Some people begin therapy to learn more about themselves or improve their understanding of who they are or why they do what they do.  Others come when they struggle with painful symptoms of emotional problems like sadness, loneliness, worry, difficulty sleeping, panic and relationship problems.  Some patients begin therapy after going through a major life event like a marriage or break up, the birth of a child, onset of medical problems or following the loss of a loved one.  Others find that they see milestones such as birthdays, promotions at work or anniversaries and this sparks a feeling that there may be things they’d like to change or understand better but aren’t sure quite where to start.

Many people who consider beginning therapy find that they are capable of managing many difficult situations but realize that the same old patterns keep popping up that they just don’t know how to handle. They find themselves tired of struggling and increasingly exasperated with the sense that they have “tried everything” while feeling stuck and helpless, and not moving towards the lives they want and deserve.

As Anais Nin states in her poem “Risk” – “And the day came when the risk to remain right in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”  This is exactly the moment that we see many of our patients seek therapy and the growth and change it can bring.

Whatever your reason, the decision to consider therapy is one that indicates considerable strength and self-awareness. If you’re unsure whether therapy is for you, set up a consultation. We can look together at where you are and where you want to be, and we will provide a honest assessment as to whether we see therapy, and specifically, therapy with our practice, can take you there.

LMSW = Licensed Master Social Worker (first level of licensure for social workers)

LCSW = Licensed Clinical Social Worker (second and in most states, highest level of licensure for social workers, signifies that therapist has passed a specific clinical exam and has more than 2000 hours of therapy practice)

LMSWs practice psychotherapy under the direct supervision of an LCSW. Supervision involves regular meetings where patient care, diagnoses, and treatment planning are discussed.

Hours vary from therapist to therapist.

Our regular business days are Monday through Friday. Limited Saturday and evening sessions are also available, depending on your chosen therapist’s calendar.

You would have to commute to our New York City office if meeting in person is important to you, but telehealth sessions are available for those living elsewhere. Lucky for you, we have therapists licensed throughout the state of New York, and in Connecticut, Michigan, and Florida.

We also have licenses pending in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington DC. Click here for  NJ/PA/DC waiting list and let us know your state of residence on the form!

For Florida residents, more information on our telehealth license is available here: https://flhealthsource.gov/telehealth/

We typically store patient credit cards via Simple Practice (charges show up as STRIPE, Simple Practice’s credit card payment processing vendor) or Square and charge cards weekly after session. Alternate payment arrangements can be possible. We accept all major credit and debit cards, FSA/HSA/flex/health care savings accounts and cards, Apple pay, Android pay, Venmo and Zelle.

We are not in network providers with any insurance companies, but do work out of network with insurance to maximize patient convenience and session affordability. 

We provide detailed superbills or invoices that make reimbursement easy for most patients with out of network coverage. Most patients using out of network benefits are reimbursed for 60 – 80% of session fees after satisfying any applicable deductibles.

If you aren’t familiar with your out of network insurance coverage, we suggest calling the number on the back of your insurance card and asking the following questions after following prompts for mental health or behavioral health:

Do I have out-of-network benefits for psychotherapy? Do I have a deductible? How much is my deductible? What percentage of my bill will be covered after my deductible is met / What is my coinsurance? What is the insurance company’s usual and customary fee for CPT codes 90834 or 90837?

Based on the answers to those questions, we can provide you with a good faith estimate as to your likely out of pocket costs per session.

Reimbursement may be limited based on diagnosis or medical necessity criteria, as it will require you receive a diagnosis, even out of network. Many insurers do not reimburse for relationship or couples therapy.

We believe therapy should be accessible to everyone. Period.

All of our therapists accept a limited number of sliding scale fee appointments, where we mutually determine a fee that is reasonable and affordable for you that we can accept. Fees are re-assessed and adjusted at your request, due to change in circumstance, and/or annually. When you reach out, let us know if you think you need a sliding scale fee. If we can’t accommodate you, we will always work to connect you with someone who can.

If you have insurance that does not offer out of network coverage but need our expertise and can’t find a therapist who meets your needs and does accept your insurance, let us know. We will support you in assessing your coverage and applying for exceptions when possible in order to get your sessions covered at the in network level.

Short answer: not as accessible as we’d like it to be.

While our office at 80 University Place can be accessed without climbing any stairs, the width of the front entry and elevator entry, lack of assisted opening equipment and limited clearance on hallway turns may make accessing our space challenging for those using wheelchairs and assistive mobility devices. Feel free to email us if you’d like to review specific dimensions and want to come for sessions in person.

Our office is located on the second floor. The main entrance on University Place does not require ascending any steps and opens right to the building elevator. If you use the 11th Street side entrance, you will need to climb one flight of stairs to get to our floor. 

Inside our office, water is available and seating is size inclusive. Seating for patients is a loveseat sized couch that allows for leg elevation.

Yes! Telehealth sessions are available for every patient for any reason. Including last minute switches from in person to virtual should you suddenly feel ill but want to keep your session. 

We ask that any patients experiencing symptoms of illness refrain from coming into the office for sessions, both for our therapists’ safety and that of our local community. This isn’t limited to covid symptoms. Vulnerable members of our communities can be impacted by other illnesses, too. 

Our office is equipped with a HEPA filtered air purifier certified for double the square footage of our office. Our therapists are willing to mask during in person sessions, if needed, as well.

While this, of course, varies based on your needs and wants and your specific therapist’s working style, there are some constants.

A therapy session is at least 45 minutes, typically at least once weekly. More frequent sessions, and longer sessions, are available and can allow for deeper work or extra support for those who need it.

Therapy sessions typically begin with a check in and a pause to allow you to locate yourself and orient yourself to your therapy hour. Then, we begin where you are. This can mean talking about thoughts, feelings, your bodily or embodied experience, behaviors, pain, desires, hopes, fears, dreams and goals. People call it the talking cure for good reason, not least of all because absolutely anything can be talked about in therapy.

As you talk, your therapist will jump in and guide or facilitate the conversation, to both help you process and understand your own feelings and hold your goals in mind. Some sessions focus around a single topic, others cover many.

You are in full control of what we talk about in your session. Your therapist may make suggestions, inquiries, and share their thoughts and experiences of you that seem relevant, but your comfort and readiness matters most. You drive, and we’ll be right beside you drawing up the map to guide us as we go.

Yes! We wouldn’t continue to offer and emphasize our telehealth services if we felt they weren’t just as impactful.

AND of course, your mileage may vary. We have many patients who have worked with us long term before the pandemic, meeting weekly in office, who chose to continue to meet remotely after the option to meet in person returned.

For neurodivergent folks, parents of young children, those who travel often for work or pleasure, those with chronic illnesses or disabilities, among others, telehealth offers the opportunity for consistency where it might not otherwise be possible. Sessions happen wherever you are, provided that you have privacy.

If you’d like to try meeting in person and remotely to make a more informed choice, let us know!

A trademark of the Association of Size Diversity and Health, the Health at Every Size approach encompasses a belief that all bodies are good bodies that are capable of defining health for themselves, and moving towards health if they choose to, regardless of weight or size. Research surrounding HAES affirms that people in all sized bodies can pursue health-promoting behaviors.

We welcome folks in all stages of body image work, fat acceptance, body and fat positivity, body dysmorphia and eating disorders. We carry and center a deep respect for our patients’ autonomy. While we will correct misinformation and acknowledge the impact of diet culture, fatphobia and anti-blackness that can accompany intentional weight loss, we never discourage patients from doing what feels right for them, but will explore and seek to understand the desire, both intrapsychically, interpersonally and sociopolitically.