An Interview with Jaime Grunfeld
Jaime Grunfeld, LMHC, was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where his parents, who lived in Hungary, fled after its invasion by the Nazis. As a teenager, he came to study at Yeshiva in Westchester County, NY, where he graduated in Talmudic Law. Returning to Brazil, he married and joined the family’s textile industry, where over the years he became its CEO.
In 2004, Jaime and his wife decided to move to the USA, where their children lived. With years of psychoanalysis under his belt, and passion about the subject, Jaime decided to make it his career. He holds a master’s in Mental Health Counseling from Touro College, NY, and is a candidate in adult psychoanalysis by the American Institute for Psychoanalysis. He’s licensed and practices in the states of New York and New Jersey, where in his own words he “helps his clients figure out themselves and achieve inner peace.”
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
The book has a single protagonist, so her pseudonym was the option that made the most sense.
How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?
When I saw the book cover for the first time, I was amazed to see how the illustration of Aliya resembles so much the real one. When holding my book for the first time, I thought to myself in Portuguese “Quem diria?” which means “Could you believe it?”
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
When my supervisor at the AIP (American Institute for Psychoanalysis) told me “Your sessions with Aliya are unfolding like chapters of a book”, I took it literally!
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
The most rewarding is getting emails from readers like the one I got from an anonymous sender saying “Aliya’s story resonated so much with me. I learned so much from it.”
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
“Serenity” by Olivia Newton-John.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?
My perfect reader is the person who not only enjoyed the reading but also took away some lessons and life became richer.
How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?
Atmosphere Press was great! The staff are professional and cordial, and they over-deliver.
Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.
Atmosphere Press is a selective hybrid publisher founded in 2015 on the principles of Honesty, Transparency, Professionalism, Kindness, and Making Your Book Awesome. Our books have won dozens of awards and sold tens of thousands of copies. If you’re interested in learning more, or seeking publication for your own work, please explore the links below.
