My Approach to Helping
Deciding to enter psychotherapy is one of the most compassionate choices you can make for yourself. In fact, it can represent an essential turning point in your life. However, it can also sometimes feel uncomfortable to talk to someone you don't know well. That's why I provide a caring, safe environment where I will listen to you carefully and where we will work together to understand and resolve the issues with which you are struggling--both in terms of how they affect your life now and in terms of how they became issues for you in the first place.
I work with adults and adolescents who are struggling with a wide range of concerns, including relationship difficulties, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, loss, low self-esteem, and many more. When you enter my office, we will talk together about what you are having difficulty with and where you are feeling stuck. I strongly believe that therapy should be an interactive process, where we work together as a team.
I received my bachelor's degree in psychology from Yale University and my master's degree in clinical social work from New York University. My theoretical approach is eclectic, but grounded in a psychodynamic approach to therapy, which means that we will work to establish benefits that not only help you right now, but can also stand the test of time.
I look forward to hearing from you!
What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist
What I love most about being a psychotherapist is helping clients to change and grow in lasting ways--sometimes in ways they could not have imagined when they first came in. I take great pride in working side-by-side with my clients to help free them from the patterns and feelings that have been holding them back in their lives. It's a privilege and an honor to be offered access to people's inner worlds, and I take the responsibility that comes with that access seriously.
On the Fence About Going to Therapy?
On the fence about going to therapy? That makes perfect sense, and it's completely normal. Like all therapists, I have been in therapy myself, and I remember all too clearly my fears about entering therapy: Would my therapist force me to reveal too much, too quickly? Would he sit back in silence and leave me flailing, like the classical psychoanalysts in movies and TV? Were my issues even "serious" enough to justify going to therapy? Most important: would I feel safe and comfortable with this person I hadn't met yet?
Rest assured: regardless of what you might be uncertain about, I am prepared to listen and help. Your comfort with me and with the process are truly important to me, and I'm happy to talk about whatever concerns you might have. I take pride in the fact that my clients find me warm, engaged, interested, accessible and safe.
Therapy can benefit almost anyone, so even if you're on the fence about therapy, I encourage you to reach out to me. Let's talk about it together, and see if and how I can help.
Had a Negative Therapy Experience?
If you've had a negative therapy experience, you are--sadly--not alone. While the majority of therapists are well-trained, warm, ethical, and genuinely invested in helping their clients, there are some people out there who are unskilled, unethical, and unprofessional. If you've had to work with therapists like that, I'm truly sorry. Through our work together as a team, I promise to try to help you regain your trust in the process, and you can be certain that I am deeply committed to offering you the safest, most ethical therapy experience possible.
Importance of the Client-Therapist Alliance
When people talk about the client-therapist "alliance," what they mean is the extent to which the client and therapist work together as an effective team. That idea--that a client and I are truly a team, working side-by-side to face, understand, and help resolve their problems--is at the very heart of my approach to therapy.
In me, clients say that they find someone who is committed to helping them deal with the things they find hard; someone who is experienced, but is always open to their feedback; someone with a good sense of humor when that's what's called for; someone who will stay with them through a process that can be daunting and even painful; and someone who is committed to being on their side, in every way possible.
Clinicians who offer sliding scale payment structures may offer lower or reduced fees based on an individual's ability to pay. Please contact this clinician for more details regarding their fees or sliding scale policy.
