Find a Therapist in West Nyack, NY

Many of the people I work with are thinkers, caretakers, or high achievers: the ones who analyze everything, show up for everyone else, or keep pushing toward the next goal. Somewhere along the way, that stopped being enough. My training is existential and influenced by Jungian thinking. In practice, that means I care about what your life means to you, the choices you’re facing, and the whole of who you are, including the parts that don’t make tidy sense. Hardship reaches everyone. In my experience, the people who spend their energy dodging it often end up living at a smaller scale than they were built for. I’d like to help you build the courage to see yourself honestly, so that fear stops making your decisions. Some pain can’t be solved. It can only be faced. I work with adults who are carrying a loss or a reality that won’t change: a death, a relationship that ended, a family that split apart, an illness that redrew the future, a child they hoped for, or a life that took a different shape than the one they worked toward. Together we build the steadiness to hold that pain without letting it run everything, so there’s room for sorrow and joy in the same life. Outside of sessions, you’ll find me baking sourdough, watching sci-fi and thrillers, and holding on to the punk energy of my years in a band. I laugh at myself easily, and I’d say it’s a healthy habit. I don’t aim to make you more ordinary or fit you into a template. I bring over ten years of clinical experience, steady attention, and a firm belief that whatever surfaces in our work, however strange or hard, has meaning and deserves to be taken seriously. I’m also a certified Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga facilitator (TCTSY-F). It’s a research-supported, body-based approach for people whose trauma lives more in the body than in words, and when it fits, I can bring gentle, choice-based movement into our sessions. Therapy with me suits you if you’re curious, can tolerate complexity, and want to understand yourself. If you’re looking for a quick repair. I may not be the right fit. If you’d like company while you work out who you are, I’d be glad to meet you. I see clients online across New Jersey and New York, and in person for walk-and-talk sessions in Long Valley, NJ. Visit Person to Person Psychotherapy and Counseling for more information about my practice: https:www.person2persontherapy.com

My therapeutic style is warm, friendly, supportive, compassionate and competent. Psychotherapy is tailored to the specific needs of the client as they evolve in a collaborative relationship. I'm board certified by the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work. My background and training in psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, teaching, and supervising psychotherapy is varied and extensive. I specialize in; general psychotherapy of personality problems, phobias and anxiety states, relationship loss trauma and stress, spinal, sports, dance, cardiac, neurological injury and surgical stress, adult and adolescent creative work blocks, self esteem, and academic problems, parent-adolescent communication problems, pet loss therapy, cognitive behavior therapy failures, supervision of psychotherapy from multi-model analytic approaches. Analytic institute faculty, training analyst, supervisor.

You are worth it! I am a licensed therapist who treats adolescents and adults. I specialize in depression, anxiety, OCD, personality disorders, and mood disorders. Over the years, I have helped hundreds of teens, adults, and families work to address the root causes of issues, resulting in healing and growth. My style is compassionate and person-centered. Some of my therapy modalities include CBT, DBT, exposure, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, meditation techniques, and addiction issues, to include relapse prevention. If you struggle with self-esteem, thinking patterns, negative beliefs about yourself, rumination, compulsions, sadness, reactivity, self-esteem, relationships, anxieties, and fears, or simply loss of control in your life, please reach out.

Most therapists will smile, nod, and ask, “How does that make you feel?”—but if that actually fixed the problem, you wouldn’t still be looking for someone who gets it. I believe people come to therapy because they’re tired of feeling alone with their struggles, not because they want a scripted response. My specialty is addiction recovery, but I’ve learned over the years that addiction rarely travels solo. It brings along old wounds, shame, anxiety, depression, relationship stress, and the feeling that you’re supposed to hold everything together on your own. My approach is steady, honest, and human, and I meet you where you are. I don’t offer cookie-cutter advice or quick fixes. Therapy with me is about uncovering the resilience you already have—even if you’ve stopped believing in it. Whatever you’re facing—addiction, relationship pain, or something you can’t yet name—I’ll meet you there with honesty, compassion, and zero judgment.

Change is the only constant in life, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is easy! Pain is an indicator that something isn't working and it is time for change. Like most things worthwhile, change requires hard work. Guiding you through the process of change is my lifework. Whatever your struggle, I'm here to work through it with you --you are not alone! The purpose of psychotherapy is to help you improve your life by making meaningful changes. A good therapist should, first and foremost, be able to help you reduce the immediate distress that has pushed you to look for treatment. Once that initial relief is accomplished, the way is then cleared to focus on the bigger-picture of your life: your beliefs and feelings about yourself and others, your interpersonal style, the usual ways in which you protect yourself from getting hurt, the influence of your childhood experiences, and many other factors, including highlighting and using your hard-won strengths, all with the aim of bringing about changes that lead to lasting improvements in quality of life.

I am a licensed professional counselor with a Master’s in Community Counseling from Southern Connecticut State University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. I have experience addressing anxiety, stress, depression, trauma, parenting issues, and substance use in adults and adolescents. I have worked with individuals from many diverse populations, including those from different economic and cultural backgrounds, as well as the BIPOC community. My approach is to provide a safe and trusting environment where individuals feel supported and heard. I work towards understanding my clients' reality to help them grow and achieve attainable goals. I draw upon various aspects of solution-focused, family systems, and cognitive-behavioral therapies in support of my clients.

As a man, feeling like you should be further ahead in life is one of the worst possible feelings. Whether you hate going into the office every day or you're totally unfulfilled in your marriage, feeling like a failure in one area bleeds over into every other part of your life. Escaping into sports, or TV, or just drinking with your friends no longer works. And the clock keeps ticking away the weeks, days, hours of your life. The good news is: you're not alone. I help men overcome and transform the stuff that isn't working. Whether it's a career issue, a relationship issue, or something personal you've never shared with anyone before, we can work on it in therapy and help you improve your life. The men I work with cultivate more confidence, clarity, and power. I know what it is like to struggle as a man. I offer a welcoming, non-judgmental space where it is safe to bring your whole self. You will have an experience of being seen, heard, and listened to. Together, we'll figure things out. Call now for a free 20-minute discussion about how I can help you.

I take a holistic approach to therapy. It's important to recognize that anxiety (or depression or stress) is a part of you and not all of you. You are a person who has a particular symptom or difficulty, you are not the anxiety, depression or stress! So when you're looking for help you want to work with a holistic counselor who sees and treats the whole you-- body, mind and spirit. I promote transformation and healing by blending depth therapy, body-focused emotional release, spiritual-growth counseling, expressive art techniques, and breathing meditation. I support older teens, and adults of all ages in creating healthy responses to current situations. I want to help you take the next steps into living your own life more fully.

I am a holistic therapist specializing in adult and senior mental health support, offering in-person and online sessions. Do you feel overwhelmed, unable to motivate yourself, isolated, depressed, or anxious, and wonder if cognitive behavioral therapy could help with anxiety treatment? Are you in an unhealthy relationship and interested in relationship counseling? Are you struggling with low self-esteem, dealing with loss, and could benefit from grief therapy, but are unsure where to turn? I incorporate a holistic approach into my practice. We start where you are in your journey. I work with adults and seniors. I accept Medicare. You no longer have to face your struggles alone. I provide a strength-based, trauma-informed approach in treatment. I look forward to hearing from you so we can begin your healing together. My therapeutic approach is eclectic. I utilize strategies from anxiety treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other evidence-based approaches to create a personalized treatment plan. You’ll come to learn that I provide a safe, warm, non-judgmental space. I will listen. Together, we will determine the best approach to meet your goals and desired outcomes from treatment. This is your journey. I collaborate with you to achieve your goals and desired outcomes. You have taken the first step by reaching out. The next step is equally important. It’s who you decide to work with to achieve your goals. I look forward to speaking with you. I will answer any questions you may have.

Maybe you're a new parent wondering why this doesn't feel the way you expected. Maybe anxiety has been running the show for so long you've forgotten what calm feels like. Or maybe you're in the middle of a life transition — a move, a career shift, a relationship change — and you just need someone in your corner. I'm Shelby, and I get it. I specialize in working with women, couples, and individuals who are navigating the messy, overwhelming parts of life — especially the transition to parenthood, relationship struggles, and those seasons when everything feels uncertain. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in your strengths. I'm not here to fix you — you're not broken. I'm here to help you reconnect with yourself, build skills that actually work, and find your footing again. We'll use mindfulness, practical tools, and honest conversation to help you move from surviving to thriving. I offer telehealth sessions across DC, MD, VA, NY, and FL. If you're ready to feel like yourself again, I'd love to hear from you.