A life well lived

A close friend of murdered New York City psychologist Kathryn Faughey, PhD, remembered her as a kindhearted, spiritual woman who wanted to help her clients improve their lives.

"She had such compassion for people, to really see people work through either changes in their lives or crises in their lives or to just get a handle on developmental experiences," says Sister Patricia Daly, who delivered Faughey's eulogy at a church packed with hundreds of mourners.

Faughey, 56, was stabbed to death in her office on Feb. 12.

The man charged with her murder, David Tarloff, was reportedly seeking to rob Faughey's associate, psychiatrist Kent Shinbach, MD. According to reports, Tarloff, 39, has been in and out of psychiatric facilities for schizophrenia since his early 20s and might have held a grudge against Shinbach.

Shinbach, who tried to come to Faughey's aid, was also stabbed in the attack, but survived. The attacks focused national attention on the issue of the personal safety of mental health professionals.

Faughey practiced psychology for more than 20 years on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. She and her husband, Walter Adam, lived in an apartment across the street.

Besides psychology, Faughey loved playing music, painting with watercolors and visiting Paris. She learned how to play guitar in the past 10 years, and she and her husband attended a summer camp for acoustic guitar enthusiasts every summer. Once a year, the two would vacation in Paris, renting a small apartment and walking and bicycling through the city, Daly says.

After earning her doctorate, Faughey taught at St. Peter's College from 1981 to 1985, and gradually built an independent practice. According to her Web site, she had also worked as a consultant at Eger Health Center, a residential health-care facility on Staten Island, developing programs for families, caregivers, staff and residents.

An APA member, she belonged to APA's Div. 40 (Clinical Neuropsychology), Div. 38 (Health), and Div. 38's Committee on Women and Health.

Faughey earned a doctorate in developmental psychology at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University in 1981. Yeshiva professor Irma Hilton, PhD, supervised Faughey's dissertation on how the example set by parents influences the roles a daughter adopts as a woman.

"She was pleasant, forthcoming, welcoming and articulate," Hilton says.

-C. Munsey