Psychotherapy

My Practice

As a therapist, I strive to help people improve their emotional well-being and health, enhance their ability to engage in satisfying relationships and feel empowered with the necessary skills to take control of their lives. In my Manhattan therapy practice, my work is characterized by compassion, intuition and collaboration. I have received specialized training in a variety of therapeutic techniques including EMDR, CBT, interpersonal psychodynamic psychotherapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples. Having a variety of tools and techniques allows me to work in a way that is creative and flexible.

People experience unhappiness for many reasons including lack of purpose and direction in one’s life, loss of a loved one, unfulfilling relationships and chronic, unrelenting stress. Therapy helps people increase self-esteem, develop healthy, satisfying relationships and understand self-defeating patterns that interfere with happiness and success. Talking with a therapist can be helpful for individuals who experience the following: therapist in New York City

• Depression and sadness
• Anxiety, phobias and panic attacks
• Stress and insomnia
• Relationships that are unsatisfying, both personal and professional
• Low self-esteem or lack of confidence
• Perfectionism and being overly self-critical
• Conflicts with family members
• Lack of career satisfaction
• Destructive patterns that include drinking, eating, drugs and other addictions
• Sexuality and worries and confusion about one’s identity
• Chronic pain or a diagnosis with an illness
• Traumatic memories
• Writing, creative and other performance blocks
• Life transitions such as marriage, new baby, mid-life problems and aging
• Grief/mourning losses such as separation, divorce, miscarriage, infertility or death of a love one

In addition, people often seek psychotherapy because they feel that they are not realizing their full potential and begin therapy as a way of achieving personal growth. Research has repeatedly shown the proven benefits of psychotherapy; patients report reduced symptoms, increased self awareness and improved functioning compared to individuals that do not receive treatment.

There are many different schools of therapy – behavioral, cognitive, interpersonal, psychodynamic, psychoanalysis, family therapy, Gestalt, and many more – but what this really means is that clients present in therapy the issues they are struggling with, their concerns and what they would like to see happen, and the therapist provides treatment that helps clients remove blocks, resolve old issues, learn new skills and move forward. Some therapists use a variety of techniques in their counseling practice that are not considered psychotherapy, but may be very helpful to you. EMDR and mindfulness meditation instruction are two examples of the various tools and techniques that a therapist might integrate into psychotherapy sessions. When therapy is successful, relationships deepen, work becomes more satisfying and life is richer. Clients learn to take better care of themselves and become more resilient during stressful times by applying the skills they’ve learned during their time in therapy.

Therapy can help by:

• Providing emotional support during change and transitions
• Teaching new skills for reducing symptoms such as stress, anxiety and depression
• Increasing insight and self-awareness
• Improving communication and listening skills
• Increasing control over emotions, thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and behaviors
• Discovering new ways to problem solve
• Increasing awareness of how past dynamics are played out in the present
• Improving self-esteem and boosting confidence

More About Talk Therapy

Traditional talk therapy involves a dialogue between client and therapist that develops into a therapeutic relationship. In the context of this relationship, the client and therapist work to identify thoughts and behaviors that are maladaptive and the cause of distress. Some therapists use the therapy relationship to point out patterns and unhelpful ways of relating that most likely occur outside the therapy session.

Short term therapy can be supportive or solution-focused with a focus on immediate concerns. In short term therapy or crisis work, the therapist takes a direct active role with the client focusing on a particular challenge that is impacting the client and works towards resolution. Long term therapy such as interpersonal psychodynamic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis is more of an unfolding process where the individual develops insight and self-awareness with the goal of integrating various aspects of the personality into a unified whole. A skilled therapist can use a variety of approaches, both traditional and holistic to achieve results. Ultimately the process involves helping the individual connect with both the conscious and unconscious processes.

An Individualized Approach

Working with adults and adolescents, my approach is integrative and holistic. I practice from an interpersonal & relational model which focuses on the relationship between the client and therapist which helps the client learn to relate to others in a more mature way. I integrate a strengths-based perspective which identifies the positive resources and abilities that exists in the individual.  Psychodynamic Psychotherapy helps the client become more aware of his or her defenses, unconscious wishes, fears and motivations. Part of the process involves helping the client gain a more realistic perspective about themselves and others in an effort to support growth, enhance relationships and improve self-esteem. I help the client focus on present-day interactions, dynamics and relationships and their possible link to the past. Together we work to understand how these current distortions and vulnerabilities and reactions to people and situations, are often rooted in the past. Dynamically oriented therapy involves maintaining a regular schedule of once or twice per week for optimal progress. Some clients respond well when sessions include a more direct  and systematic approach such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.  CBT works to help clients identify irrational automatic thoughts, assumptions and core beliefs as well as employ behavioral techniques such as relaxation training, graduated exposure to feared situations and assertiveness training. In therapy, the individual learns to challenge these faulty cognitions and beliefs replacing them with realistic thoughts and appraisals, learning and implementing new behaviors in the process. Solution Focused Therapy helps clients move away from what is wrong to resource building and active problem solving.

Additional Support

In my experience, growth works best with a team approach.  For this reason,  I have aligned myself with a wonderful network of professionals with a variety of skills and strengths in an effort to support goals for change. I have many connections to individuals and businesses that can help guide you on your journey. Whether you need a career consultant or coach, acupuncturist, massage therapist, fitness expert, nutritionist or support group, I can help you find what you need. Just ask.

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