HISTORY OF INTEGRATION CENTER, INC

ICI was formed in 1997 by Carmella Leipzig, R. N., M.F.T., after her first visit to Russia. Carmella was born in China to Russian parents. When the Communists expelled all foreigners, the family went to Israel where Carmella trained as a registered nurse.

Carmella immigrated to the United States and worked for many years as a medical nurse before becoming interested mental health care. She returned to school and obtained a masters degree in marriage and family therapy. She has been working is this field for sixteen years in both clinics and private practice.

The trip to Russia was a long standing dream to explore her heritage. While there she came to know some Russians involved in mental health care and, through discussions with them, saw a need for curriculum development in their universities and for affordable and available mental health care for women and children. After the trip she began the long bureaucratic journey to establish a non-profit organization to help fill those needs.

She has returned to Russia many times. She and Judy Ingoldsby from the U. S. have lectured at universities, advised about curriculum development and supervised working therapists. ICI’s crowning achievement was establishing a mental health clinic for women and children in Moscow.

The clinic began in small temporary quarters with scrounged furnishings and the bare minimum office equipment, with ICI providing all funding through donations from Carmella’s associates and friends. Today the clinic is fully self-supporting and functioning independently. It has several therapists with as many clients as they can handle. The clinic charges on a sliding scale and so is able to provide affordable, effective care to all.

Music therapy staff at Moscow Clinic

Clinic director Natasha