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Life can be very stressful with the many obligations and demands placed on us. Whether it be at home or work, being overwhelmed seems to be 'the norm' these days. You may feel like you have to do it all or somehow, you're a failure. Maybe you're feeling that having the relationships you want are out of reach; or living the life you always imagined just isn't happening; or feeling alone even when surrounded by people. I chose to be a therapist because I know firsthand that change is possible. You see, it was by reaching out for help that I was able to break the patterns that were preventing me from reaching my goals. I decided I wanted to help others the way I was helped. If you're willing to do the work, you can have the life you long for. You only need to believe it's possible. I do.

I am excited to start each session with my clients, picking up from our conversation last week, or exploring something new. Therapy is easier, and frankly more fun, when therapeutic work doesn't feel like a chore. I work with individuals, couples, and families to explore new perspectives and practice new solutions. I primarily use systemic therapies, which help us understand issues within different contexts, like family, work, or culture. By understanding your daily life, and your systems, we can explore how to evolve smaller solutions so they feel achievable. Each time we talk, we build upon our therapy goals, moving with life. Communication is everything in couples therapy. Combining our goals, or empathizing with past injuries, requires finding new ways to talk, and listen. Often the beginning of couples work requires building trust to believe and understand one another. I utilize Gottman Method and emotion-focused work to help couples to connect to shared goals and to each other. For individuals, I commonly work with mood conditions (anxiety, depression, etc.), as well as exploring familial or social relationships. Solution-focused work helps with managing symptoms and finding smaller achievements that build into bigger change over time. It's then important to evolve those solutions in natural systems, like family or work contexts.

It can feel daunting to explore the issues in your life. As an experienced psychologist, I work with individuals of all ages, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds. I use an eclectic approach and believe that examining the underlying causes of life circumstances is vital to the change process. To this end, I help you identify and change problematic life patterns and then move forward with changes. In addition to understanding that some problems do not require researching one's past and are more about here-and-now life circumstances, I work hard to distinguish between different types of concerns in thinking about each individual's therapeutic needs. No matter what your goals are, I am committed to helping you reach them.

I believe in the power of people. I believe all people have within us the power to fuel great amounts of suffering, to secretly endure vast amounts of pain, and, thankfully, with the right conditions - to be able to heal ourselves and rediscover our unlimited potential. This is what I have learned through my own healing journeys, what I have seen in decades of work with various different people in NYC, and what I continue to see and be inspired by in each of the people and couples I work with now in psychotherapy. I am not a fan of the modern "medical model" of mental illness, which seems to come more and more from power dynamics in our current society and economy more than a deep understanding of the human condition and what it means to become one's true, best self in a complicated world. Rather, I embrace the perspective that our "symptoms" and "disorders" are actually useful clues to how we are out of balance with our best selves, and they become useful signposts which light one's own personal path to healing. I believe there is much out of balance with our modern human society and that this has effects on all of us. I believe our species is social by nature - that relationships sustain us, heal us, and also can be where we feel pains most sharply. The very things which allow us to connect with others are also those which make us vulnerable to injury. Most of us have been affected by our childhoods, times of dependence on others, etc. in ways which may have altered our own ability to even know our own true best self: how to find it, nurture it, support it, and have it thrive in balanced connections with the outside world. I have found the deeply personal process of psychotherapy to be the single most effective way to find, heal and care for our best selves.

I love working with individuals and couples from diverse backgrounds. I have a warm and direct approach, and I work with couples to communicate and hear each other in a safe and productive way. I use IMAGO therapy/Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), which most couples find very positive and quickly gives hope. With my individual clients, we work to understand your needs and desires and ways to help you find your inner strengths to achieve them. I also bring in some coaching tools when helpful. I respect and highly value the client-therapist relationship.

People create meaningful change when they feel truly heard and validated. What I love most about being a therapist is having the privilege to be part of that journey—helping clients shift their perspective, face challenges, and reconnect with their sense of worth and potential so they can build a life aligned with their values. While I specialize in anxiety, panic disorders, and OCD, my work also spans a range of other areas, including support for creative professionals and those in the entertainment industry; men’s issues; sex and porn addiction; trauma; body and muscle dysmorphia; and LGBTQIA+ concerns. My foundation is in behavioral therapy, but I take an eclectic, integrative approach that draws on my specialties and certifications in CBT, ACT, ERP, and EMDR. I strive to create a safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore your concerns, and I tailor our work to meet you exactly where you are in this moment of your life. Feel free to contact me or visit my website if you’d like to learn more and find out my latest availability. We can discuss what brings you to therapy and work out a plan to get you on the path toward leading a more fulfilling life. At present, in-person spaces are currently filled. Only telehealth spaces at present.

Are you feeling emotionally overwhelmed or stuck? If so, notice that you've already moved in a positive direction by searching for a therapist to help you overcome obstacles and guide you toward greater fulfillment. Change is not always easy, but it is always possible. Often, uncomfortable feelings or aspects of ourselves that we'd rather not confront get in the way. We hope to protect ourselves through avoidance, and yet avoidance is often the very reason we can't move forward. Whether you're dealing with anxiety or depression, relationship difficulties, family conflict, life transitions, job or school stress, or painful experiences from your past, we can work together to address your concerns. We will uncover the meaning you attach to your thoughts, feelings and experiences so that you can consider alternative perspectives and choices to help you progress. I'll work with you to clarify your goals, identify steps to get there, and meet challenges along the way. We will take it one step at a time and work at a pace that feels comfortable to you. I invite you to take the next step to contact me via phone or e-mail, or visit my website: www.drleesaltzman.com and simply click the "Schedule a Consultation" link. I look forward to meeting with you to determine how I can help you get on track.

Many young individuals who, despite their education and resources, feel anxious, stymied, and frustrated. I have deep experience working with young professionals who are struggling with workplace anxiety, difficult relationships, and an overall sense of unease and unhappiness. Through self-discovery and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, you will learn the tools and techniques to unburden yourself from emotional distress. It’s time that you learn how to acknowledge, appreciate, and harness your everyday emotions.

My approach to helping my clients is nonjudgmental, strength-based, and curious. Through the use of several psychodynamic approaches and applied Jungian analysis, I am able to help clients transform their lives by exploring their self-concept and improving their self-esteem. I believe that a nonjudgmental approach helps us uncover painful patterns and past experiences while fostering sustainable self-reflection.