Biopsychosocial therapists in Kings Bridge, New York NY

My goal as a therapist is to create a warm, supportive, genuine and safe environment where you alone or with your significant other feel comfortable sharing with me your negative repetitive pattern that prevents you from from sailing through your relationship more smoothly. I want to help you to reinvent your marriage or long term relationship so that your lives intersect in the same space so I can get the opportunity to teach you how to respect each other's differences and teach you how you can agree to disagree and yet you are still able to say "I love you." I can help you both to come up with a common love language when you are home and happy or not so happy; and I can also teach you another love language that works well publicly. One works well in the bedroom and the other works well in front of strangers. All couples must develop love languages that work well privately and publicly. I want your relationship to maintain the love that brought you together in the first place. You may wonder why your love is not consistent, and you may notice that the respect you once had for one another has dissipated and the personal meaning once attached to your relationship is no longer there.. Most couples in your situation have what I refer to as their own "dance of anger" that happens again and again and again. By this, I mean couples fight about different issues but the way that they fight takes on a repetitive negative pattern and that pattern is their way of expressing anger and/or rage, regardless of the argument at hand. I refer to the way that most couples argue and fight as their "dance of anger". Remember, you can't change your partner and that is why you need professional advice. I can be your "go to person" who can teach you how to effectively communicate when you once again have disagreements that can be a threat to the survival of your relationship. I only accept accept couples who really want to preserve their relationship and can tell me that they are willing to put in the hard work, because married monogamous relationships are difficult to sustain, but by taking your marriage vows seriously, you both signed up for a loving partnership for a lifetime. Taking your vows and dancing at your wedding is just not enough because everyone's life is difficult. Life is more like "a bowl of cherries" and despite the succulent juice from the cherries, you will still have to deal with "the pits." We can't always dance through our problems. Despite making yourselves an expensive wedding or having gone to the court to take your vows,-what all married couples dwell on is trust. Is one person feeling like they don't trust the other or both feel the same way when it comes to trust, then pick up your phone to call Lorna Hayim-Baker at Riverdale Therapy & Counseling Services. I offer a free phone consultation before accepting new couples. I tell the truth when I counsel couples, and therefore, I vet each couple before I agree to meet with them in an "in person session" to avoid sessions where one partner or both can blow up my session because their personality does not mesh well with mine. My heart goes out to everyone who is about to experience "a bad breakup" or "a disastrous divorce.". I go many extra miles for each and every couple who comes into my office. I try to understand their shared stories and having a shared story is a lot easier to problem solve because they are in sync; but more often than not, I have to hear out each partner because they each have different stories to tell. I decipher their own personal stories because, in reality, there are two different versions of the same presenting problem and then their is the third version which is the most realistic story. It is only fair to hear each partner's voice as they often come to session offering their own point of view, but if one pays close attention, it often seems like there are 2-3 different problems; but in reality, there are two different sides about he same problem and sometimes even a third side that the therapist discovers and is being presented by each person. All three stories are different versions of the same problem. All sides are carefully listened to and It takes time to hear each person's interpretation of the same arguments. All stories are aired and I do my best to come up with possible solutions by providing lots of feedback. Couples can disagree with me about possible solutions that are offered. I have become very attuned to my couples because I have been doing this type of therapy for a very long time. I listen carefully to their presenting problems before providing feedback. I am not always right but I am pretty intuitive at this point in my career. Someone must try to understand the couple who came in to preserve their relationship and the hope is that I, as their therapist will remain neutral and unbiased in order to shed light on why the couples are not hearing each other as they each struggle to voice their complaints. More often than not, one or both partners become very defensive and neither one is listening to the other and their fight escalates. That's why they need an unbiased and caring therapist to intervene and help the couple deescalate by having them share the details of the original complaint that turned into a communication breakdown. Couples begin fighting right in front of me & my job is to stop their dispute and call a halt to their bickering so we can examine why their communication pattern broke down in the first place. Both partners are acting out and becoming nasty and defensive. Each partner had the same wish, which was to have their voice heard as he or she expresses their own complaint. I need to point out when their wheels are spinning but they are getting nowhere and they are in fact, stuck. Couples need to stop and listen to each other so I can help them come up with a plan that can get them "unstuck." To be an effective couples' counselor means that at the end of the session, the couple walks out with a sense of having a shared understanding of their problems and with a shared sense of hope because they learned how to tackle the types of ineffective communications that lead to "blow out fights" Hopefully, I will be your therapist who teaches you how to not add fuel to the fire. I want to be part of the solution and teach couples how to stop turning molehills into mountains. I am the therapist who loves watching love as it grows and makes both partners seem so much more mature.  

I specialize in providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for adults who are experiencing anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, or depression. I use brief, evidence-based treatments to help you feel better quickly. My style is empathic, realistic, and optimistic. I view therapy as a collaborative process, mainly focused on the here-and-now, where we work together to enable you to overcome the barriers between you and your goals. You are the expert in you - we'll create a plan that is personalized to your specific values, identities, and experiences. We’ll practice new skills and strategies so that you feel confident using them on your own to get better results at work, home, and in your relationships. In addition to this private practice, I am an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. My research involves mood disorders, memory disorders, and the interactions between these conditions.  

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I believe that we all have a story. And if we all took the time to listen to one another's story, we'd all probably be in a much better place both mentally and emotionally. But that's what's great about therapy. My therapy space is a space for you to come in and tell your story. We will explore your relationships, past experiences, present challenges, and so much more. I operate from a relational approach, meaning that I believe you and I are collaborating on creating the therapeutic space that is unique to you and I. We can use the relationship you and I are building to help give you greater insight into what may not be working in your life currently, and we can identify how to make lasting change with this new level of awareness.  

I am a fat, queer, neurodiverse, cisgender therapist who knows the importance of feeling seen and understood by your therapist. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community I want to offer gender and queer-affirming services to those who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender, TGNC, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, gender fluid, intersex, CNM, polyamorous, kink, and questioning. I also believe in the importance of sharing space for multiple identities and being a culturally competent provider.  

Make Marriage Better stands out for its transformative approach to relationship coaching. We specialize in helping couples overcome recurring challenges, rebuild trust, and rediscover joy in their partnership. By applying the award-winning, evidence-based Deconstructing Anxiety™ method, we address the root causes of relationship issues—not just the symptoms—allowing couples to create real and lasting change. Our skilled, compassionate coaches guide clients through personalized strategies to foster open communication, resolve conflicts, and strengthen bonds. If you're ready to start your journey toward a stronger, more fulfilling relationship, give us a call. Virtual sessions available via video and telehealth.  

I have been working with women and children for the past decade in a myriad of settings. I truly believe this wide range of experience in areas such as preventive, clinical, schools, shelters, etc. has given me a holistic understanding of the various needs of my clients. I bring this knowledge, my own background and experiences, and my clinical experience into therapy in order to provide a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment that promotes healing - no matter what a person's need or trauma is.  

Me: I am warm, informal, highly engaging and I care deeply about my clients because I want them to feel better. Effectively, this means I am trying to work myself out of a job *grin*, but that truly is the goal, right?, to help you feel better so you can live your best life! I infuse humor into sessions when and if appropriate because laughter and joy is a form of medicine in and of itself and therapy doesn't have to be 100% intense and serious every step of the way. Clients with whom I work consistently report positive growth and an overall improvement in their quality of life. My favorite quote from a client after a few sessions of EMDR therapy together is: "I don't know what kind of witch doctor you are, but this sh*t works!" While I am neither a witch nor a doctor, I am committed to supporting my clients as they grow into and/or reclaim their own similar feeling of success.  

As a licensed creative arts therapist & music psychotherapist, I use a an integrative, trauma-informed, humanistic, person centered and often somatic approach to growth & healing. I utilize music, art, play therapy and mindfulness, as well as traditional talk therapy, to foster self-expression and exploration in order to access and process challenging experiences, while nurturing self-discovery, acceptance, self-compassion & forgiveness. Much of my experience is in working with young children with emotional and behavioral challenges, often experiencing trauma or neglect, as well as adults.  

FREE consultations! Are you feeling stuck in negative thoughts, intense emotions, or behavioral patterns that don't serve your best interest? Are you hoping to build more meaning and joy in your life? You may feel hesitant about reaching out for help, especially with pressure from all directions to "have it all together". I'm here to join you on this journey to discover healing and build a balanced life. My goal is to help you find compassion for yourself, develop skills to help you navigate life stressors, identify how you can become the best version of yourself, and be confident in the resilient person you are. If you want to work towards positive change in mind and body wellness, I'm ready when you are. I am an LCSW accepting clients in both California and New York. Send me an email to schedule a free phone consultation today! One of my favorite quotes... "You’re so hard on yourself. Take a moment. Sit back. Marvel at your life: at the grief that softened you, at the heartache that wisened you, at the suffering that strengthened you. Despite everything, You still grow. Be proud of this.” —Unknown