“Nonjudgemental,
Sex-Positive, & Openminded”
I believe psychotherapy is an evolving collaboration, fulfilling the profound and universal desire to be known and accepted. I view effective therapy not as a panacea, but as a ladder into the unknown: helping you through obstacles and toward specific goals, deeper into the self, outward to others, and through challenging life transitions.
“The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well.”
— Albert Adler
For the past twenty years, I have worked and traveled internationally as a professional opera singer. My training and experience in the arts have given me a deep insight into the particular challenges of performing artists. I understand that performing and creating takes courage to embark upon and courage to be continually vulnerable in the face of constant rejection. My unique understanding is helpful to others struggling to find themselves as artists and as people.
I was born in Russia and raised in New York, and my experience as an immigrant continues to inform my practice in understanding how culture shapes our beliefs about the self and our sense of belonging. Walking the line between two cultures has given me a sense of the intricacy of a self between two worlds and to not take for granted the differences between us. For example, how does a someone raised in a more collectivist mindset or culture adjust to the individualistic values of the dominant culture and stay true to themselves and connected with their loved ones?
Credentials
BA in Psychology from Smith College
MA in Mental Health Counseling, City College of New York
MA in Music, Mannes College of Music
Experience
My first clinical experiences were at IHI, the Institute for Human Identity an organization that specializes in working with LGBTQ+ clients. I then worked in private practice at Live Your Truth Mental Health counseling working with people of all genders and sexualities on coping with Anxiety, Depression, life transitions, and questions of identity. My private practice focuses continues to focus on identity exploration as well as work with creative individuals and those in nontraditional relationships.
How I work
In order to become fully and unapologetically ourselves we need to heal and grow in the safety and compassionate presence of another. We develop safety through consistency and present moment experiences of attunement and repair of misattunements. It is our greatest desire and and our greatest fear to be truly known. It is also our greatest fear that we will be known and misunderstood or found lacking. Through the therapeutic process we become known and seen and fully accepted.
My therapeutic orientation combines Psychodynamic, Relational, and Cognitive Behavioral therapy techniques. Psychodynamic therapy takes a holistic, interpersonal approach in addressing your concerns: I listen reflectively in our sessions and encourage you to explore noticeable patterns that we can piece together with the intention to increase self-awareness and make way for healing. Using a relational approach, we investigate the here-and-now experience of the therapeutic relationship to explore broader relational patterns and heal past relational wounds. Utilizing cognitive behavior therapy, together we can take an action-oriented approach where we identify harmful thought or behavior patterns and use different tools such as journaling, readings, and other actionable steps to manage obstacles and face difficulties.
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”
— Carl Jung
