The support network for Temple students extends beyond the borders of Tuttleman Counseling Services.
Today, Hornstein, Platt & Associates strives to provide “holistic, insurance-based psychotherapy” services to its community members. The aim of the center is to bring patients “one step closer to a new you where you feel more control over your life and on a positive path toward growth and well-being.”
HPA is a private therapy practice created with the efforts of Executive Director Randi Platt and clinical director and co-owner Robin Hornstein, Ph.D. The two founders met each other at Temple and shared a common dream of starting their own practice. After graduating in 1983, each had a degree in counseling and psychology.
The two combined their efforts and decided to combine the clinics in 2000 to create Hornstein, Platt & Associates.
“It’s kind of funny the way it started, because we were both were getting too many patients as private practitioners, so we thought we should collaborate,” Hornstein said. “Once we did that, it just kept growing and it kept us really busy.”
Since the collaboration, the practice gained 25 cooperative providers through networking to provide people with insured services without the cost or restrictions of a clinic. The practice has since expanded to eight locations in and around the Philadelphia area, one of which is found near Main Campus at 1526 Cecil B. Moore Ave.
“It was really like coming full circle because when I went to the counseling center when I went to Temple, it was incredibly helpful to me,” Platt said.
Although HPA is not an official affiliate of Temple, Platt said there is a cooperative relationship between the two. Hornstein trains social work and psychology interns at Tuttleman Counseling Services.
The practice provides everything from psychotherapy, including individual therapy and family systems therapy, to therapeutic services such as life coaching and meditation. HPA has always focused its practice to specialize in behavioral therapy and overall health and wellness. This is encompassed by what Hornstein called their “holistic approach.”
“As much as we can, we really try to help people live a very full, rich and peaceful life, stress-free,” Hornstein said.
Along with 20 services specializing in almost 50 specific issues, HPA still plans on expanding the practice to include several programs including stress reduction, several discussion groups, finances and budgeting and acupuncture. In 2012, HPA was named the top LGBT-owned company in the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Book of Lists and was again named as a finalist in 2013.
HPA has served and been a part of the LGBT community since its creation. Although it is not its only area of interest, HPA offers services for community members struggling with anything from sexuality to homophobia.
“I feel great about it,” Platt said. “It is really wonderful that we can give back to the community in that way.”
Hornstein said she believes therapy is a definite need in today’s society, in particular for the college community where stress and anxiety is common. She said she sees the impact stress can have on people and the good therapy can do, whether the benefit is “micro or macro.”
“I think there is a lot of anxiety – especially about healthcare,” Hornstein said. “There’s a lot of anxiety in populations of students and on professors. We live in a very high pressured society. We really hope to help people cope with that better. That’s our main goal.”
Brian Tom can be reached at brian.tom@temple.edu.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Tuttleman Counseling Services refers students to HPA. While the two practices have a cooperative relationship, HPA’s clientele is primarily members of the community, not students.
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