What To Expect

During our initial consultation, I will ask you about yourself and your reasons for seeking therapy, and you will begin to sense how I proceed. These questions are in the service of trying to understand what you are saying and feeling in the moment. What do you want help with right now? I will also begin to reflect about possible connections between the present and the past. I will do my best to assess your needs, your priorities and your goals, and we will talk about whether psychotherapy is the treatment of choice for you. Feel free during this time to ask about my professional credentials or to ask any other questions. No question you have is too small or unimportant. This might include inquiries about alternative treatment options and the use of medication.

I will be respectful of your wishes, your schedule, and your financial reality. You may be looking for a short-term, focused examination of a specific problem. Or, you may be seeking a more in-depth exploration of disatisfactions with yourself and your quality of life, perhaps the vague feeling that you are not enjoying life or living up to your potential. The desire for help may arise from internal struggles, or an external predicament. It may concern past experiences which continue to effect the present. I am particularly attuned to the ways in which the impact of prior trauma, be it sexual or psychological, may lead to difficulties with trust and intimacy at a much later time in the life cycle.

If we decide to continue working together, I will recommend a treatment plan. This will usually involve meeting once or twice weekly for 50 minute sessions. By the end of our consultation period, which could last more than this single session, you will be informed about my policies, my fees, and my responsibilities to you.

My fees are comparable to those of other clinicians at my level of training in New York City. In certain situations, I am willing to conduct some sessions by phone. Email is not a secure medium and so I do not use it.