Jan Maizler: A Man of Passions
Lynda Peeler

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to find a passion know how profoundly we feel about this. Jan Maizler is a man of several passions; “I see my life as composed of four spheres, all in relationship to each other, first as a psychotherapist, second as writer/author, third as angler, and fourth as world traveler. One sphere can trigger activity in another sphere at any time, such as my work with couples prompting the author in me to write a book or article about the experience.”

Miami educated; Beach High, then University of Miami where he graduated with honors receiving his Bachelors degree in marketing with honors; then on to Barry University graduate school where he obtained his Masters degree, with honors, from the School of Social Work, specializing in clinical treatment. He began his career in multi-level geriatric facility after graduate school.

Jan went into private practice in1980, and although trained as classical psychotherapist; he views himself as eclectic utilizing behavioral, humanistic, and cognitive approaches. His experiences in this field prompted him to write on human potential and growth. This led to over 120 articles and seven books. The handbook articles covered topics such as grieving, mood disorders, couples work, addictions, and aging to name a few topics. The books he has written in this field include The Transformation Handbook and The Relationship Handbook; both are based on twenty-three years of intensive work with couples and marriages. “I have attempted to spell out in true handbook tradition the “how-to’s” of making a relationship viable and successful.” said Maizler, “The handbook is lucid, concise, and designed for everyone. There is no confusing jargon, and most importantly, it is based on day-in, day-out work with actual people who have had their fill of the self-styled therapists and motivators that abound on TV, radio and auditoriums.” He wrote it because people never receive a formal education in school or any place else about relationship dynamics, management and improvement; amazing considering the importance that relationships play in our lives. The Relationship Handbook provides a written, interactive resource for people desiring soundness, health, and realism in their relationships. An in depth overview can be found at: www.relationshiphandbook.

Fishing is in his blood; fishing in earnest since a teen in 1962, when he cast his line in the home-waters of South Florida. This passion has taken him too many far-reaching places. He explains shallow water angling as generally not exceeding depths of five or six feet. He goes on to say, “Flats fishing involves hunting for, seeing and casting to your quarry without them seeing you first. The next challenge is to present your offering, such as a fly, to the fish without spooking them, enticing them to grab it. If they do, and that is a big “if”, you hook them and the battle begins! It is most important to fight the fish effectively and relatively quickly to ensure their survival on release. I release my flats fish with respect, gratitude and admiration.”

Expanding his horizons and feeding another passion, Jan traveled to countries surrounded by water such as Turkey, Israel, Italy, France, Portugal, Gibraltar and Morocco in the Mediterranean, and Belize, Costa Rica and Panama to the East, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, and all reaches of the Caribbean. Another area of interest is the Pacific including Bora-Bora, and Moorea in Tahitian Islands; remote Fanning Island; Maui and the big Island of Hawaii. These have spawned articles on marine angling in magazines such as Florida Sportsman and Saltwater Sportsman. Maizler’s most recent books are Flats Fishing II: A Shoalwater Handbook, which precisely and in clear language, covers all the major flat species, approaches, tactics ecological variables, tackle and techniques, flat boats, wading, fly fishing, tips for traveling fishermen, equipment lists and health hints. Both can be found on his website: www.flatsfishingonline.com.

Jan Maizler is a man of passions who knows how to listen for the crescendo of one with diminuendo of another; conductor of the spheres.

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