My Approach to helping...

Nominated top doctor in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015, I dedicate myself to helping you out of feeling stuck, down and anxious. I offer practical and valuable help within the first session. Most patients describe me as very helpful, warm and insightful. I will tailor a treatment to your needs and pick the best therapy modality for you. I will then match you with a therapist in my practice whose personality and modality of therapy are the most effective for you. You will, therefore, get great help right away and get the most effective treatment for someone who is a great match for you. My patients love this model and I hope that you do too.

Toni Vegiard is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Massachusetts with 6 years of experience in the mental health field. She is passionate about helping adolescents and adults address their unique challenges and live a more fulfilled life. Toni specializes in depression, anxiety, major life transitions, grief, and trauma work. She has a background working in intensive juvenile services, as well as residential and outpatient facilities.

You can't always control your environment, but you can learn to adapt to it such that you can feel happier and more fulfilled. Counseling can be a wonderful growth experience. Gain self-esteem and improve the quality of your life by ridding yourself of fears, sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, grief, sleeping and eating problems or a short temper, all of which affect your relationships and your work. I can help you reduce stress from life changes, trauma, crises, marital troubles and relationship problems. And, my past business exprience enables me to help with career, business and financial difficulties. I am in private practice. I was formerly on staff at the New York Center for Psychoanalytic Training Consultation Center as well as a former Associate Director of the Jewish Association of Counseling and Psychotherapy.

You may be entering a new stage in your life, whether it is heading to college and moving out of your childhood home, starting your career, choosing to seek graduate or advanced training, or becoming serious in a committed relationship and starting your own family. You know what you want to achieve, but need additional support in navigating the stresses of setting off on this new path. Or maybe you want help in redefining the roles your family members and loved ones have in your life as you walk towards adulthood in a chaotic world. Maybe you have started your own family and made the decision to become a parent. You may want to parent differently than your parents, but are unsure how. You might be experiencing anxiety around being responsible for a vulnerable new human being. Children can be mirrors, reflecting our own experiences of childhood back onto us. Perhaps past painful experiences of not having your own needs met in childhood are bubbling up and you want to have a safe space to process and explore those experiences. Perhaps you are noticing that your child is experiencing challenges. They may have learning or attentional difficulties, are struggling to navigate difficult life transitions, or are acting out and appear to be overwhelmed with big emotions they don't know how to manage. Whatever issue is bringing either you or your child to therapy, I believe you also bring with your own unique strengths and abilities. My approach as a therapist is to first focus on developing a relationship built upon mutual respect that allows you to feel safe, supported, and heard. In sessions, my goal is to empower you to take the lead and choose the direction therapy will take. Therapy is a place where you can explore both your strengths and challenges, ask questions, and take risks. My therapy approach is client-centered, trauma informed, and strengths based. Most importantly, my approach is tailored to your unique strengths, needs, and goals.

When looking for someone to help you with adapting to complex life situations and challenging emotional issues, it is vital to find someone who you feel comfortable being with, who respects you, and focusses on your goals. I strive to work in a warm, empathic and engaging style, blending a variety of therapeutic tools, that best match your specific needs. Refined over my 30 years in practice, I would describe my approach as results driven, hands on and active. First we explore your situation and what you want to change. Equally import, is finding and strengthening what you already enjoy in your life and is working well. Using this strength based vantage point, we detemine what needs to change and the best tools to use to making these changes for you, or a family member. I frequently work with people who want to feel less restricted by anxiety, depression, panic, OCD, or the impact of various forms of traumatic experiences. Working with people as they become more free to choose what to do, where to go and who to be with is enormously gratifying. I also really enjoy working with people who have difficulties fully tapping into their innate talents to create satisfying relationships and academic successes, because of executive functioning differences such as ADHD. Individual's who are on the spectrum have different ways of experiencing the world, and I can help them translate their experiences to better mesh with those around them.

Deciding to go to therapy is a difficult choice for most individuals. I try to make the therapy process as comfortable as I can, from the moment you walk through my door. I provide a safe and supportive environment where one is free to express themselves openly. I am patient, compassionate and understanding to my client's needs. Therapy can help an individual to overcome unresolved feelings, emotional pain, trauma, loss and hurt. I want to assist you in this journey towards a better "sense of self". I look forward to meeting you and beginning our journey together.

My approach to helping is collaborative. I hope that you and I can work as a team to explore your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, relationships, and family history. I want us to understand your needs, triggers, strengths, and coping strategies. I not only want to understand your past, but see how you manage your daily life and reach future goals. I am an interactive therapist. I want you to feel heard, understood, and respected. Therapy is not easy and we will have to face your struggles. Therefore I want you to feel safe and comfortable. I work with honesty and transparency. We will evaluate your progress to make sure that you are working in the direction of your goals and my approach fits you. I believe therapy works best if it's consistent and weekly. With effort and determination you are likely to see positive results.

In-person evening or weekend therapy available in Scarsdale, White Plains, and Mahopac. I help couples and adults work through relationship conflict, emotional distance, sexual concerns, anxiety, depression, trauma, posttraumatic stress (PTSD), alcohol-related concerns, men’s issues, and patterns that keep repeating. Some people come in with a partner. Others come in alone because mood, drinking, trauma, anger, avoidance, or relationship stress is affecting the life they want. My work is practical, direct, and focused on understanding what gets stuck, so we can work on what needs to change.

My philosophy and vision in treatment involves facilitating a combination of talk therapy and mindful body practices, enabling each person to realize his or her unique self with compassion and awareness.