We all struggle to improve our lives - to change and grow in ways that make us feel more fulfilled. As a psychotherapist for over 20 years, I often see people who are stuck, in unsatisfying relationships or jobs, alcohol/drug dependence or struggling with anxiety, depression or fears that hold them back from living more fully. My background in fine arts and personal experience as a painter has made me especially attuned to issues of artists who feel blocked in their creativity. Helping people with inhibitions in expressing feelings and asserting themselves is another area of interest.

Feeling anxious, depressed, stressed out, stuck? It takes courage and strength to recognize that sometimes life becomes too difficult to bear alone but realizing you need help is the right step towards change. I can provide a safe, nonjudgmental and respectful environment where you can understand and work through your difficulties and develop to reach your fullest potential. I will help you to explore the roots of your problems and rethink the issues that are holding you back so you can understand yourself and your behavior. I have over 17 years of clinical experience, having practiced in Detroit, London (UK) and New York.

My psychoanalytic training and my 20 years work experience has taught me the importance of understanding the full individual and his/her own unique experience in the world. In therapy, I provide a supportive environment that focuses on symptom-reduction while also exploring underlying roots of emotional discomfort. I encourage self-exploration, emotional processing and self-acceptance. I believe in helping clients understand how their past experiences impacts their lives, and in utilizing the therapeutic relationship to foster clients' growth and self-fulfillment. I find psychotherapy to be powerful and exciting and I consider it a privilege to help people strive for their potential.

Therapy should be a collaboration to help you meet your personal goals and cope with whatever challenges you are facing. Everyone has innate strengths and talents that he or she can use (and has used in the past, whether or not he or she is aware of it) to manage and resolve problems. In hearing clients' stories, I am always listening for these natural strengths in order to explore how they can be used to cope with current stressors.

It takes courage to reach out for help and step into a therapist's office; I am happy that you have taken the first step. I am committed to creating an environment that is down-to-earth, safe, and focused on what is important to you. I see therapy as a unique process rather than some kind of formula; there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to therapy. ​ I believe I was born to help people heal from the unpleasant experiences life sometimes has to offer. I feel you are the expert of your own life, and with some support and guidance, you can heal from these challenging experiences.

With sensitivity and compassion, I work with individuals, couples and families to facilitate change, personal growth and greater contentment. I strongly believe that every individual is resilient and has the ability to rebound from life's challenges. Together with each client, I engage in the process of clarifying long-standing issues, increasing insight, and developing strategies and skills to build on strengths and achieve desired life goals.

I have advanced training in cognitive behavioral therapy with a special focus on adult ADHD (attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder). I also have successfully treated a variety of mood, anxiety, and personality disorders. Cognitive behavior therapy, or CBT, has been supported by a wide body of research as an effective approach for depression, anxiety, and a variety of other issues. The focus of treatment is in the "here and now" and what you can do today. You will learn concrete tools to help you cope more effectively and make the changes you want in your life.

After working for the past 6.5 years closely with survivors of sexual abuse at a prominent NYC hospital, I have developed a strong passion for continuing my work with survivors. Recently, many survivors are being triggered by events in the worlds of entertainment, national, and local news. The increased reporting has created significant public awareness leading people to flashback to painful and traumatic events of childhood and adult sexual abuse. You do not have to live alone with those memories, thoughts, feelings, anxiety, and depression. If untreated, the effects of trauma can have a lasting life impact.

Everyone can use help on their journey toward healing and happiness. Despite how you may feel right now, there is a way to create the lasting healing and change you want in your life. These are especially challenging times for all of us. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new normal often full of new and compounding stressors. Many of us are undergoing life transitions or have relationship, work & career, or other stressors which can lead to debilitating anxiety and/or depression. I am currently offering teletherapy sessions to assist those living in the great NYC area to make treatment safe and convenient during the pandemic.

Developmental and life transitions can often cause anxiety, depression or lead to feelings of hopelessness and confusion. However crisis can also be an opportunity for growth and healing, a catalyst for positive change in our lives. By creating a space for self-exploration, free from judgment and pressure, I can help you to discover and develop your strengths, develop advanced coping skills to manage conflicts and develop a compassionate understanding of your vulnerabilities. We will work together to identify and change self-defeating patterns helping you to feel more productive in your life and satisfied with your relationships.

Seeking therapy to make important life changes deserves tremendous respect. I have witnessed the inner power of the individual for transformation when offered individualized treatment in a collaborative therapeutic partnership. Extensive training in a variety of techniques and a flexible approach enables me to help clients take on areas of their life where they feel stuck. I believe a therapeutic relationship in which you feel heard, safe, and truly understood is the key to unlocking the hold of symptoms, relationship impasses, or bogged-down transitions.

Successful treatment depends on the connection between you and the clinician.This is why I offer a complimentary,brief, session for us to meet and decide if working together feels right. I have been in the field of mental health for 28 years.My approach is, psychodynamic but tailor treatment arround my client's needs. My style is supportive yet analytical, direct, and active in sessions. This practice treats adults older than 21, and couples,no children or adolescents. Accept traditional Medicare,and most out of network plans.Medicaid not accepted as it doesnt cover private psychotherapy treatment.

Live life on your terms! Whether you're a Millennial, facing early life transitions or you're older and questioning your next act, step away from the expected to design your own unique life. Let's define your values and beliefs to create an authentic life that is worth living. I've had the privilege of helping smart, successful clients explore and discover their life purpose. Together, we redefined and strengthened personal boundaries, set aside lackluster careers and relationships, and made some life affirming changes!

Some life events are outside of our control. I am here to help you or your teen get through and make sense of it all, so that your family can start feeling better today. I am skilled in helping adolescents with extensive training in play therapy, art therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Whether your stressors include family conflicts, school difficulties, relationship issues, behavioral concerns, or you feel your teen is shutting you out - I am here to help.

In the therapy room, I aim to create a safe & confidential space for self-exploration, emotional healing, personal transformation, & self-discovery. My counseling style is collaborative, empathetic, non-judgemental, warm & extremely supportive. I use an eclectic approach, blending evidence-based interventions. I am a results-driven, trauma-informed, solution-focused clinician that stays abreast the most current research. My primary goal is to help you find peace & to help you thrive & solve the problems that brought you to therapy in the first place! Please book initial appointments via my website at sarapasternaklcsw.com.

These days many of us feel overwhelmed, chronically stressed, fearful of what the future holds and weighed down by the past. I am here to guide you in a process of uncovering the inner resources that will allow you to ride the waves of life with confidence, ease and a sense of clarity. The journey begins with a willingness to look inside yourself and release the stories that are getting in your way. This is not a process of becoming but a process of undoing. I am here to support you on this journey of undoing, of self-understanding and of liberation.

If you and/or your love ones are struggling with life, work, family or school, I can help with getting "unstuck." With 15 years counseling experience and training from Columbia University, I utilize specialized skills in CBT/DBT to support professionals, young adults, youths and families living and working in greater New Jersey. I will identify the triggers that you need help with, and create an action plan to help you move forward. IMPORTANT: CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS FOR Telehealth/Telemedicine sessions, private pay and out-of-network insured ONLY. Please check back for updates to insurance.

Do you feel caught in the past and unable to move forward? Do you feel overwhelmed or burned out? Tired of repeating the same patterns? Ready for a change, but unsure of what it looks like and how to get there? Whether you feel anxious and overwhelmed or jaded and underwhelmed by your relationships with work, partners, friends and family, I'm here to help you move forward into the life that you want for yourself. Everyone comes to therapy for unique reasons. Whether you have a specific goal for therapy, or a nagging feeling you would like to shake, I am here to support you through an active process of collaborative exploration.

Everyone has stressful moments in life where they feel lost and uncertain of where to turn. I specialize in providing couples counseling to those who are seeking to improve their connection, communication, intimacy and overall happiness. Whether you are feeling stuck in a pattern of arguments or just want to improve and strengthen your relationship, I will help you better understand one another and grow together rather than apart. My goal is to help you and your partner process emotions, cope with stressors and thrive as a team by learning how to deepen your connection, resolve conflict, and move into your future with confidence.