Well+Being Holistic Mental Health
Emotional Health & Wellness Tips From The Therapy Couch And Other Places
Helping Dynamic Women Heal In Therapy
You are a dynamic, self-reliant woman who seeks therapy to help you find a more rewarding work-life balance, whatever form that may take. Changing entrenched behaviors, thoughts and relationship patterns is possible with the right help. You need a therapist who is able to relate to your unique needs and desires. You are keenly aware that your self-doubt, anxiety, and perfectionism create unnecessary standards.
You struggle most days with not feeling like you are “enough.” Your inner critic distorts your view of yourself, and this impacts your ability to see yourself in a realistic. Your relationships may also be struggling especially when your “people-pleasing” tendencies interfere, and this is not how you want to be in relation to others. It’s frustrating because you know that you have what it takes to succeed in all the areas of your life, but these daunting dynamics keep you from living to your fullest potential. Whatever has shaped your current reality, living authentically is challenging when fear, anxiety, and self-doubt impact your daily decisions.
CBT, Coaching & Therapy Techniques For Changing Thoughts & Behaviors
CBT techniques are very helpful tools to be used in therapy, coaching and useful when applied to everyday life situations. What follows are some of the most common CBT techniques that I use with my therapy and coaching clients.
Journaling—This technique gathers information and data about habitual thoughts, emotions and moods. Included in journal entries can be: time of day, the source or trigger, the intensity of the feeling state and the response or action taken. You can add more helpful and adaptive coping responses that might be considered in the future.
Catastrophizing—This tendency is to go immediately to an irrational thought that something is far worse than it actually is. Catastrophizing generally takes two different forms: making a catastrophe out of a current situation or a future situation. Step one is to identify when your are doing this. Next, use your smartphone or journal to write the thoughts down throughout the day and add a corrective statement to counteract the negative belief.
Getting Help For Your High-Functioning Anxiety
“Giving Up My Anxiety Will Negatively Impact My Success.” Is This You?
Like most New Yorkers, your days are busy with work, family and trying to find a way to manage and balance it all. With all that striving and the many tasks to complete, who has time to think about stress reduction or connecting with a therapist to help you manage your anxiety and mood symptoms. You may even wonder who you’d be without your drive—and your anxiety! Take away the anxiety and you’d potentially lose your edge.
You may not even consider your striving to be an anxiety response. As a therapist, we see this a lot. You haven’t crashed yet, and we would like to help you have an even better quality of life. If you haven’t yet crashed, how can you tell if your level of stress and anxiety is normal? Skillful therapy can help you recognize how your stress, anxiety and unconscious beliefs are behind your super-charged drive. If you spend any time on instagram, you’ve likely heard of high-functioning depression, as well as high-functioning anxiety.
EMDR Therapy For Deeper Healing
Whether you’re researching EMDR because you find yourself unable to fly or visit the dentist, or you have suffered a traumatic event, EMDR can help you heal and move forward with your life. I am a trauma-trained specialist which means that I utilize this powerful method of healing whenever possible. I’ve trained in many modalities, and stray occasionally, but I always return to EMDR, because it is powerfully effective and transformative for my patients. EMDR is a cutting-edge, evidence-based trauma treatment that can free you from emotional and relational patterns of suffering. The effects of trauma, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, addictions, suicidal thoughts and dysfunctional relationships can be impactful and debilitating. Most who have attempted to resolve trauma through therapy would agree that traditional talk therapy is not always helpful. As an integrative psychotherapist in New York City, I offer an integrative approach using EMDR while blending other forms of highly-effective therapies into sessions. In addition to EMDR, I often utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Somatic Experiencing (SE) to help unearth the root cause of anxiety, depression, addictions and trauma-related symptoms. I’ve had success using this integrative approach with my patients.
Stress Less, Live Better
Stress is present for all of us, especially when we live and work in busy cities like Manhattan and attempt to manage the demands of work-life balance. Chronic, unrelenting stress can affect one's physical and mental health—we have the science to prove this. Stress also regularly shows up in the body as pain and other symptoms, in addition to accelerated aging. Unmanaged stress can lead to insomnia and memory problems, increase one's risk of heart disease, have an impact on diabetes and arthritis, contribute to the development of eczema and autoimmune disorders, and even lead to reduced resistance and immune system depression.
Changing habits and negative thoughts can be a challenge for most of us, but with stress management support, it is possible to eliminate the old and adopt healthier, health-sustaining habits. Those who have a difficult time coping with stress on their own often turn to unhealthy ways of coping such as food, substances and behavioral addictions, which then leads to what seems to be a never-ending cycle of shame, leading to more unhealthy ways coping.
Radical Acceptance: Cultivating Peace Within When Life Feels Unbearable
This week in my eating disorder seminar, we revisited the concept of distress tolerance—the quiet, powerful skills we call upon when emotions feel overwhelming. As we explored how to navigate emotional intensity, I found myself reflecting on one of the most grounding practices we have: radical acceptance.
In a culture that urges us to fight, fix, or fake our feelings, radical acceptance invites something entirely different. It asks us to soften. To lean into the truth of what is, without judgment or resistance. It doesn’t mean we approve of pain or give up hope. It means we stop fighting reality—and begin meeting ourselves with compassion and clarity.
What Does Radical Acceptance Look Like?
Choosing to accept, fully and from within
True acceptance isn’t performative or forced. It’s not bypassing, and it’s not pretending. It comes from within, and it begins with the willingness to be honest about what’s here.Recognizing that pain is part of being human
Every one of us experiences fear, sorrow, grief, shame, and heartbreak. These emotions are not flaws. They are evidence of aliveness. When we stop judging our pain, we begin to suffer less.Stopping the fight against reality
Resisting emotions often amplifies them. Avoiding pain often deepens our distress. Radical acceptance helps us release the exhausting need to control what cannot be controlled. And in doing so, we begin to make space for peace.
It’s not the emotion itself that overwhelms us. It’s the struggle against it.
Improving the Moment: Skills from DBT Therapy
When radical acceptance feels out of reach, distress tolerance skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can help us get through the moment without making things worse. One helpful acronym is IMPROVE, which offers small, doable strategies to shift your state and calm your nervous system.
Imagery
Visualize a safe or peaceful place. Allow yourself to engage all your senses. Imagine what you see, hear, smell, and feel in that space. Let your body respond as if it were real.
Feeling Overwhelmed by Therapy Options? Here’s How to Find the Right Fit for You
Making the decision to begin therapy is a significant and empowering step. But for many in New York City—where therapy options seem endless—the process of choosing the “right” therapist can feel overwhelming, even paralyzing. Whether you’re seeking therapy for yourself, your relationship, or your family, understanding the landscape of available approaches can make all the difference.
If you’re unsure where to begin, a helpful resource is The Huffington Post's article on different types of therapy, which offers an introductory look at several major modalities: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Family Therapy, and Group Therapy. While not exhaustive, it’s a useful starting point for understanding how therapy styles align with specific mental health needs.
Therapy Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
At Holistic Therapy & Wellness NY, we frequently hear from individuals and couples who have tried therapy before and felt it “didn’t work.” Often, the issue wasn’t therapy itself—it was a mismatch between their needs and the therapist’s approach.
If you’re struggling with self-defeating or self-sabotaging patterns, Psychoanalytic or Depth Therapy can help uncover unconscious motivations that drive behavior.
If your concerns revolve around anxiety, panic, or trauma, evidence-based treatments like EMDR, Somatic Psychotherapy, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy can be transformative.
Couples in conflict should seek a therapist trained in Couples Therapy, ideally using structured methods like the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), or Imago Relationship Therapy.
For high-achieving professionals, creatives, and public figures in NYC, a discreet, holistic approach that integrates neuroscience, somatic healing, and emotional intelligence is often most effective.
How To Choose The Right Therapist In NYC
While directories like Psychology Today can help you browse local therapists, sometimes a brief phone consultation isn’t enough to make an informed decision. Many of our NYC clients find that a paid consultation with an experienced, licensed psychotherapist provides the clarity needed to choose the best therapeutic path. In these consultations, we explore your goals, challenges, and preferences, and make personalized recommendations tailored to your emotional, relational, and nervous system needs.