Therapists in Greenwich Village, New York, NY

Welcome to my art therapy and psychotherapy practice page. For over 25 years I have successfully worked with adults and young people seeking change. I am equally at ease with traditional talk therapy, art therapy, or an integration of the two and collaborate with my clients to establish the safest approach to realize personal intentions. My engagement style is gentle and encouraging, yet more thought-provoking and compassionately challenging when it is advantageous to the therapy.

Whether with partners, family, friends, children, parents or at your work, relationships are the centerpieces of our lives. Handled thoughtfully, they uplift, or they can frustrate, provoke guilt and aggravate. For twenty-five years I have helped people to find greater satisfaction through better understanding of the events in their lives, along with honest discussions of options and helping to find the motivation to move forward. I have published articles about marriage, parenting, and growing healthier relationships, and a book: HOW TO KNOW IF ITS TIME TO GO. Website: lbirnbach.com. I work interactively and confidentially.

Have you gone through hardships or trauma and questioned if you had the strength to continue living a fulfilling life? Do you often question your future based on your past and present experiences? Do you find yourself stagnating in life and lacking social support? Do you find yourself entrapped in ruminating and intrusive thoughts ranging from anxiety to suicidal thoughts? Do you struggle with self-doubt and resort to familiar behavioral patterns and addictions to mask your emotional pain? Have you pondered if you're misunderstood or inadequate and find it challenging to foster meaningful relationships? Do you want to find purpose?

A strong, positive therapeutic relationship is our starting point. Your wellness and growth in self-understanding and self-acceptance are our guiding priorities. I provide a safe, judgment-free environment in which we explore, together, how best to alleviate the suffering, distress, obstacles, and blockages that bring you to therapy. Beyond just reducing symptoms, we identify underlying issues/patterns to heal their emotional origins. Each session is responsive to your current needs. Sometimes this means focusing on deeper insights; at other times, we may work on more immediate strategies for coping with especially difficult or painful moments in your life.

You have my attention. I provide a warm and accepting space in which to learn, heal, experience and discover. Together, we will identify barriers to accessing your fullness, develop awareness of their form and function, and apply our natural creativity to finding new, satisfying ways of living. I seek to engage the total intelligence of your being, encouraging your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and intuitions to be resources rather than enemies. My relational therapeutic approach is hinged on the value of the here-and-now as the time-and-place to be.

I am a Humanistic Client-Centered Clinical Psychologist, originally trained within the Psychoanalytic orientation. I also believe in theoretical eclecticism, therefore in addition to my Humanistic orientation, I offer Cognitive/Behavioral as well as Psychodynamic approaches. Overall I strive to offer my clients the experience of "therapeutic presence" including: deep empathic listening, nonjudgmental acceptance, and therapeutic and genuineness. I look forward to meeting you for an initial consultation.

Pursuing therapy is a courageous act because it is a process where you can grow and evolve. I like to think of therapy as a collaborative healing experience where we can work together to help improve the aspects of your life that are troublesome. I'll help you discover your untapped strengths and potential in the process. My hope is that you can feel empowered, increase your confidence, and develop a better understanding of yourself. The ultimate goal of working with me is not to be stuck in therapy, but to be able to live your life more fully!

"I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood." - Audre Lorde. As people, we have a deep need to be understood, and one of the most profound ways to do this is in a safe, trusting therapeutic relationship. As a therapist, I work with individuals & couples using a psychodynamic approach. My role is to help you identify your needs and put your inner experience at the center, engaging both mind and body, so that barriers to your well-being can be lifted.

I work with individuals and couples, adults and adolescents on a range of issues including: overcoming depression, anxiety, and mood disorders; adjustment issues and life transitions; gender and sexuality; premarital counseling; career and vocational; social anxiety and peer relationships; hoarding and organization; smoking cessation; and overcoming substance use and addictions. I have extensive experience working with military veterans, individuals who identify as LGBT, and people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

As a licensed social worker/psychotherapist my aim is to create a safe space for you to talk and organize your thoughts. My style is supportive and non-judgmental. I work with adolescents and adults of all ages. As every case is unique, I practice one-on-one psychotherapy informed by an array of modalities.

I am a psychologist practicing individual and group therapy with adults across the lifespan, from college aged people to older adults. I specialize in treating depression, anxiety, substance use, out of control sexual behavior, self-defeating behaviors, trauma, grief, and feelings of inadequacy. I have worked extensively with LGBT+ people, individuals with chronic medical conditions, and with older adults. I have a particular expertise in working with individuals living with HIV.

Sometimes in life, we face various problems or setbacks that impede our identity, self-esteem, relationships, and/or aspirations. Through therapy, we can safely and quickly develop ways to achieve your life goals and improve life satisfaction. I work dynamically and collaboratively to explore your inner thoughts and feelings to bring positive changes and meaning to your present life. In conjunction, I utilize specific ways to help you build your inner resources/skills to cope with daily life stressors, relationship problems, trauma, anxiety, depression, and other concerns.

I believe everyone has their own unique experience in therapy, and that one approach or theory does not fit all. Having said that, I believe the therapeutic relationship is central. We are hurt in relationships, and we are healed in relationships. A therapist's job is to provide an open space so that the client can express thoughts and feelings, and have the experience of being listened to without judgment.

When you come to therapy, it's important to remember that you are already trying to cope in the best way you can. But you don't have to wait until things feel unbearable before you ask for help. I have been a psychotherapist for over 25 years, & have experience working with Online Gaming, Adolescents, Parenting Conflicts, Cross-cultural Therapy, Learning Disabilities, Depression, GLBT Issues, Bereavement, Anxiety & Trauma. A video is worth a thousand words, so if you go to my website you'll find two that talk about my specialty, who I am and how I work. I work with patients online currently, & make it easy for you to get started.

Do you feel lonely, depressed, or rejected? Do you feel bad about yourself, have anxiety, or experience trauma? I work with adults, couples, and adolescents. I'm a trained psychoanalyst who also practices mindfulness and meditation. Therapy is a process of self discovery and change. It will assist you in understanding your patterns and teach you how to put words to your lived experiences. It will help you feel better about yourself and allow you to interact with the world around you more effectively. I can help you to reduce the intense feelings that get in the way of accessing your fullest potential.

Gay men and lesbian women face many challenges that are specific to them. It is important to find a therapist that understands your unique experience as a queer person in a culture that promotes heterosexuality as the norm. Whether it's past traumas or internalizing the stigma that we have been exposed to, we all have life events that impact the way we see the world today. For queer people, our worldview may be impacted by our time in the closet, messages we receive from media, and the different communities we belong to.

Therapy offers you a place to feel seen, heard, and accepted so that you can understand yourself differently and move closer to the life you desire. I practice psychotherapy in the belief that flourishing in the face of past traumas and present challenges is possible. Despite the uncertainty of our current world, working with a therapist you trust can restore hope, instill calm, and imbue life with new meaning.

It won’t take long: You’ve found strong insightful support in tough times. We’ll focus on your progress, gentle and real. Expert working within families, bringing peace to unsettled relationships, peace within oneself. Sweeten parent-child life (and parent-to-parent partnership). Come benefit from practical strategies which quickly ease an upset mind. Come for wisdom uplifting each heart in distress. Clarity, enlivening of free will, thoughtful direction in achieving what you want to achieve. We’ll laugh together more than you might expect.

When it comes to sex and relationship problems, many of us lead lives of quiet desperation. Sometimes you can be lying in bed next to someone and feel a million miles apart. I am a licensed psychotherapist, specializing in couple therapy and sex therapy. I am the New York Times best-selling author of "She Comes First," and I regularly contribute to major publications such as The Atlantic, The Economist and CNN Health amongst others. Talking about sex and relationships is hard, but self-silencing is even harder. My approach is solutions-oriented, with an emphasis on honest communication, and I give homework in between sessions.