Therapy for Anxious New Yorkers
Welcome. I am so glad you are here.
I’m Melanie (she & her). I help people overcome anxiety, optimize their wellbeing, and build healthy relationships. I work with teens and adults who experience anxiety, relationship issues, school and career stress. Perhaps you have been feeling stuck or overwhelmed in your life. You may find yourself repeating patterns in your relationships that impact your happiness and well-being. Many of my clients have had difficult relationships with family members and notice that it impacts their present day experience. If you are interested in learning about these patterns and discovering new, more satisfying, ways of connecting to the important people in your life, therapy is a supportive place to be curious and spark change.
As we work together, I will join you in observing your life, including the parts that feel satisfying and the areas where you desire change. I will invite you to be curious and open as we explore your experience together. When you begin to understand where you are stuck and why, possibilities for a different experience emerge.
Approach
I believe that we all have the capacity to live happy and full lives. I am an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist and draw from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Mindful Self Compassion modalities-- healing philosophies that promote non-judgemental reflection, insight, and transformation. The issues that bring so many people to therapy; self-criticism, anxiety, perfectionism, avoidance, doubt, that we want so badly to rid ourselves of, can offer us growth if we can turn towards them and be curious about their origin. With the guidance of a supportive therapist, we can tune in, develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and make meaningful change.
Values
I believe everyone has the right to anti-racist, LGBTQ inclusive, body affirming and affordable mental health care. I come from the understanding that identities inform our life experience. I am continually engaged in understanding how my identities have shaped how I experience the world and I encourage this type of exploration with my clients. We all hold multiple identities and often there is an intersection between identities that grant privilege and access and identities that are subjected to oppression and denial. In sessions, we create a space where all parts of identity are encouraged to emerge.
Training & Experience
I earned my Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University in 2013. I have post graduate training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindful Self-Compassion. In addition to my private practice, I have worked as a clinician in nonprofit and community based mental health clinics.