About
Hi, I’m Stephanie! I live and work in Greenpoint, and I love this neighborhood and its residents. Being a therapist in Greenpoint means holding a warm, grounding space for exceptionally creative, driven neighbors who are learning to quiet the fast-paced noise of Brooklyn and safely drop the pressure to perform.
Before becoming a therapist, I was a Pilates instructor for almost 20 years. As someone with expertise in drawing others’ attention to details in their movement patterns and tendencies to improve them, I will also do the same with you in therapy. My ears perk up when listening to how you speak about your body and your relationships in therapy as a way for us to understand how you relate to your whole self.
I hold a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology (body) and a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling (mind). I also completed a post-graduate certification in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the Training Institute of Mental Health as well as a certification in Pet Grief Counseling. I am also EFT-trained in Couples Therapy.
How I Work
My approach to therapy is warm, humorous, and creative. As a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, we look into the earliest of your experiences and how they shaped you. Then, we look at how those experiences play out in your relationships as conflict, anger, and anxiety. And of course, we use these insights to make better choices aligned with your true self, now and for the future.
What I Treat
I find that I do my best therapeutic work with perfectionists and overachievers, those who have a complicated relationship with food and binge eating, and those trying to set better boundaries with their families to finally feel like an adult. I am also very passionate about working with therapists who struggle with feelings of “not-enoughness” and feel like they need to be perfect, even when they're the ones in the chair.
How to Decide if I am the Right Therapist for You
If you are a perfectionist, an overthinker, or a fellow therapist, you are likely used to being the "strong one" who has it all figured out. For therapists especially, finding a space where you don’t have to hold a clinical frame or worry about being evaluated is incredibly rare. If you constantly feel like you are performing, managing impossible expectations, or running on empty, we will fit well together.
Perfectionism doesn't happen in a vacuum; it is often a survival strategy born from early family patterns. If you find yourself trapped in people-pleasing cycles, carrying the emotional weight of your family of origin, or struggling to maintain healthy boundaries without a crushing wave of guilt, we may be a good fit. We will gently look beneath the surface to explore where these rigid rules came from, helping you dismantle the belief that your worth is tied to how much you can endure or fix for others.
Our work will be an active, warm, and collaborative relational partnership. If you are looking for a therapist who assigns homework and worksheets or directs the sessions like a coach, I might not be the best match. But if you want a secure, insightful space where you are met with deep clinical expertise, I invite you to take the next step and book a free consultation with me. You don't have to have your thoughts perfectly organized to start; you just have to be ready to slow down.
Email Stephanie here: stephanie@westtherapygroup.com
