Therapy
Specialties
in New York City, Brooklyn and via teletherapy across New York State
Issues I work with
Addiction can take many forms—substances, behaviors, or patterns that feel impossible to break. Sometimes one addiction replaces another, a process known as cross addiction, which can be just as painful and confusing. Even if you do not have an addiction yourself, you may be deeply affected by someone else’s—whether through a family relationship, partnership, or close friendship—leaving you carrying stress, fear, or feelings of helplessness.
When we work together, I aim to help you uncover the emotional needs, early experiences, and relational patterns that may be fueling addictive behaviors or their impact. My approach is primarily psychodynamic, but I often weave in cognitive and behavioral strategies—such as building healthier coping tools or identifying high-risk situations—to support practical changes alongside deeper self-understanding. Whether you are seeking recovery, stability, or healing from the ripple effects of someone else’s addiction, our sessions can help you move toward lasting change.
Anxiety can feel like a constant hum in the background of your life, or it can arrive in overwhelming waves that disrupt sleep, concentration, and peace of mind. It might be tied to specific situations—like work, relationships, or health—or it may appear without an obvious cause. Over time, anxiety can become a cycle of worrying about worrying, making it hard to imagine feeling truly at ease.
In my Brooklyn-based practice, I use a psychodynamic approach, I use a psychodynamic approach to understand the deeper roots of your anxiety, such as early experiences, internal conflicts, or patterns of thought and feeling that have developed over time. We’ll explore not just the symptoms, but the meanings and emotional truths they may be pointing toward. Alongside this, we may use cognitive and behavioral tools—like mindfulness strategies, reframing anxious thoughts, or gradual exposure—to help you manage anxiety in daily life while we work toward deeper change.
Living with a mood disorder can feel like being caught in a tide that shifts without warning—sometimes pulling you into deep sadness, other times into states of irritability, restlessness, or even bursts of energy that are difficult to channel. These changes can affect relationships, work, and your sense of stability, leaving you feeling uncertain about what’s around the corner.
Our work will begin by making sense of these emotional shifts—tracing how they may connect to life experiences, relationships, and the ways you’ve learned to protect yourself emotionally over time. My psychodynamic approach focuses on uncovering the patterns and inner narratives that shape how you feel and respond to the world. When needed, I also integrate cognitive and behavioral strategies to help you recognize early signs of mood changes, develop grounding techniques, and create routines that support balance. Together, we can work toward a steadier, more resilient emotional life.
Relationships—whether romantic, platonic, or familial—can bring deep fulfillment, but they can also stir up conflict, disappointment, or confusion. You may find yourself repeating patterns that leave you hurt or disconnected, struggling to communicate effectively, or navigating differing needs and boundaries. These challenges can arise in any type of relationship, including nontraditional structures such as ethical non-monogamy (ENM) and polyamory, where dynamics may be more complex and require unique forms of understanding and trust.
In therapy, we’ll take time to understand the deeper forces shaping how you connect with others—such as early attachment experiences, learned relationship patterns, and the emotional expectations you carry, often outside of conscious awareness. Drawing from a psychodynamic foundation, I’ll help you explore these underlying themes while also using practical strategies—like improving communication, clarifying boundaries, and navigating conflict—to support healthier, more authentic relationships. This work can help you feel more grounded and intentional in the connections you choose to build.
Dating can be exciting, but it can also bring frustration, vulnerability, and uncertainty. Whether you’re navigating early connections, seeking a long-term partner, or exploring relationships that reflect your sexual orientation, gender identity, or nontraditional relationship values, the process can stir up self-doubt, old wounds, or fears of rejection. It’s common to feel pressure—whether from society, family, or your own expectations—about what dating “should” look like, which can make the experience even more complex.
Together, we’ll explore the emotional patterns, past relationship experiences, and internal narratives that may be shaping how you approach dating. From a psychodynamic perspective, we’ll look at how earlier attachment experiences and formative relationships influence the choices you make and the people you’re drawn to. When it’s useful, we can also work on concrete strategies—like building communication confidence, clarifying your relationship goals, or approaching dating with greater self-awareness—to help you date in ways that feel aligned with who you are.
Our work lives can deeply affect our sense of purpose, stability, and self-worth. Challenges like unemployment, career uncertainty, workplace stress, burnout, or the need to make a career change can leave you feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected from your goals. These struggles can also stir up deeper feelings about identity, security, and how we measure our own value.
In our sessions, we’ll look at both the external pressures and the internal experiences shaping your relationship to work. My psychodynamic approach helps uncover how past experiences, family expectations, and personal narratives influence your professional path and how you respond to challenges. When relevant, we can integrate practical, solution-focused strategies—such as stress management tools, decision-making frameworks, or structured steps toward a career shift—to complement the deeper exploration. The goal is to help you navigate professional challenges with greater clarity, resilience, and a stronger sense of self.
Perfectionism can drive you to achieve and excel, but it can also leave you feeling like nothing is ever quite good enough. The constant push to meet high standards—whether your own or those you’ve absorbed from others—can bring stress, procrastination, self-criticism, and a fear of failure. Over time, this pressure can affect your self-image, making it hard to see your worth apart from what you accomplish.
Our work together will focus on understanding where these perfectionistic tendencies come from—often rooted in early experiences, family expectations, or patterns of seeking approval. Through a psychodynamic lens, we’ll explore how these beliefs and self-perceptions took shape, and how they continue to influence you today. When useful, I may also introduce cognitive and behavioral tools to help you challenge all-or-nothing thinking, practice self-compassion, and set more realistic, sustainable goals. This combination can support a shift from self-judgment toward a healthier, more grounded sense of self.
Major life changes—whether planned or unexpected—can shake your sense of stability. Moving to a new place, beginning or ending a relationship, becoming a parent, changing careers, or entering a new life stage can bring a mix of excitement, grief, uncertainty, and stress. Even positive changes can stir up old feelings, challenge your identity, or leave you feeling unmoored.
In our work together, we’ll take time to understand both the practical and emotional impact of these transitions. From a psychodynamic perspective, we’ll explore how past experiences and core beliefs influence the way you navigate change, and how these shifts may be touching deeper layers of your identity. When it’s helpful, we can also incorporate concrete tools—such as coping strategies, planning frameworks, or self-care routines—to help you manage the adjustment process and move forward with greater confidence and purpose.
The transition into adulthood brings both freedom and uncertainty. Whether you’re in school, starting a career, building relationships, or exploring your identity, you may feel the weight of big decisions alongside the challenge of figuring out who you are. This period can stir up anxiety, self-doubt, or a sense of being “behind” your peers, even as you work to establish your independence.
Together, we’ll explore the deeper themes shaping your experiences during this time—such as family influences, internalized expectations, and the stories you tell yourself about success and belonging. My psychodynamic approach helps uncover how past relationships and formative experiences influence your current choices and feelings. We can also incorporate practical tools—like decision-making strategies, goal-setting, and stress management—to help you navigate this transitional stage with more confidence and clarity.
