Do you feel fulfilled by your life right now? Do you feel happy with who you are and how you spend your time? Are you satisfied with your current relationships?
If you've answered no to any of these questions, life may feel challenging and even painful. In those darker moments, you might find yourself asking, Is this really all that life is about? Are things ever going to get better? Maybe you occasionally open up to others about your struggles, but if you're like many people, you might hold such wounds deep inside.
It's no secret that women face complex and unique challenges throughout their lifetimes. Whether you're managing difficult mental health symptoms, trying to pinpoint your career, navigating confusing family dynamics, worried that you’re growing apart from your spouse or children, or just trying to feel more connected to yourself, therapy offers a compassionate space for unpacking your most pressing concerns.
As an experienced therapist, I specialize in women's health, helping women cultivate a deeper sense of purpose and identity. No matter who you are, you are more than your role as a daughter, wife, mother, friend, or employee. You are also so much more than any specific mental health concern or set of symptoms.
In my practice, I treat women experiencing some of the following presenting concerns:
Coping With Life Transitions
Change is the only constant in life, but change often comes with all sorts of intense emotions, including relief, sadness, fear, shame, and anger. Because these emotions can have a significant impact on your physical health and emotional well-being, it's important to address them effectively.
Therapy provides a supportive environment for exploring these strong emotions and learning healthy ways to respond to them. There are many different kinds of life transitions, but some common ones I help women with include:
new relationships and getting married
breakups and divorce
graduating college and career changes
parenting and postpartum adjustments
Improving Self-Esteem
If you're like most women, you probably don't think too highly about yourself. Instead, you may be more prone to self-loathing and inner contempt. But if you resonate with being your own worst critic, you might be perpetuating a deep sense of emotional suffering.
Research shows that over 1 in 5 adult women has a mental health issue like anxiety, depression, or PTSD. Mental health issues often complicate self-esteem and can potentially erode it over time. With that, improving self-esteem is so much more than just "doing self-care" or practicing positive affirmations. It's about rediscovering who you are and affirming your own unique self.
In therapy, I help women improve their self-esteem by:
exploring the negative beliefs you hold about yourself, including themes of inadequacy, unworthiness, or self-doubt
encouraging more self-compassion during adversity
setting and maintaining healthy boundaries in your relationships
addressing and resolving past traumas
fostering more confidence in decision-making
untangling yourself from perfectionism or overly high expectations
Enhancing Self-Discovery
Who are you, really? How connected do you feel to your true, authentic self?
Maybe you're so used to caring for others that you haven't given yourself much space to reflect on your own needs, desires, and values. This doesn't make you a bad person- many women tend to sacrifice what they want to appease others. Or we get so busy with all that we have to do that we have no idea how to slow it all down. At times, it also may feel easier to just "go with the flow," even if the flow isn't exactly what you want.
Therapy geared to greater self-discovery tends to be rich and depth-oriented, and it may include:
allowing yourself to grieve former versions of yourself (or former parts of your life)
learning and asserting your own needs
establishing your values and aiming to live more congruently to them
treating trauma symptoms that may be affecting your current emotional well-being
changing how you talk to yourself when things feel challenging
increasing your overall sense of self-acceptance
Navigating Postpartum Struggles and Parenting Mental Health Issues
Having a child really does change everything. Even if you felt "ready" before your child was born, nothing truly prepares you for the actual task of raising children. As a result, many women often feel confused, frustrated, and isolated as they transition into parenthood.
In my practice, I specialize in postpartum stressors, including postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and general difficulties associated with parenting.
Therapy for postpartum support may focus on:
defining yourself beyond the rigid societal expectations about parenting and motherhood
learning how to cope with different emotional challenges adaptively
having a safe and supportive environment to process your fears associated with parenting
treating mental health conditions that may be impacting your parenting
raising children with unique challenges or health needs
Reconciling Relationship Issues and Relational Trauma
Relationship problems come in many forms and may include family conflict, intimate partner violence, friendship difficulties, and parenting stressors. Many women experience people-pleasing tendencies in their relationships- you might value 'keeping the peace' even if it means sacrificing your own needs.
Therapy for relational issues is often multifaceted and may include:
working through societal pressures about how you "should be" in your relationships
improving communication and conflict resolution skills
defining your priorities and boundaries in relationships
strengthening how connected you feel to loved ones (partners, family members, friends)
having a safe space to explore relational trauma, including domestic violence and early childhood attachment traumas
FAQ
What Kinds of Women's Mental Health Concerns Do You Treat?
I treat a variety of common women's issues, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, body image concerns, postpartum depression, eating disorders, self-esteem issues, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), relationship problems, and more.
How Do I Know If It's the Right Time to Seek Therapy?
There's no perfect time for starting therapy. However, if you're dealing with a serious mental illness, some symptoms may worsen progressively over time. In general, it may be a good idea to reach out for professional support if you feel “stuck” in your current circumstances, struggle to implement good self-care, or simply want support in navigating your emotions.
What if I’ve Already Tried Therapy in the Past?
Clients often find that therapy can help them at different points in life, and I work with many women who have had therapy before. If that's the case, we'll talk about what you found effective, and we'll also discuss anything that didn't work for you.
How Long Will Therapy Take?
I don't adhere to any specific therapy timelines when working with clients. Some clients benefit from short-term work, whereas others prefer more long-term, depth-oriented therapy. If you already have an idea of what you're looking for, you're welcome to let me know when we start!
My style is collaborative and supportive- we're spending this time together focused on you, so we'll make sure your needs are always at the forefront. I will check in with you to assess how you feel about your progress regularly. This helps me understand how things are unfolding, and it gives us both a chance to discuss if any pivots need to be made.
How Is Talking to a Mental Health Professional Different From Talking to a Friend?
It's important for women to have a strong support system, and friendship is such an invaluable asset at all stages of life. That said, mental health professionals are specifically trained to help you understand the underlying issues causing you to feel or act in certain ways.
While friends offer love and guidance, they may not have the expertise to address your deeper psychological needs. Furthermore, in therapy, the focus is exclusively on you. Treatment is confidential, structured, and specifically intended to support you with your emotional and mental health challenges.
What Therapeutic Approaches Do You Use to Treat Women's Issues?
I bring an eclectic style to my therapeutic work, and my interventions vary based on your specific treatment plan. I lean on person-centered and psychodynamic frameworks to understand how past experiences may be shaping your current feelings, relationships, and well-being. I value showing up to sessions authentically, as I find this generally makes it easier for clients to feel comfortable and safe opening up.
I also integrate cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to provide tangible coping skills for improving low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and more.
Therapy for Women's Issues in New York and Connecticut
If you feel scared or frustrated by your mental health issues, you are not alone. The truth is that many women downplay their struggles or manage their emotional pain silently. Unfortunately, this silence often creates more suffering, and it can exacerbate feelings of shame and isolation.
I deeply understand the vulnerability that comes with reaching out for support. As an experienced therapist, I am passionate about supporting other women in their journeys to wellness. Regardless of your current struggles, therapy offers a supportive environment for your healing.
I offer convenient online therapy for women throughout New York and Connecticut. In addition to supporting women’s mental health, I also provide therapy for teenagers. If you think we might be a good fit for one another, please reach out to schedule a complimentary initial consultation.