MICHAEL PICUCCI

PICUCCI--Dr. Michael. Passed away peacefully at his home in Samsonville, NY on November 26, 2018. Michael was a pioneer in addiction, recovery and trauma resolution, especially in the LGBT community. He died of a cardiac event at 73 years of age following a long history of heart disease, said Dr. Elias Guerrero, his life partner of 26 years. Born in Astoria, NY, in September 25, 1945, Michael was raised in Bethpage and Amityville, NY. After a successful career in advertising and recovering from a near fatal bout with AIDS-related Burkitt's lymphoma in 1983, he changed his life's direction and studied to become a counselor, eventually earning his Ph.D. from The Union Institute in Ohio. An innovative psychologist and leading voice in his field for well over 35 years, Michael gained early recognition for his research in addiction and recovery, and as a trauma therapist trained in Somatic Experiencing. He was a co-founder of the LGBT Center ("The Center") in New York City and developed "Focalizing," a syncretic process influenced by his life's work and experience, in 1990 co-founding the Institute for Authentic Process Therapy, now the Focalizing Institute. Dr. Picucci authored a seminal work on Stage Two Recovery, "The Journey to Complete Recovery" (North Atlantic) in 1996. He maintained a private practice for over 30 years and led workshops and retreats throughout the Northeast. Dr. Picucci's clients, students, mentors and friends cherished his enduring qualities of humility, humanity and a generosity of spirit. A memorial is planned for Sunday, January 13, 2019 from 3-5pm at The Open Center located at 22 East 30th Street in NYC. Check michaelpicucci.com for more info. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to two projects very close his heart: a gofundme campaign for one of his student's scholarship fund (www.gofundme.com/ mindfulness-in-sports- for-kids) and the Focalizing Institute (theinstitute.org).