How I work, and what to expect.
I see adults, older adults and couples across New York by video. My style is warm and direct, I'll often bring some humor, and I take the practical side of your life as seriously as the emotional side.
A few of the things I hear most
A change, wanted or not
A new job or the end of one, a move, a breakup, retirement, a kid leaving home. Even good changes can leave you feeling unlike yourself for a while.
Being the capable one
You handle the crisis at work, the family logistics, everyone's feelings. It works until it doesn't, and then it's hard to know where to put your own stuff.
Worry and low mood
A mind that won't switch off, a short fuse, waking at 4am, or a flatness that's been hanging around longer than you'd like.
Relationships
The argument that keeps repeating, feeling distant from a partner, or friendships and family relationships that have gotten complicated. I see couples as well as individuals.
Caring for someone
A parent getting older, a partner who's sick, a child who needs more. The guilt, the resentment and the exhaustion are all allowed in the room.
Grief and endings
Losing a person, a relationship, or a version of your life you'd planned on. Time to actually feel it, without being rushed toward "closure."
The first one, and after that
Most people start weekly, by video, for about 50 minutes.
First session
We'll talk about what's going on, a bit of your history, and what you'd like to be different. You don't need to prepare anything or know where to start. By the end you should have a sense of what working together would look like, and whether I'm the right fit.
After that
Some sessions are about understanding why a pattern keeps showing up. Others are about something that happened on Thursday. I'll share what I'm noticing, ask about the practical things (sleep, food, work, the people around you) when they're relevant, and we'll usually land on something specific to try before next time.
Checking in
Every so often we'll step back and look at what's helping and what isn't. If something about how we're working isn't right for you, I'd much rather hear it.
What I'm trained in, in plain English
I don't run everyone through one method. These are the tools I draw on, depending on what you need.
| Mindfulness | The base for most of what I do. Noticing what's happening in your head and body before reacting to it. |
|---|---|
| CBT | Spotting the thought patterns that feed anxiety or low mood, and testing whether they hold up. |
| Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) | Making room for hard feelings instead of fighting them, and acting on what matters to you anyway. |
| Internal Family Systems (IFS) | Getting to know the different "parts" of you, like the critic or the people-pleaser, and why they work so hard. |
| Somatic work | Paying attention to where stress lives in your body, and practical ways to settle it. |
| Attachment-based and emotionally focused work | Understanding how early relationships shape current ones, especially useful for couples and family patterns. |
| Psychodynamic and narrative work | Looking at the bigger story you tell about yourself, where it came from, and whether it still fits. |
Cost, insurance and where
Things people ask
How do I know if we're a good fit?
Book the free 15-minute call and ask whatever you want, including the practical stuff. Fit matters a lot in therapy. If I'm not the right person, I'll say so and help you think about who might be.
Do things need to be really bad to start?
No. A lot of people come in because things are fine on paper but feel heavy, or because they can see a change coming and want help getting through it.
How long do people usually come for?
It varies. Some people come for a few focused months around one thing, others prefer longer-term support. We'll talk about it as we go rather than fixing a number up front.
Will you talk about food?
Only if it's relevant to you. I'm not a dietitian and therapy isn't nutrition coaching, but how you eat, sleep and move affects how you feel, so it's fair game when it matters.
Do you see couples?
Yes, for things like recurring conflict, feeling disconnected, or a big decision you're stuck on together.
What stays private?
What you say in sessions is confidential, with a few legal exceptions (like a serious risk of harm) that I'll go over with you at the start.
What if I need help right now?
Therapy isn't an emergency service. If you're in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room.