Find a Therapist in Brewster, NY

My approach in therapy is collaborative, supportive, and goal oriented.

As a Rapid Transformational Therapist , I'm passionate about helping individuals rewire their brains to project positive images and words. I believe in the power of beliefs—first you make your beliefs, and then your beliefs make you. My mission is to empower others to break free from limiting beliefs and unlock their true potential. I chose to become an RTT therapist because I find the approach both creative and innovative, and I'm excited to work with clients to help them improve their lives. I can help you identify and overcome negative thought patterns that may be holding you back. By becoming more attuned to your beliefs, you can create a brighter, more positive future for yourself. Let's work together to unleash the best version of you!

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with twenty-five years of experience. I work with individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, eating issues, addictions, victimization, trauma, and loss. I am psychoanalytically trained, and I also use cognitive behavioral approaches, such as identifying and correcting undermining thought patterns and behaviors, as well as skills training when appropriate. I believe that most difficulties are related to our unconscious thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and the unhealthy defenses we develop, usually in childhood, to protect ourselves from hurt. Once helpful, but now outdated, these defenses can prevent self-awareness and the constructive resolution of our problems. These blocks to awareness can contribute to symptoms such as low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, interpersonal problems, eating issues, addictive behaviors, and the like. Together, we can identify your defenses, explore your true feelings, and help you develop healthier coping skills and a greater sense of well-being. In addition to my clinical work and training, I have 20 years of social work experience with men, women, and children in the foster care and domestic violence shelter systems. I have developed and managed shelters for abused women and children, and I have provided crisis intervention, counseling, court advocacy, psychotherapy, and parenting skills training. I have facilitated groups for men who abuse their partners, and I coordinated a supervised visitation program for families involved in custody matters.

It's understandable that with demanding careers and family responsibilities, your relationship can sometimes feel like it takes a backseat. I want to assure you that it's possible to prioritize your connection and build a thriving partnership. I specialize in helping couples like you deepen their communication and navigate conflicts in a constructive way. In our sessions, we will work together to: * **Strengthen your communication:** Learn to foster greater understanding and empathy between you and your partner. * **Develop conflict resolution strategies:** Equip yourselves with tools to reduce tension and promote growth through disagreements. * **Enhance intimacy:** Explore ways to deepen your emotional and physical connection. My approach is designed to meet the unique needs of busy couples who are committed to strengthening their relationship. Whether you are facing a specific challenge, aiming to fortify your bond, or simply seeking to enhance your connection, I am here to support you. If you're ready to take proactive steps towards a stronger and more fulfilling relationship, I invite you to schedule a complimentary consultation with me to discuss how I can help.

In-office sessions allow me to provide you both the highest level of support. I provide email support in-between sessions that really makes a difference for my clients that keep the focus on change. I have trained with some of the best in our field, Drs. John Gottman & Sue Johnson, innovators in research-based concepts that work, and well as Dr. Bill Doherty. The couples and co-parents that I work with are very capable in their own lives, so it's an honor when they contact me to work on things. In addition to being a Licensed Psychotherapist & Board Certified Life Coach, I have been a guest lecturer at local universities, as well as a presenter at The Connecticut Counseling Association and The Connecticut Council for Non-Adversarial Divorce. . Clients usually decide to come in because they need an objective person to assist them in getting unstuck & manifesting more of their goals. By valuing your time & working hard together, we will gently shift challenges that you are struggling with. I have over 25 years combined experience in psychotherapy, education and business to draw from. I believe in a high level of service & so my office is designed to relax and comfort my clients. I encourage you if you are wondering if I can be helpful to you, to contact me and we can explore possibilities.

It is my sacred honor to help people with their deepest and most personal issues: their ancient wounds, in their lives within and without; their deepest hopes and fears, dreams and longings, and the blocks that interfere with creating their lives and finding and birthing their Selves. It saddens me deeply to see our world being offered "quick fixes," "bandaids," and "get over it" or "transcend it" philosophies for dealing with life's deepest wounds and traumas. It saddens me to see people being offered symptom "management" instead of real healing -- managing thoughts, feelings, and more -- leaving the real wound beneath the symptom, beneath the surface to continue to haunt them in their lives. It saddens me to see our world encouraging people to repeat as adults what they did as children - repress their feelings and find defenses to keep them away. For children, this is sanity- and life-saving. For adults, this is society degrading feeling and keeping us emotionally stuck, emotionally unmatured. For adults, this is society working against our healing, our growing, our transforming, our becoming all we can be. It saddens me to see us go 'round and 'round the vicious cycle of cause and effect when we leave our own individual wounds unhealed -- deeply affecting the state of our world and our country -- and then when the state of our world and country, in turn, triggers those same unhealed wounds within us. I bring to clients a message of lasting healing, healing to the root. I help people find and claim their own wounds, commit themselves to the real work of healing inside and out, work at their organic rhythm and pace to build their capacity to feel, and more. I also help people recognize the link between their individual healing and the healing of our planet. With a passion for safety and for healing to the root, I am committed to helping heal and transform our world one-by-one and on a global scale.

Everyone struggles with a variety of issues throughout their lives and I am dedicated to your healthy growth and development. I utilize play therapy for children and a cognitive behavioral approach for adolescents and adults. I have a passion for helping couples to reconnect and become friends again. Discover the tools to improve and transform your everyday life. I believe there is hope in all circumstances and we are all a work in progress.

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.

We all have gifts from God, and I believe helping people to heal is one of my gifts. We are all on a journey of self discovery. All aspects of our life including the work that we do, the people that come into our lives, and the things that happen to us all provide an opportunity for growth and deepening our connection with ourselves and others. I have known I wanted to be a therapist since I was 13, because it was the first time when I saw a therapist that someone actually tuned into my feelings. Through this experience, I felt seen and truly began to see myself. The most valuable subject we can learn about to be successful in life is ourselves! How are we supposed to navigate through our lives without knowing ourselves? How can we be centered if we do not understand some underlying principles about psychology, such as how we interpret our environment, defense mechanisms we employ to protect ourselves from pain, and the mind-body-spirit connection? How can we navigate the many ups and downs of life without this knowledge? We cannot; we will be lost! That is why there is so much suffering in our world, because individually, as families, and as a society we are trying to navigate our lives without truly understanding and healing ourselves. Through understanding and healing, it helps to stop years of negative multi-generational patterns in families and helps to promote a deeper, happier more peaceful connection within and with others, which in turn, makes our world a better place.

Many aspects of life can be challenging, and we all struggle at times, but you don't have to struggle alone. Therapy can offer a safe space to work through emotional barriers, ultimately leading to a greater sense of meaning, growth, and fulfillment. I also think every person’s story and style is unique, which is why I prefer an integrative approach to therapy, utilizing and blending different clinical frameworks suited to each client. Whether you are new to therapy or have been before, your mental health is nothing to take for granted, and I encourage you to reach out for a free consultation to see if we might be a good fit. I work with adults of all ages, including working professionals, artists, and students, spanning a variety of different backgrounds. Common issues I've worked with include anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationships, life transitions, work stress, shame, addiction, or finding a greater sense of meaning and purpose. My philosophy is also based on a wellness model, which means I don’t focus too heavily on pathology or diagnoses. I value the mindset that we are all striving to reach our own potential in different ways, and all possess unique strengths as well as areas for growth. My hope is to create a safe and collaborative space together, where we can really work on the issues that matter most. Engaging in therapy is an act of courage and strength, and my aim is to work together to ultimately help you reach your goals.

If you're feeling stretched thin between your work, your relationship, or both, and you're exhausted from carrying it alone, you're not imagining how heavy it's become. Maybe you and your partner keep having the same fight without knowing why. Maybe you're successful everywhere except in the parts of your life that matter most. Either way, you're likely here because you're ready for something to actually change, not just to talk about it. I'm Jon Abelack, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Connecticut, and I work with couples and individuals dealing with relationship strain, career stress, and burnout. Before becoming a therapist, I spent over 20 years in high-stakes careers, so I understand firsthand what it's like to perform under pressure while your personal life quietly falls apart in the background. I bring that same direct, no-nonsense approach into the room. My work draws on Gestalt therapy and Relational Life Therapy, which means we don't just talk about your problems in the abstract. We pay close attention to what's actually happening between us right now, because that usually tells us more than any story about the past. I'll help you communicate more honestly, break the patterns that keep tripping you up, and set the boundaries you've been avoiding, whether that's with a partner, at work, or with yourself. This isn't therapy that drifts for years without direction. It's active, it's honest, and it's built to get you real, lasting movement toward a relationship, or a life, that actually works. If you're ready to feel grounded again, more connected, and back in control, I'd welcome the chance to talk about how we might work together.

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.