Gay Allied Therapists in Lower Manhattan, New York, NY

I provide an opportunity for people to freely express their feelings and thoughts to achieve the changes they desire. I work interactively with clients so they may develop their strengths and achieve their goals. Assisting individuals in becoming at ease with their feelings, however difficult they may be, is an important aspect of the work I do. Feelings can become useful tools for living rather than disturbing impediments. The ubiquitous problems of uncomfortable feelings, harmful behaviors, and the challenges of relationships, careers and parenting are common areas of focus.

I work with artists of all backgrounds regarding struggles around creativity and self expression. I offer an affirming, safe space for people who identify as POC and LGBTQIA+ to explore their identities and deconstruct their own narrative within the larger lens of society.

Do you need to move forward in your life? I can help you to understand how the negative beliefs you hold about yourself may be preventing you from taking the steps you need to take in your personal life or career. I work hard to help my clients feel heard, understood, and safe in my office, recognizing that it is only in the context of a warm and nonjudgmental relationship that it is possible to explore the most difficult issues in a person's life--issues both unique to each individual and, in some sense, common to all of us as human beings.

After 25 years of working in different corporate management roles I began my training as a psychotherapist. I had become disenchanted with the business world and was thinking of various career options. I was motivated to become a therapist in large part by weekly talks with a dear friend, who was fighting and eventually died from breast cancer. She told me that she thought I was more helpful than her therapist, and she encouraged me to change my career. I strive to provide clients with a calm environment where they feel safe in working on whatever brings them to therapy.

Earning graduate degrees from Columbia and Yale Universities, I am a clinical psychologist, licensed in both the states of New York and Massachusetts, who is trained in psychoanalytic,dialectical behavioral (DBT) and humanistic treatment modalities. With offices in the West Village of Manhattan, I work with adults, children and adolescents with a variety of difficulties, including problems related to anxiety; mood, such as depression and poor self-esteem; interpersonal conflicts; career transitions; issues of professional identity; feelings of ineffectiveness and failures of performance in work and school; marital conflicts; and, difficulties with intimacy in romantic relationships.

Are you someone in a creative industry struggling with anxiety and self doubt? Maybe you have a strong need to be accepted by others and never quite feel good enough. It is hard to feel “good enough” in a job that requires you to be the best in order to land a role or get ahead in your career. If you feel like you’re struggling with perfectionism, imposter syndrome, creative blocks, and anxiety in your life, do not feel alone and like you need to deal with this alone. It’s already hard enough to live in this fast paced competitive environment. Why suffer through it?

I view therapy as a collaboration, one in which we work together to enhance your quality of life, one in which we explore your goals, dreams, and passions in a safe and trusting space. Do you want to find your most authentic self and feel more present in your life? Are you feeling stuck in your job, relationships, or past? Whether you are looking to make life changes, overcome current stresses, or need to find healing for deeper vulnerabilities, I will seek to engage you and work with you with a warm and respectful approach, always mindful of where you are in the process.

“Everything can be taken from us but one thing, the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way” — Viktor Frankl. It is my firm belief that we free ourselves to think and act in new ways when we are willing to embrace the exploration of the self and develop insights into the motivations behind our behavior. We will work together to build a shared understanding of the obstacles that you are facing, whether that means improving your interpersonal relationships, exploring your identity/sexuality/spirituality, strengthening your self esteem, finding motivation and success in your career, navigating overwhelming and traumatic experiences, or identifying maladaptive patterns that may be acting as barriers to the life you want. I offer both short and long term psychotherapy to adolescents and adults seeking assistance with anxiety, mood disorders, mood dysregulation, obsessive thinking, compulsive behavior, ADHD, substance abuse, anger, impulsivity, highly sensitive temperament, and psychoeducation related to psychiatric medication management.

For the last 20+ years I have treated adults, couples, and adolescents, epecially, who come with depression, anxiety, and panic disorders; the adolescents almost always present with adjustment and behavior problems. I treat psychodynamically and the goal is to resolve the psychosocial stressors and restore better functioning. In addition, I have researched and mentored with professionals about the human animal bond and I provide therapy for people who are living with terminally ill pets or are bereaving a pet that has passed away.

Do you struggle to know what you want? Is it hard to commit? In a time of so much uncertainty, it can be difficult to make decisions.  Maybe you feel blocked professionally or creatively. Or, like a lot of us, your struggles show up in your closest relationships. Maybe you’ve dealt with the weight of other people’s expectations and find it hard to listen to yourself or trust your own voice. Or maybe you worry you’ll be misunderstood. Sometimes you wish someone would just tell you what to do, but that leaves you feeling constrained and inauthentic. 

Wherever you are in your life I want to work with you to help guide you through the complex journeys that we all face and provide you with the skills that you need to lead a life that is rich and fulfilling. Both personally and professionally I am fully dedicated to improving health and mental health outcomes of the LGBTQ community. As both a researcher and clinician I strive to integrate evidence-based treatment practices into my work with you to produce tangible results. I incorporate humor into my work and am an engaging, self-aware practitioner.

I am an art therapist with a Limited Permit in Creative Arts Therapy. I have worked with a wide range of people on issues such as social-emotional difficulties, past trauma and substance abuse. As your therapist I will meet you where you're at and take your lead in our approach to treatment. I believe that a solid therapeutic relationship creates the foundation for successful, person-centered therapy. Whether you are coping with daily stressors, interpersonal issues, emotional turmoil or unresolved trauma, I can provide a secure space to process what brings you to therapy.

If you are reading this, you are a courageous individual and I applaud you for taking a new step towards growth. I would love to support you as you evolve, grow and work on yourself. Psychotherapy is an opportunity for you to have a supportive, confidential, and safe place to discuss your concerns, increase knowledge about yourself, perceived challenges, as well as your own strengths.

People have an inherent capacity for growth and healing, however, there are times when we may become stuck or stagnant. As a therapist, my role is to facilitate a person’s natural trend toward development, building upon strengths and resolving internal or external obstacles to living a healthy and fulfilling life. In my work, I aim to create a supportive and accepting environment, tailored to the needs of each client. Understanding that the individual is the expert of their experience, I will take my cues from you in terms of how we work through your specific difficulties together.

I am a clinical psychologist working with adults, adolescents and children, dedicated to helping people develop and maintain healthy, fulfilling lives and relationships. I have helped people struggling with depression, anxiety, creative blocks, relationship problems, LGBTQ issues, grief, and trauma of all kinds. I have also ushered people through challenges related to biculturalism, immigration and acculturation. I am sensitive to the influence culture, class, race, spirituality, gender and sexuality have in shaping our experience. My practice is informed by extensive training in trauma, attachment and psychodynamic theories and a deep belief in the healing capacity of the therapeutic relationship.

I have always loved helping others which has led me to pursue a career in counseling. I worked in a variety of mental health settings, including drug rehabilitation, crisis intervention, and pastoral counseling, which inspired me to get my Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling at Touro College. I did my internship under the guidance of Lana Gaiton, PhD, and upon graduation in 2015, I continued to work for her as a counselor serving the wider community of Brooklyn.

I believe each person holds the key to success and therapy is a form of guiding process to achieve these goals in life. Thus, I focus on empowering individuals and gaining further insight and understanding. I believe in not just focusing on the difficulties and issues, but also building skills and capacity in preparation of future challenges. Clients describe me as authentic, compassionate and empathetic. We work collaboratively on building on solutions to move forward in life and elevate you to a more positive life style in general.