ABOUT THE THERAPIST

English is my mother tongue, I am a licensed Israeli clinical psychologist.

I welcome those looking to make meaningful changes in their lives. Each of us has different anxieties, desires, wishes, and needs which can be fully explored through therapy. The therapeutic process enhances deeper levels of emotional understanding in regard to oneself, one's relationships, and one's circumstances. By examining one's conflicts the patient can move from a place of stagnation to one of growth. It is important to realize that therapy is a healing process and it requires participation and investment from the client and therapist alike. 

In terms of my own approach to therapy, I mainly practice psychodynamic therapy and CBT.

Psychodynamic Therapy

This is a more classical but ever-evolving methodology used to help clients understand and process various conscious and unconscious aspects of their relationships with others and also their relationship with themselves. There is a focus on various underlying conflicts that exist for the client, and there is a deeper investigation into how the client defends and adapts to these conflicts. Furthermore, the human condition, society, and culture are viewed as important frameworks which impact the values and pressures clients experience and which impact their relationships.

CBT(Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

This is generally a more focused method of therapy for dealing with specific issues which can include specific anxieties, depression, OCD, but can also be used to treat other issues. Some patients prefer this methodology as it is more active and straightforward. Whereas other patients find it too mechanical, so a good fit is important. CBT generally works by understanding the connection between the client's emotions, thoughts, and the situation in a fine-grained manner. The method also utilizes a structured format making it easier to understand and allowing for doing various exercises outside of the therapy hour.

Process

Treatment aims to help clients discover deeper levels of self-understanding which ultimately leads to the adoption of new attitudes and feelings towards oneself, others, and one's life situation. It is important to keep in mind that therapy is not a magic pill or a quick fix: in our work together we will endeavor to explore the feelings and conflicts that are motivating your behavior, emotions, and relationships.

Therapy works by helping clients to recognize and process their personal tendencies and emotional conflicts. Both the recognition of complex personal tendencies and the processing of sometimes difficult emotional material take time and repetition so that patients may establish a new equilibrium. The recognition and acceptance of one's emotional tendencies help to reduce subjective suffering and offer an opportunity to work towards positive changes.

The clients I work with can experience a range of challenges: ranging from low self-esteem, anger and aggression, sadness, worry, fear, relationship difficulties, work/life balance, loneliness, anxiety, lack of direction, issues with identity, being emotionally cut off, or emotionally volatility. However, this list is not comprehensive and your unique situation and struggle is likely a complex one, therefore an initial interview and consultation are required to understand your situation more fully, to discuss treatment goals, and to speak about recommended treatment options.

TFP

In addition to weekly therapy, Transference Focused Therapy (TFP)  is a twice-weekly psychodynamic psychotherapy available for individuals with personality disorders or for more intensive treatment.

Experience

As an undergraduate, I spent 4 years as a counselor for mentally ill and mentally handicapped patients placed in assisted living. In my master’s degree, I spent two years working as a psychologist in a mental health clinic. During my residency I spent two years working in a psychiatric hospital inpatient unit and then spent 2 years working for Maccabi in a community mental health center. Today I receive patients privately in Tel Aviv. In addition, I am in my fouth year of training and certification in TFP (transference-focused therapy), which is a specific type of psychodynamic therapy started by renowned psychiatrist Otto Kernberg. It is a form of psychotherapy specialized to treat personality disorders, but can help in all treatments.