It's no secret that countless millions of Americans are feeling alienated, frustrated, overwhelmed and stressed out, and not just because of the current political chasm. Doven Brezner, a licensed clinical social worker based in Erdenheim, is one person who is not just sitting on the sidelines while this crisis gets more chaotic. 

Starting April 30, Brezner began meeting with anyone in the surrounding community who feels they need a kind soul with whom to share their angst. Every Wednesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m., anyone can chat with Brezner at her pop-up “Friendship Bench.” The bench is located inside James A. Cisco Park on Montgomery Avenue in Erdenheim, next to Phil-Mont Christian Academy.

At her inaugural Friendship Bench (FB) meetup, Brezner said. “I am not knocking social media, but people who are constantly on social media have no social interaction. Human beings are social creatures. We need the sense of being part of something. It is really important to connect!

And, Brezner explained, at the bench, you don’t even need to talk. “People of any age can write down their worries on water soluble paper. I don't look at the papers. I put them in this water,” she said, pointing to a full bucket before her, “and the worries dissolve for real and also symbolically. You feel a weight being lifted.”

Brezner admits she didn’t invent the Friendship Bench. She read on the website Centre for Global Mental Health’s website that the bench is an “evidence-based intervention developed in Zimbabwe to bridge the mental health treatment gap.”

According to Brezner, “I researched loneliness, and this came up as a method of dealing with it. I found out about Zimbabwe and other places where similar things were tried. This is my own variation. So to see if this would work, I put out the Friendship Bench information on the Springfield Township Facebook page and other community groups' Facebook pages. I was thrilled at the response, so I decided to start it.”

Doven (“My parents gave me the name because the dove is the bird of peace and the word 'daven' means 'to pray' in Yiddish.”) grew up on a farm in Ohio. She is a 1992 graduate of Kent State University, gained a master's degree in social work and worked for 20 years for nonprofit organizations. She is now in private practice. 

“In my practice, I have had the privilege of working with many adults who are seeking help with concerns associated with symptoms related to depression, anxiety, complex PTSD, relational trauma, bipolar disorder, grief, loss and personality disorders. There is not just one thing causing all this anxiety. We are inundated with information, and our brains are not built for that. 

“Research has shown, on the other hand, that talking releases chemicals in the brain and helps us feel connected. … I want people to know they are not alone.”

The Friendship Bench rests next to a bridge, giant trees, and a large, beautiful pond with a constant stream of dogwalkers, and, right now, geese accompanied by five adorable goslings. It is a visible location that also provides a degree of privacy. As if all that weren’t calming enough, Brezner gives each visitor to the bench a little pin that says, “HUG.” 

Brezner recalled, “When I was growing up on the farm, we raised a blind baby deer. His mother and sibling ran away because of predators. We took him to a vet and then kept the blind baby deer protected in a barn. When he got big enough, we turned him over to a sanctuary. We also raised a hawk with a broken wing and set him free when he was healed.”

Now, she is also trying to heal human beings.

For more information, visit dovenbrezner.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com