About me
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Masters in Social Work at Silberman School of Social Work at CUNY Hunter College
Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families, & Groups
Concentration in Gender + Sexuality
Bachelors of Arts from CUNY Queens College in Psychology and Sociology, Minor in Peer Counseling and Student Services
Psychology Valedictorian
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EMDR Basic Training, via the EMDR Institute
EMDR for Groups + Recent Traumatic Events
Gottman Method for Couples Therapy, Level I
NYS DOH Certified Rape Crisis Counselor
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Vice: "How to Handle It When a Loved One Relapses After Getting Sober”
Bedbible: “Sexual Incompatibility – 40 Sex Experts Share their Advice”
A Good Place Therapy: “How to Support the LGBTQIA+ Community after Pride Month”
A Good Place Therapy: “Tips for Initiating a Nonaggressive Confrontation”
Bumble: “Tips for a Great First Date”
Hi! I'm Erica (she/her/any). Welcome to my therapy practice.
I am a queer, native New Yorker who has been working in the social services for the last 10 years. Before becoming a Clinical Social Worker, I filled various positions in the fields of education, anti-violence, community health, and research. I’ve been working as a psychotherapist, primarily with the LGBTQIA+ community and trauma survivors, for over 5 years.
My Approach
I utilize a variety of therapeutic techniques (also known as modalities). Here are a few:
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EMDR is a specialized, manualized therapy that is used to address any stuck point in a person's life. This can include a traumatic memory, an unwanted pattern of behavior, or an unwanted feeling state, just to name a few. EMDR is mainly a trauma therapy, but it can be used for any presenting problem. Feel free to ask me more about this treatment method during our consultation call.
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Psychodynamic therapy is a type of talk therapy that focuses on understanding our early relationships and attachments, our protective defense mechanisms, and our subconscious dreams, desires, and motives. Many people think of Freud when they think of psychodynamic therapy, but I like to think of it as talking about the past to understand how it informs the present.
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I don’t view my clients as broken or in need of fixing. Instead, I believe our internal worlds are co-created by our relationships, material circumstances, and the social norms that govern our behavior. I understand the issues people bring into therapy as indicators of the areas where they need support. My practice is aimed at searching beyond stigmatizing labels to pinpoint the root causes of symptoms, halt the cycle of invalidation and punishment, and help clients cope with the present.
Part of an anti-oppressive practice is acknowledging how historical and present systems of oppression affect folks' access to resources and overall health. I value naming these aspects of people's experience, and exploring how they impact their relationship to therapy and healing.
I value your self-determination. As a therapist, I honor what healing looks like for YOU — not to me, your family, your community, or anyone else. You have your own inner wisdom and I want to support you in building confidence in yourself and overcoming the barriers that stand in your way. We will explore the person you want to be and I'll respect your intuition and autonomy along the way.
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I work relationally, which means that I am not the kind of therapist who says next to nothing during session. I use my own perspective as a tool in the therapy room. Clients usually describe this approach as down-to-earth, connective, and personable.
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Inspired both by Internal Family Systems (IFS) and the Reparenting Model, Inner Child Work involves connecting with our inner family members to understand the different parts of us that need care and attention. I find this therapy is beneficial for folks who struggle with being hard on themselves or people who feel they have deep childhood wounds that need healing.
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I work from a trauma-informed perspective, meaning that I consider how people's nervous systems have been impacted by difficult life events, even if a person may not consider that event "traumatic." I help people understand how oftentimes anxiety and depression are our body's response to unexpected life changes.
Part of a trauma-informed approach is taking my clients’ lead. This means I will get your consent before exploring particularly difficult areas, we will collaboratively create a treatment plan that centers your goals, and I will check in with you frequently during session to make sure that things are working for you (an important part of consent!).
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In CBT, we address the thought patterns and unhelpful behaviors that keep us stuck. DBT is a type of CBT therapy that helps clients develop coping skills to deal with everyday life. I also like to use CBT for treating OCD by use of exposures (feel free to ask more about OCD treatment during our consultation call).
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The Gottman Method is a research-backed approach for work with couples, polycules, and other kinds of relationships. It focuses on teaching folks communication and problem-solving skills for productive, nonaggressive dialogue and conflict resolution. Learn more here.
My approach to therapy is inspired by my belief that all people deserve to live free, safe, and pleasurable lives. I work collaboratively with my clients from a down-to-earth, nonjudgmental, compassionate, humble, and honest perspective as I help them to achieve whatever fulfillment looks like to them. Whether you want help navigating a current crisis or confronting an unwanted pattern of thinking or acting, or you’re just curious to dig deep into the past to discover what motivates you in the present, I am here to serve as a co-investigator. Together, we will work to identify your many innate strengths and create a plan for achieving your goals. My philosophy is that my work is to act in collaboration with you, empowering you as you empower yourself.
In addition to utilizing the modalities listed, I have an in-depth knowledge of twelve-step cultures to treat substance misuse and other addictions, and help clients overcome old patterns of people-pleasing and codependency to achieve more satisfying relationships. In the past I have provided crisis counseling for survivors of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, human trafficking, and child abuse, from which I earned a certificate as a Rape Crisis Counselor. I also welcome clients questioning their identities or exploring pleasure, those engaging in nonmonogamy, kink, BDSM, and/or working in the sex industry, adult child of dysfunctional families, and those seeking to heal attachment wounds.