ratio is even higher at 11.1% or about 2.7 million adolescents will struggle with at least one episode of this serious illness. Even 3.2% of children 3 to 17 years old or about 1.9 million youngsters will be diagnosed with at least one episode of serious depression; about 38 million people of all ages this year. According to the CDC, depression affects about 1-5% of the general elderly population with subsets of those requiring home health care to be estimated at 13.5%. About 11.5% of the elderly who are hospitalized or in a long-term care facility will be afflicted with depression as well. In total, this means that about one in four – 24% of adults 65 and older will be diagnosed with depression as well as anxiety. The highest degree of depression is experienced in the age group of 18 to 29 years old, 21%, followed by those aged 45 to 64 years old, 18.4%, those 65 and over at about 18.4% and those aged 30 to 44 at about 16.8%. Depression has increased in recent years. COVID and its confounding and compounding aspects and duration have played a significant contributory role. It is now estimated that one in three adults in the United States, or 32.8% has experienced some form of serious depression up to and including 2021 to date. Subsequently, the original estimates are increased up to 110,000,000 US adults who will experience at least one serious episode of depression during their lifetime. These astronomical numbers are similar to reading stats on war dead, COVID dead, federal deficits, natural disaster totals and any other enormous number almost too large to viscerally comprehend. Hence, the ‘glaze over’ defense and then some feigned discomfort and what’s next? The numbers represent individual people across all ages and demographics living in personal torment that only they feel and carves them out from friends, family and co-workers to fight a formidable foe alone until they seek appropriate treatment. The racial and ethnic differences and disparities are multifactorial and include access to health care and insurance, financial stability, distribution of chronic comorbid medical condition(s) and predilection and education. Hispanics, especially older ones, have the highest rates of depression followed by African Americans and then Whites. The etiology, causes or reasons for this scourge are also multifactorial ---almost innumerably so. For example, age, comorbid medical condition(s), substance abuse or addictions of any kind, trauma of any kind, loss and serious unwanted change(s), persistent