I strive to approach clients' troubles through the lens of empathy and understanding from clients' point of experience. I believe the best communication style in my helping profession is to first LISTEN with compassion and without judgment.

My communication style is calm, accommodating, attentive, and personable. I want my clients to feel comfortable talking with me about whatever is on their minds. Throughout the years, my experience has taught me that most of us have thoughts, feelings, and experiences that are difficult to acknowledge even to ourselves. I pride myself on my ability to listen with compassion and acceptance.

Susan believes that within each indivdual, couple and family are the resources to make change. Through psychotherapy, she helps clients identify and use these resources to grow and change. Susan specializes in sex and internet addictions, alcohol and drug addictions and partners of addicts. She treats addictions with both group and individual therapy using a psychoeducational and cognitive behavioral approach.

My primary treatment approach is cognitive-behavioral which is solution-focused and generally shorter-term, however, in reality, we all generally benefit from a variety of therapeutic strategies and i will often utilize complementary and eclectic techniques that enables a more personalized treatment approach and relies on best practices for your specific issues. You will find me to be an active and engaged therapist and we will work together in a team-oriented and collaborative style. I often recommend activities to practice between sessions, and these might include a journal, trying out new communication skills and problem-solving or coping techniques that we have practiced, brief reading assignments, some research, relaxation techniques, and a variety of other options. I believe humor is an important element in the therapeutic process, and to life in general, and I strive to create a relaxing and trusting environment with my clients. I am very happy to answer any questions you might have, and if I am unsure, I will do all that I can to help point you in the right direction. I consider it an honor to assist clients on their personal journey in therapy. Participating in therapy is an important step in reclaiming your happiness and satisfaction and I take me role in providing assistance on that journey seriously as I appreciate the time, cost, and emotional investment of this choice.

Hey there! I'm Whitney, a Licensed Professional Counselor with over fifteen years of experience with a variety of populations ranging from young children to adults. My therapeutic approach is grounded in an existential model, but I also draw from various other forms of therapy to best support my clients. You can expect me to incorporate strategies and techniques from behavioral therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), as well as psychodynamic and family systems therapies. As a trauma-informed provider, I have received specialized training in treating trauma, shame, and anxiety. I'm passionate about staying up-to-date with the latest research and evidence-based practices and have specific training in understanding and managing ADHD across different phases of life. My ultimate goal is to provide a safe and empowering space for you to explore, grow, and overcome challenges. Together, we'll work towards helping you make choices that align with your goals and needs, fostering a sense of autonomy and personal fulfillment. I truly believe in creating a judgment-free environment where you can freely express your authentic self, embracing both the highs and lows of your unique path. I am here to support you in developing self-compassion and accepting the person you are today, despite the obstacles you have faced or are still working through. It's all part of your story, and we'll explore ways to love and appreciate yourself on this transformative path. Additionally, I'm committed to helping you explore your desires, find meaning in your life, and discover the direction you want to pursue for a fulfilling future. I am an expert in providing psychotherapy (also called therapy or mental health counseling) to four main groups of people and their loved ones: Child and Adolescent Therapy, Young Adult Therapy, Sports Therapy, and Parenthood.

In my practice, I work with adults, defined as approximately age 20 and older. I work with individual clients, with couples, and with groups. In group therapy, the clients are almost always in individual therapy as well, with me, with my co-therapist, or with another therapist who has referred the client to the group. I work with clients presenting a variety of issues, including: *Depression Relationship Issues *Life Transitions *Anxiety *Addictive Behaviors *GLBT Issues *Anger *Grief and Loss *Sense of Self/Self-Esteem *Men's Issues *Trauma and PTSD *Partners of Abuse Survivors *Adult Children of Alcoholic/Dysfunctional/Abuse Families *Couples Issues, including Re-Marriage, Extramarital Relationships, and Step-Families I have had experience working with diverse groups of people. I have been a consulting psychologist to an orthodox yeshiva, I have worked with Catholic seminarians, I have taught and supervised trainees in a largely Catholic Pastoral Counseling program, and I have taken numerous workshops in working with Gay, Bi, and Lesbian, and Questioning clients. In addition, I have been involved in Multicultural work since 2001, and seek to keep an open mind and continuously question my assumptions about people whose lives are different from mine. I believe that psychotherapy is an interactive process that calls for both the client and the therapist to be as fully involved as possible. Therefore, I participate actively with my patients, sharing my thoughts, impressions, and reactions to what we are talking about. I believe that people can change even long-standing patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior if THEY participate actively. My job is to create a space where clients can be curious and learn about the ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that they bring to their lives, and about how these ways work for them and against them. I create this space by bringing both my professional training and understanding and my human compassion, empathy, and respect. In my practice, I typically meet with people once a week; if there is a need for additional support, or if we decide together that more intense work is called for, meeting twice a week can be very useful. Even meeting once a week allows clients to develop enough comfort with me and with therapy for our work to be effective and helpful. Regarding my theoretical grounding, I have intensive training in Psychodynamic, Cognitive-Behavioral, Gestalt, and Existential therapeutic approaches, and I draw from each of these as the client's situation, needs, and goals call for. Some therapists subscribe to and identify with one school of thought and apply that way of thinking and working to every client. I first work to understand each client's particular issues, needs, and style of thinking and feeling. THEN, I use the approach and methods that I believe would be most useful to that patient, and remain open to using whatever else might work based on what develops. Therefore, my orientation is eclectic, and my methods are determined by the client's personality and needs.

I believe concrete and lasting change in our lives is achievable. Together, we will begin a journey focused on understanding yourselves, your relationships, and your history. We each have a unique story. Through therapy, that journey of discovery, processing, and integration can help uncover, heal, and reconnect.

Welcome! I’m so glad you are reaching out! Finding a therapist who is able to listen and understand your particular needs is key. When I meet with you for the first time, I want to learn who you are as a person. In addition to diagnosis and issues of concern, I want to know your life story. Are there patterns that recur in your life? What are your strengths? What matters to you? Once I have a good understanding, we can decide jointly what approach is likely to help you most. When you come for counseling, you want to start to feel better right away. By incorporating evidence-based coping skills from the first session, I help folks get some immediate stress relief. At the same time, we will also address any underlying issues to achieve more long-term gains.

I aim to create a warm, non-judgmental space where you feel safe to openly share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Through active listening and collaborative dialogue, we will work together to help you gain new insights, develop coping skills, and create positive changes in your life.

Are you seeking freedom from anxiety, closer connections, relief from depression or wanting to change old stuck patterns that keep you from living a fulfilled life? If the answer is yes to any of the above, I can help. With over 20 years of experience as a Clinical Psychologist, I have witnessed my clients experience profound and lasting transformation. My approach is holistic and integrated many theoretical approaches to help you achieve change and live your best life. I am very experienced treating anxiety, depression, PTSD, relationships, parent-child issues, child trauma and grief. I work with adults, teens, children, couples and families.

Therapy is a journey that gives us the opportunity to find our genuine selves and ultimately become the best person we can be. Through therapy, profound and lasting change and growth can occur. I am a doctor of psychology as well as a licensed independent clinical social worker. I have deep expertise in working with addiction and recovery issues, alcoholism, as well as family, relationship, and couples issues. I have spent more than 20 years in the psychotherapy field. I work with adolescents and adults, in individual, family, and couple modalities. As a therapist, my approach to therapy is to meet you at your current place in life, and to support you to advance toward your objectives, work past obstacles, and attain supreme growth. I utilize various therapeutic approaches, comprising psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and strength-based techniques.

I believe in the intrinsic worth of all human beings. I believe that many people do not see their value because it is overshadowed by the shame caused by their perceptions of who they should be and what they should be achieving. There are many reasons why these distortions exist; but one thing is for certain, it creates a feeling of being a fraud and deep shame. A lot of time and energy is used to counteract this secret shame. I feel that it is important to help teens and adults to become authentic and accepting of their strengths and weaknesses instead of putting our emotional and physical energy in denying and being afraid of our humanness. It is exhausting and paralyzing to be so afraid of our imperfections. I believe there is value in accepting our own humanity. We have to climb off our self imposed pedestal which is secretive and isolating and connect with other human beings without the fear of being discovered a fraud. It is so freeing and meaningful.