ABOUT

I welcome and appreciate those of you looking to begin the challenge of psychotherapy, to begin a process of looking inward and start making important changes. The goals of therapy may include making positive changes, reducing anxiety and depression, improving your relationships, or functioning better at work. I hope to assist you in this process, in exploring and understanding yourself and your life to enable positive changes to begin to take place.

In terms of my approach to therapy, I mainly practice psychodynamic therapy and CBT. In general, I try to be as authentic as possible while still maintaining guidelines for technique and professionalism. It's essential that therapy provides an environment for you to think, feel, and lead a process of self-discovery and healing, and I will be there to help you during this process.

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 detailed way. 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: therapy is a healing process that requires participation and investment from the client and therapist alike. In therapy, we’ll work 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. Now I am in my fourth year of my residency having spent two years working in a mental health hospital inpatient unit. I currently work for Maccabi as part of my Residency, and three days a week receive patients privately in Tel Aviv. In addition, I am in my second 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 therapy that is also able to address personality disorders and has gone through various peer-reviewed studies proving its efficacy.