Complex Trauma Therapy in New York
The things people struggle with most often started as solutions. If you learned to stay quiet, keep everyone happy, never ask for too much, or always be on guard, those patterns probably made sense at one point. Therapy isn't about judging those parts of you. It's about understanding why they developed and whether they're still helping you today.
Credentials & Licensing
LMSW (NY) • LSW (NJ) • CASAC-T
Clinical Training Focus
IFS • Attachment Dynamics • Trauma
Practice Standards
Private Pay • Out of Network Provider
You don’t have to convince me your pain was bad enough.
Many of my clients grew up in families that looked perfectly fine and stable from the outside. There may not have been a single, defining crisis. Instead, there was an ongoing, quiet expectation to adapt.
You may have spent years trying to understand why you react the way you do. Maybe you became the endlessly responsible child—the one who kept the peace, noticed any shifting mood in the house, and never demanded too much attention. You learned that being "good" meant keeping your own needs invisible.
The behaviors people hate about themselves usually started as solutions to hard situations. Staying hyper-vigilant, over-preparing, or pulling away isn't proof that you are broken. It's proof that you learned how to survive.
You don’t need to have the right words prepared.
Childhood trauma and emotional neglect don't always show up as a dramatic memory. Usually, they live in the quiet habits of your current adult life.
"I apologize constantly, even when I know I haven't done anything wrong."
"I feel like it's my job to manage and keep everyone around me happy."
"I don't actually know how to rest without feeling incredibly guilty."
"Nothing is wrong with you. You just learned to navigate a complicated world by prioritizing everyone else’s safety over your own footprint."
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
We look at the different parts of you that handle daily life. The inner critic that pushes you too hard, or the protector that makes you close down, aren't defects. We learn to understand why these parts are working so hard so they can finally let down their guard.
Relational & Attachment Focus
Our earliest relationships teach us what to expect from other people. If love felt unpredictable, criticism felt constant, or your needs didn't feel important, those lessons often continue into adulthood. Together we'll notice those patterns and slowly build new ones.
Working with the Body
Your mind may know you're safe, but your body doesn't always get the message. That's why sometimes you understand exactly why you're reacting, and you still can't stop. Part of our work is helping your nervous system realize it doesn't have to stay on high alert anymore.
A little about me
I spent more than 15 years working as a designer before becoming a therapist. Even though my career changed, the way I think didn't. I've always been interested in patterns. Why people do what they do. Why something that seems irrational actually makes perfect sense once you understand where it came from.
That curiosity is at the center of how I work today. My approach is collaborative, direct, and warmly human. We aren't going to sit in silence, and I am not here to over-complicate your story with heavy terminology.
Who this therapy space is designed for.
The one who looks fine.
You handle immense professional or personal stress beautifully. Everyone else relies on you because you are steady and reliable. Inside, you feel completely spent, like you are constantly maintaining an exhausting performance.
The one who never asks for help.
You are the default fixer for your entire circle. But when your own life feels heavy, you automatically withdraw. You learned very early that asking for support usually results in disappointment or an added burden on someone else.
The one who feels guilty resting.
Sitting still feels physically anxiety-inducing. You track your personal self-worth by how productive you were today, because historically, being useful was the only way to ensure your safety and belonging.
The one who overthinks everything.
You replay conversations. Second guess yourself. Wonder if you upset someone. You know it's exhausting. You just don't know how to stop.
How these patterns often develop
We work to map out how a protective loop takes root, so we can carefully unpack it together.
The Setup
An early environment where emotional needs are overlooked, unpredictable, or highly conditional on performance.
The Role
You adapt by adopting a reliable strategy: you become quiet, intensely independent, and hyper-attuned to adult behaviors.
The Adult Result
Over time, the ways you learned to cope start feeling like your personality. You may not even realize they're protective responses anymore.
The Pivot
Therapy gives us a place to slow down, understand those patterns, and decide whether they're still helping you.
Grounding Cards
If you're not quite ready for therapy, that's okay. These printable Grounding Cards were created for the moments when everything feels like too much. They're simple reminders to help bring you back to the present without having to think too hard. Download them for free and keep them somewhere you'll actually reach for them.
Download Free Grounding CardsFrequently Asked Questions
You don’t have to have it all figured out before reaching out.
Sometimes the hardest part is simply taking the first step. If you're wondering whether therapy could help, let's have a conversation. There's no pressure to commit. Just a chance to see if we're a good fit.