Welcome to my website!
Our technological age has given us numerous gadgets to make our lives easier. Yet, as recent news articles acknowledge, we are more anxious, stressed, and depressed than ever!
Once upon a time, family, religion, neighborhood, job security...all provided a sense of belonging. Today, however, there is an increasing sense of isolation as we navigate the complicated demands of our modern and competitive society. And while anxiety, depression, and mental illness are not new, they are certainly exacerbated by our current culture.
How can psychotherapy help?
Psychotherapy can facilitate understanding and personal growth. Such treatment can help in the areas of:
But what IS psychotherapy?
Interestingly enough, psychotherapy includes a broad range of philosophies, techniques, treatment styles, and disciplines.
My approach is "eclectic" which means that I draw upon a variety of modalities: psychodynamic, interpersonal, and family systems. As a traditionally trained clinical social worker, I believe that therapeutic work should "start where the client is" and focus on the person in his or her situation. This includes understanding the person's family of origin, the person's own individual strengths (and conflicts regarding such strengths), his or her current reality (the "here and now"), and his or her goals and aspirations.
While sometimes a rose really is only a rose, generally our behavior and "symptoms" truly communicate what we are unable or unwilling to communicate directly. That's where psychotherapy comes in...whatever approach a therapist uses, the goal is to help resolve those problems that block one's path to self-fulfillment and satisfaction.
Sometimes I work individually with the client, sometimes it is within a couple or family unit that the problems surface, sometimes group is the best way to identify and "treat" patterns that interfere with the person's well-being. And sometimes it is in using a combination of these modalities that we have the most success.
Years ago I was treating a child in a clinic that authorized only occasional appointments with the mother. I wanted further contact with this parent, who I felt needed a lot more support and psychoeducation than she was receiving. But I was a young social worker with little experience and no say in the workings of the clinic.
That is not the case now: my clients and I determine the course of treatment.
Sometimes, anxiety or depression can be so overwhelming that they interfere with the process of psychotherapy. In such circumstances, medication might be helpful. As I am not a medical doctor, I am unable to prescribe medication. However, I can refer clients to psychiatrists who will evaluate the need for and supervise the administering of medication while my client and I continue our work in therapy.
I hope this information has been helpful. Please call me if you have any questions or want further information regarding my practice. There is no fee for the initial telephone consultation.
And thanks for visiting!
914-723-2084 [telephone]* 914-693-4175 [fax]