Meet Dr. Gary
Dr. Gary McClain is an educator, psychotherapist, relationship coach, and author. He has a practice in New York City. He also works with employees onsite at local corporations as a mental health professional. He is an adjunct faculty member at Montclair State University in the graduate program in mental health and at Excelsior College in health sciences, where he was named the Distinguished Faculty Member in 2013 and received the Faculty Scholarship Award in 2023. He is known for his warm, sincere, compassionate approach both in his work with clients as well as in his many presentations.
He has two specialties. He works with clients who are facing chronic and catastrophic medical diagnoses, as well as their caregivers and healthcare professionals, on issues that include coping with emotions, communicating with family members, self-advocacy with healthcare professionals, staying informed, making treatment decisions, embracing change, and planning for the future.
Selected Publications
In this role, he consults with organizations on the needs of patients and has delivered presentations and workshops on topics such as coping emotionally with a medical diagnosis, being one’s own advocate, and communication between patients and family caregivers, for local and national organizations, including the National Hemophilia Foundation, the Hemophilia Federation of America, the American Counseling Association, and the American Cancer Society. He often serves on panels organized around topics that include eldercare, caregiving, and living with a chronic condition.
He also works with adults facing life transitions, including transitions in relationships, as well as grief. He works with these clients through his private practice, an onsite capacity in the employee assistance space, supporting employees in need of mental health counseling who are facing issues including communicating with their leaders and colleagues, coping with the emotions from a relationship breakup, building stronger relationships with partners or family members, and bereavement. His work with clients has become increasingly focused on helping clients who are seeking closure.
Dr. McClain is also a frequent speaker at corporate meetings, delivering various mental health presentations at companies and organizations in the New York City area. Topics include communication for couples, teamwork, burnout, stress management, and managing anxious thoughts. He was extensively involved in delivering presentations around coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, at these companies and other groups, in the New York area and nationally. Lack of closure around grief was the subject of frequent discussions during the pandemic.
Dr. McClain has written many articles in a series he calls “Chronic Communication Skills.” Articles in this series are published on his website as well as in the publications he works with. By writing these articles, he realized that he has an innate ability to recognize and identify communication issues. These articles originally focused on communicating with one’s partner around issues related to living with a chronic condition; over time, he began writing articles around providing guidance for communicating with healthcare professionals and in the workplace. Through his clinical work, and in writing these articles, Dr. McClain recognized he has a passion for helping individuals achieve better communication in their relationships, including seeking closure, an essential element of communication. Gradually his writing has expanded beyond chronic conditions to address a broad range of interpersonal communication challenges. He promotes his writing on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, and is very active on social media.
Books Published
"The Power of Closure: Why We Want It, How To Get It, and When To Walk Away," TarcherPerigee, expected Summer of 2024
"After the Diagnosis: How Patients React and How to Help Them Cope" (supplemental textbook for nursing/Allied Health Education), Cengage/Delmar, 2010
His practice has evolved to focus primarily on communication and relationship issues, and he works with both individuals and couples.
Dr. McClain completed graduate work in Clinical Psychology and Education (adult development) and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He is a New York State licensed clinical mental health counselor. He served as Secretary of the board of directors of Miracle House, a non-profit organization that provided temporary housing to out-of-town patients and caregivers in New York City. He is active in a variety of professional organizations, including the American Counseling Association and the Employee Assistance Professionals Association, and served as the President of the Association for Adult Development and Aging. He holds additional certification in life coaching, grief counseling, rational-emotive behavior therapy, and working with journalists facing trauma.
Presentations
Proven Techniques for Creating Presentations That Get Results, Adams, 2007
The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine, Expert Reviewer for Psychology and Human Relations Sections, 2006
Empowering Your Life with Joy (Co-author, with Eve Adamson), Alpha, 2003
The Everything Managing People Book (Co-author, with Deborah Romaine), Adams, 2002, Second edition, 2007
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Zen Living (Co-author, with Eve Adamson), Alpha, 2000, Second edition, 2004
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Breaking Bad Habits, (Co-Author, with Suzanne LeVert), Alpha Books/Macmillan, 1998
An Alternate Selection of the Literary Guild, Translated into Spanish, Revised edition, 2000
He has worn multiple hats in his career. After completing his doctorate degree, he entered the business world, first as a corporate trainer, then in marketing communications, and finally he moved into market research, and created his own business conducting focus groups and interviews nationally and internationally, mainly related to healthcare and mental health issues. He returned to working as a mental health professional in 2002. His experience in the business world and in conducting market research has greatly deepened his understanding of human nature and communication as well as his compassion for people.
Dr. McClain has authored books on body-mind-spirit topics, as well as a supplementary textbook for nursing and allied healthcare programs, After the Diagnosis: How Patients React and How to Help Them Cope (Cengage/Delmar, 2010). He has published articles for numerous health-related publications and writes a column on mental health issues for HIV Plus magazine. He has been quoted in publications/websites that include Self, Real Simple, and The Daily Beast.
His latest book, "The Power of Closure: Why We Want It, How To Get It, And When to Walk Away," will be published by Tarcher Perigee in the summer of 2024.
His website, JustGotDiagnosed.com, provides information and inspiration for individuals living with chronic illness, caregivers, and professionals, including his articles on “Chronic Communication Skills.” Dr. McClain is in the process of building a second website, PowerOfClosure.com, which will highlight his work in helping clients seeking closure, as well as his writing.