Highmark BCBS of Western New York Therapists in Central Park, New York, NY

At various points in our lives, we come across hurdles that can leave us feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. Whether you are coming to therapy due to life transitions, loss, relational issues, identity challenges, or distressing symptoms, my aim is to make you feel seen and heard as you navigate the complexities of life and work to undo patterns that are making you feel stuck. I honor the importance of the therapeutic relationship and lead with curiosity to cultivate an individualized, collaborative, and nonjudgmental space for you to engage in self-exploration.

Today, life often presents us with an unsettling tension between overwhelming uncertainty or loss, and a relentless demand to be productive, happy, and to have a strong sense of identity or purpose. Whether one is exploring psychotherapy due to crisis, impasse, troubling symptoms, or relational concerns, all people can benefit from a space where they can make meaning of their experiences and thoughts in a collaborative way. Though psychodynamic treatment requires vulnerability and curiosity, it is an opportunity for transformative self-exploration and healing that will be contained in a space of attentive listening and care.

Life is a question. Oftentimes moving through it can be very difficult and overwhelming. Perhaps you feel deeply unmotivated in your daily life or drained by your relationships. Therapy can cultivate a space in which to explore and reflect on our painful life experiences—trauma, anxiety, depression, troubled relationships, isolation and loneliness. It can be a space to observe how we’ve been moving through our lives, to figure out how to evolve and grow. A space to be playful and creative, to reconnect with our desires and make contact with the lost or disregarded parts of ourselves.

I work with adolescents and adults from diverse backgrounds, addressing concerns like anxiety, depression, and addiction. I also help with issues around careers, desire, and creative work. Many experience feelings of shame, guilt, and a lack of direction, which often affect their relationships with others and their work, family, and romantic lives. My sessions involve focused talk therapy. By unpacking personal narratives—including day-to-day feelings—we aim to understand the underlying forces in these stories. I use a psychoanalytic approach influenced by Lacan and Freud, focusing on how the unconscious shapes behavior.

My aim as a therapist is to get to know you and your unique personality and to facilitate a space where you can authentically show up to discuss your feelings and desires. Circumstances in life can be distressing and isolating, but you do not have to navigate that alone. I believe exploring these feelings and experiences in depth can provide a clearer understanding of oneself and the ability to navigate such stressors. I currently see children, adolescents and adults struggling with anxiety, depression, relational issues, and loneliness.

Sometimes life does not seem to go how you would like it to. It may feel like everything is building up and you may explode into tears. Perhaps it seems as though the more you have going on the more you feel like not doing anything at all and when you aren’t doing anything you still feel like you should be doing something. Sometimes we find ourselves being overworked and underappreciated not only by other people around us but within ourselves as well.

The therapeutic relationship is one of authenticity, trust, and mutual respect. I firmly believe that no one should have to navigate life's challenges alone, and I am honored to accompany clients on their journey toward growth and healing. Expect sessions to be a collaborative experience tailored to your unique goals and needs. I am committed to meeting clients where they are with empathy, unconditional acceptance, and empowerment.

While I believe that the soul can be a locus of pain, vulnerable to devastation – I also believe that in tending to the many truths of this pain with curiosity and therapeutic collaboration that the soul can also become a locus of transformation where healing takes place. I provide an empathetic and non-judgmental setting where issues of anxiety, depression, challenging relationships, traumatic history, existential loneliness, longing, and belonging can be intricately tended to and shifted.

I strive to create a welcoming and supportive environment that will allow clients to comfortably explore patterns in their behavior, thoughts and relationships that may be causing pain or creating blockages. Many of us have a story that we tell ourselves that explains how we have developed into the person that we are today, but often these narratives may be inaccurate and may be preventing growth or prolonging suffering. I believe that therapy provides a non-judgmental place to interrogate these narratives and gain insight into how these beliefs might impacting our lives.

Many of us worry that we'll never be found by the world or by another person in the way that we want to be. There is a word for this: loneliness, and I believe it's at the root of addiction, depression, stress, anxiety, and our struggle to feel that we matter. In my first year of training, for example, I worked with refugees and other forced migrants; every area of their lives was impacted by their unmooring. But we are all owed a sense of mattering, and we deserve to feel that we belong.

Life today can create a chronic sense of overwhelm resulting from constant stimulation and expectations. It may feel difficult to keep up with the pressure to maintain productivity, composure, and a steady sense of self. The therapeutic space can serve as a place to explore these anxieties and release yourself from external pressures. Our symptoms can arise out of the conflict between what we feel we are expected to be vs. who we really are. I work with children, teens, and adults and I am dedicated to hearing my clients in way that can alleviate suffering and promote long-lasting change.

Therapy can be the turning point in your life—allowing you to confront your challenges and unconscious habits in order to more mindfully choose your behaviors, relationships, and life path. As a psychotherapist, I work to help my clients find fulfillment, serenity, confidence, and true happiness. I accompany individuals and couples through a process of examining who they are, how they came to be, and where they ultimately want to go. I collaborate with clients to heal issues such as anxiety, depression, addiction, eating disorders, and trauma.

Transitions are triggers, and when you are in the midst of a major life transition, it is easy to lose yourself. As a parent, you may struggle to balance your own needs with the demands of parenting. Women's issues, such as gender roles and expectations, can add an extra layer of complexity. How do you cope when others are asking for so much from you?

Often, despite knowing what they "should" or "could" do to achieve personal growth, people feel stuck in similar patterns. Others feel lost or that they don't feel content. So many of life's challenges evoke painful feelings, including sadness, fear, anxiety, frustration, loneliness, and isolation. I see therapy as a space where I can help my patients understand those feelings and how they relate to their personal, familial and cultural narratives. With that in hand, patients gain freedom and confidence in how they choose to navigate the world.

If you are feeling anxious, depressed, restless, or just stuck, and are unsure how to feel better, know you're not alone. Navigating complexities such as anxiety, life transitions, relationship issues, and (re)discovering your purpose can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be a solo endeavor. I'm here to support individuals of all ages and walks of life, with particular attunement to young adults adjusting to and managing the stressors of college, post-grad, and the unique challenges of city life.

My practice is for those who are looking for a safe and affirming space to search for solutions to life’s challenges. To me, there can never be a one-size-fits-all approach to humans, and therapy should be uniquely tailored to individual history, needs, and goals. Together, we will take a closer look at the interplay of forces and experiences that shaped your sense of self. We will look for the root causes of your challenges, untangle lasting negative patterns and zero in on your unique strengths. Together, we can tackle the feelings of worthlessness, disconnection, loneliness, guilt, and grief.

It is easy to forget that each person is an individual in the complex world we live in. It is common for humans to struggle with their individuality, identity, and finding themselves or their life’s purpose. This struggle can leave you feeling confused, isolated, anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or lost. I view therapy as a way to connect by providing patients with a supportive, safe, non-judgemental space to explore and confront these feelings.

It can be challenging to process all sorts of mixed emotions, as they wear you down in your personal and professional life. You may even begin to have self-doubts, struggling to move forward with your goals. The process of navigating these challenges on your own can be confusing, drowning, and overwhelming. I will work with you to build a collective space where we explore your concerns together, understand your emotions, and help you reestablish meaningful connections with others. I see therapy as interactions where you will be empowered to confront reality and appreciate yourself as a whole.

Life is full of abundant opportunities that are within your reach. However, there are times when it can feel as though you are watching the world go by from a passenger seat - perhaps you find yourself not acting in your own self-interest or are overloaded by the noise of a cluttered mind. In these moments, it can feel challenging to regain a sense of self and select the most fulfilling path forward. I invite you to co-create a space of holistic healing that fosters self-exploration, allowing you to feel more at home in your mind and body, and continue forward from a place of authenticity and empowerment.