Individual Therapy
In-person in Manhattan or Virtually from NY & Florida
The initial appointment is consultative and provides an opportunity to clarify what you are seeking from therapy, including what you would consider a satisfactory outcome. We would review relevant aspects of your personal history and discuss practical matters such as confidentiality, session frequency, fees, and insurance. I also set aside time at the end of that meeting for any questions you may have about my practice, the therapy process, and my initial impressions of your goals. This first session is also an opportunity for you to assess whether my approach feels like a good fit to you.
Although therapists may share similar training, they differ in how they approach the therapeutic process. Finding a therapist whose style resonates with you is important; decades of research have shown that the quality of the therapeutic alliance is a significant predictor of positive outcomes.
Early sessions focus on defining the scope and direction of the work. Some individuals come to address a specific concern—such as intrusive worries or habits they recognize as unhelpful but feel unable to change.
Others seek help with broader, more longstanding difficulties, including recurring and unhealthy relationship patterns or persistent self-perceptions that limit what feels possible in their lives. Still others describe a more general sense of disengagement or lack of motivation, without a clear understanding of its origins.
Each course of therapy is necessarily individualized. In most cases, the work involves examining and reassessing how one understands oneself and others, including patterns of thinking, emotional responses, and decision-making. Meaningful change in external circumstances—such as relationships, work, or life direction—often follows from this process of self-examination, as automatic thoughts and behaviors are identified and alternative outlooks and actions are considered.
At times, therapy may also include the development of specific skills. Rather than applying techniques in a preset sequence, I integrate skills-based work as it becomes relevant within the therapy process. This may include, for example, developing more effective ways of navigating complex interpersonal situations, with opportunities for both reflection and practice within sessions.