We Use The Word Anxiety For Different Experiences Lately in my NYC anxiety therapy practice, it occurred to me that we use one word–anxiety–to talk about so many different kinds of experiences. This includes angst, dread, worry, fear, panic, agitation, aggression, stress, nervousness, jitteriness, distracted, impulsive, manic, unsettled, concerned, alienated and excited. The list couldRead more
Reintegrating through Art: Art Therapy For Dissociation And Disconnection
Dissociation And Art Therapy Defenses are a truly amazing function of the human psyche. When a person is under a great deal of psychic pain or they are in danger, the unconscious has the capacity to step in and mentally contain the threat. Dissociation is one of many defenses that humans have the capacity toRead more
Dear Second Lady Karen Pence: Supporting Art Therapy Means Supporting Human Rights
August 28, 2020: Over three years after first writing about the fallacy of Second Lady Karen Pence’s support for art therapy, I was interested to hear that Ms. Pence revisited the benefits of art therapy during her Republican National Convention speech this past Wednesday. Focusing on how the Trump-Pence administration has supported the military, Ms.Read more
Stay Angry And Get Creative: An Art Therapist On Being Powerful
Both in and out of my NYC art therapy practice, the anger, fear, anxiety, and panic that people felt around the November election has not died down. If anything, it has increased as the government is acting more threatening towards fundamental human rights and the values of our country. So many people express feeling scaredRead more
Coloring Helps Those at Tribeca Therapy Leave Their Mark
In May, I wrote about the positive impact of adult coloring books and my own recent participation in “The Real Art Therapists of New York Coloring Book,” a book that features images and interviews from 50 NYC art therapists. Since then, my colleagues and I at Tribeca Therapy have brought the fun, relaxing activity of coloring to ourRead more
How To Build A Powerful Relationship With Anxiety
Anxiety Can Be Hard To Define (Even In Therapy) Anxiety can mean a lot of different things–both in and out of therapy. When we reference anxiety, we’re often talking about a broad range of emotional and physical experiences. This can include–but is not limited to–stress, angst, trauma, hypervigilance, fear, nervousness, dread and even, a certainRead more
DIY Development: Helping Teens Work Through Normal Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal part of teen development that I see in my NYC therapy practice. Between college admission, SAT/ACT prep, stressors of social dynamics in and outside of high school, the first semesters of college and just being a teen, is it any wonder teens are anxious? This is all normal anxiety and thisRead more
Art As A Tool For Empowerment After This Election
As an art therapist in NYC, I know firsthand that art can have a profoundly positive impact on feelings of disempowerment and oppression. Art-making gives us a way to be big, powerful, and assert control over the materials. It also gives the artist an opportunity to make images that express and work through exactly whatRead more
The Shared Experience of Depression in Relationships
I have observed both in and outside of my NYC therapy practice a growing dialogue for mental health issues like depression. What often seems absent, however, is the ripple effect of depression and how it can affect couples, family units, and those in close proximity to it. When one person in a unit is strugglingRead more
Finding A Therapist In NYC
How To Find A NYC Therapist Finding a therapist in NYC is a lot like dating. You scour the internet for someone whose profile seems right and when you think you may have found a match, you schedule some phone time. If that goes well, you make a date to meet in person. As thisRead more