Helping Hands Psychotherapy

I received my Masters in social work from Columbia University. After working for many years in women’s health, substance abuse, anger management (often related to anxiety and depression) I completed the Intensive Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program and the Couples Therapy Training and Education Program, both at the William Alanson White Institute in New York City.

My approach is fairly psychodynamic but there is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to people’s needs in a treatment setting. I think that the pain of anxiety is often what drives individuals to seek therapy, and that loneliness and unmet needs are often what drive couples  to seek help. But sometimes what feels bad can be caused by things going on outside of our awareness. Because something is outside of our awareness, we do things in our relationships that can get us into hot water -such as getting into power struggles or reducing closeness and intimacy or re-creating painful patterns from the past. Sometimes we even see that the things we are doing are hurting ourselves or the people in our lives but we feel powerless to fix it. I can’t “fix it“.  I can, however, provide a safe place to help figure out what is causing pain and hurt and frustration. How do you want to address it? Do you want to address it? What will be lost and what will be gained ? How does it feel to talk about some of the embedded patterns in our lives and with our partners? It can be scary but often worth the struggle and the risk. When we try to understand “what’s going on here” we can
create an opportunity for increased insight, self confidence and self esteem and find relief and clarity.
 

Independently owned and operated psychotherapy practice:  Contact: 516-902-7624