Rivkah Kaufman,LMHC, EMDR-CT, C-DBT, CCTP

Rivkah Kaufman,LMHC, EMDR-CT, C-DBT, CCTP

Featured
Telehealth Available
Professions: Psychotherapist
License Status: I'm a licensed professional.
Primary Credential: LMHC
Billing and Insurance:
I am an in-network provider for:
  • Aetna
  • Oxford (UnitedHealthcare)
  • United Behavioral Health
  • United Health Care
Fees: My fee is $200 for self-pay or out-of-pocket clients. I can provide documentation for out-of-network coverage
Free Initial Consultation
Weekend Availability

Offices

I offer in-person therapy in NY on Sundays at 115 Henry Street, Suite 1F, Brooklyn, NY 11201. I offer Telehealth to NY and NJ clients from Monday-Thursday. Please inquire about availability.
Brooklyn, New York 11201

My Approach to Helping

Welcome! I work with clients who struggle with the psychological, emotional, and physical consequences of past and or ongoing trauma, as they try to avoid repeating personal and professional mistakes that only worsen their experiences. If these challenges sound familiar, I can help you process your trauma in a supportive, validating environment, that is empowering and ultimately freeing.

More Info About My Practice

From my earliest years as a psychotherapist, I have gravitated towards clients experiencing trauma, and in many ways, the reverse is true as well. This has led me to read more about, and take continuing education courses in, trauma specialities such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Polyvagal Theory. My goal is to learn more about the interconnectedness of trauma, the body, the mind, the context in which this interconnectedness occurs, and how the trauma manifests in different people. I want to learn as many ways as possible to help clients process and manage their trauma, so they can lead optimally healthy lives.

My View on the Purpose of Psychotherapy

I believe the purpose of psychotherapy is to help my clients cope with everyday challenges and see how they relate to long-standing behavior patterns, and I combine trauma-focused, mindfulness, and insight-based psychotherapies to achieve this. I am compassionate, direct, and invite my clients to collaborate with me in working on their therapy goals. In addition to my trauma specialty, I treat clients with mental health symptoms, including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, personality disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder, and bipolar disorder, as these conditions manifest in personal (family and relationships), professional (work and layoffs), and academic sectors of life.

My Guiding Ethical Principles

My guiding ethical principles center around finding commonality in our shared histories and struggles, and using this knowledge to inform client treatment and care. Let me explain: I was raised in a religious community, with strict rules about all aspects of daily life. Today, as a clinician, I see myself straddling several subgroups more or less religious, within this community , and have worked with clients in all of them. My experiences have allowed me to understand the values, frustrations, and traumas, inherent in many of their lives. Simultaneously, I have seen my community?s experiences reflected in communities other than my own. This knowledge has informed my work with people of diverse cultures and lifestyles, feeding my curiosity at ways my community?s experiences are echoed in communities of different faiths and and beliefs. The themes of traditionalism vs. modernity, control vs. freedom, for example, played out at home, at work, and in relationships, resonates across people of all cultures, my own included.

Had a Negative Therapy Experience?

While therapy should always feel supportive and validating, your experience may have been anything but. Perhaps your therapist forgot the details of your case or tried to force an interpretation you disagreed with. Whatever the case, a bad experience does not invalidate psychotherapy altogether. Instead, it suggests that, so far, you haven't found the right therapist. While it may seem tempting to give up, I urge you to keep trying! The issues you deal with are still there, and the right therapist can help you work through them. But this time around, discuss your previous experiences with your therapist, pointing out what worked and what didn?t, and try to be specific about your current needs and goals. Finally, stay alert to signs the process doesn't feel right and be mindful of some resistance at work within you that may be making you less receptive to the process of therapy.

Important Factors for Choosing a Therapist

No matter what kind of therapy you go to, or type of therapist you see, the one thing every theory and therapist will agree on is the importance of the client-therapist alliance. As a therapist, my first task is to connect with you, irrespective of differences in our backgrounds or circumstances. Once that connection, or alliance is there, it will allow you to feel greater trust in the therapeutic process and the work we do together. And connection + trust = deeper work and greater growth.

Why Going to Therapy Does Not Mean You are Weak or Flawed

Very often, people will have misconceptions like these about therapy: "seeing a therapist means you're weak or crazy!" or "therapy is for people who can't work out their problems themselves," or "I must have hit a real low if I need a therapist!"

The truth is, though, that seeing a therapist is a sign of strength, rather than weakness. Admitting you have a problem you can't handle by yourself, accepting you need the tools to manage your confusion, loneliness, or doubts, and realizing that you need more help than your significant other or family can give you, these are qualities that demonstrate your strength of character, unselfishness, and desire to grow. So if you're ready to see a therapist to get help with your issues, kudos to you for really showing courage and strength!

Video Message


Please note: The video above was submitted by Rivkah Kaufman, and any views or opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. We do our best to ensure videos align with our vision; however, if you find there is inappropriate content, please email us or call 888-563-2112 ext. 2.

Ages I Work With

  • Teens
  • Adults

Languages

  • English

Groups I Work With

    I work with adults and teens of any diversity struggling with trauma and its many presentations, which include, but are not limited to, depression, anxiety, panic, body memories, obsessions, compulsions, and self-harm. In addition to English, I speak Yiddish fluently.

Client Concerns I Treat

  • Abandonment
  • Adjusting to Change / Life Transitions
  • Anxiety
  • Attachment Issues
  • Bipolar
  • Body Image
  • Breakup
  • Career Choice
  • Chronic Pain
  • Codependency / Dependency
  • Communication Problems
  • Depression
  • Dissociation
  • Domestic Violence
  • Eating and Food Issues
  • Emotional Abuse
  • Emotional Overwhelm
  • Emptiness
  • Family of Origin Issues
  • Family Problems
  • Fear
  • Grief, Loss, and Bereavement
  • Health / Illness / Medical Issues
  • Helplessness / Victimhood
  • Identity Issues
  • Inadequacy
  • Irritability
  • Isolation
  • Jealousy
  • Life Purpose / Meaning / Inner-Guidance
  • Midlife Crisis / Midlife Transition
  • Mood Swings / Mood Disturbance
  • Multicultural Concerns
  • Obsessions and Compulsions (OCD)
  • Panic
  • Parenting
  • Perfectionism
  • Physical Abuse
  • Posttraumatic Stress / Trauma
  • Psychosis
  • Rejection
  • Relationships and Marriage
  • Religious Issues
  • Self-Actualization
  • Self-Care
  • Self-Confidence
  • Self-Criticism
  • Self-Doubt
  • Self-Esteem
  • Self-Harm
  • Self-Love
  • Sensitivity to Criticism
  • Sexual Assault / Abuse
  • Shame
  • Social Anxiety / Phobia
  • Spirituality
  • Stress
  • Suicidal Ideation and Behavior
  • Suspiciousness / Paranoia
  • Trust Issues
  • Women's Issues
  • Workplace Issues
  • Worry
  • Worthlessness
  • Young Adult Issues
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Types of Therapy


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