Wall Street woes boost therapists' business

By Elinor Comlay

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street is reeling from losses, and bankers are fearful of losing bonuses at best and jobs at worst. But while New York braces for the economic fallout, one group is benefiting -- psychotherapists.

Bankers suffering from anxiety or depression and looking for pills or deep therapy are making beelines for the couch. And for some it has gotten so bad they want to quit the money game forever.

"I had a guy say to me, 'I want your job," said psychologist and career coach Marilyn Puder-York.

While it is difficult to quantify demand, five therapists who serve the banking community all said in interviews their business from Wall Street is up in recent months.

Alden Cass, a psychologist and trading coach in New York who works extensively with Wall Street traders, estimated that his clients have increased by about 25 percent since March, when JPMorgan Chase & Co agreed to buy Bear Stearns and the stock market tumbled.

Several psychologists said that the events in March led to a spike in referrals, as Wall Street professionals saw just how quickly their job security could be taken away.

"Traders are more stressed, more uncomfortable, more fearful about how the year's going to turn out, and less confident than they have been in years," said Ari Kiev, psychiatrist and founder of the Social Psychiatry Research Institute.

Kiev has been working with traders for 15 years and said this is the most stressful year for his clients he has experienced.