I help high-achieving New Yorkers with substance use issues let go of shame and better understand their relationships with substances through compassionate, no-BS online therapy that starts where they are.
You’ve been coping. Maybe barely. Maybe you use substances to get through the day. Maybe your coping strategies look a little… unorthodox. Maybe you’ve been told (subtly or loudly) that you can’t get support until you’ve stopped “messing up.”
You may have heard:
Let’s translate that: “We only help people once they look fixed.”
I don’t do that. You don’t have to be abstinent. You don’t even have to know what change would look like. You just have to be willing to tell the truth about where you are, even if it’s messy, confusing, or not all that flattering.
Real therapy doesn’t require perfection. You don’t have to overhaul your entire life to feel different. Small shifts can make things steadier, clearer, more livable.
You’re entitled to relief that fits your real life.
Imagine:
How do you know if therapy with me is the right fit? Maybe:
Sound familiar? Then we may be a great fit.
You are ready for care that sees the whole picture. I’d be honored to hear your story. The whole thing.
We start with where you are, not where someone else thinks you should be. Abstinence is one possible goal, but not the only one. If it’s what you want? Great! If not? That’s okay too.
With me, you define what progress looks like, at your pace, with your values.
I don’t confuse struggle with failure, or ambivalence with shame. (And no, I won’t take your vape away like a mean camp counselor.)
I’m here to help you:
Here’s what therapy with me is not:
No ultimatums. No shame. Just truth.
You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t even have to want to change. You just have to talk, as honestly as you are able, about what’s real.
If your substance use might be causing serious medical risk, we may need to explore a different level of care.
We’ll talk it through together during our consult and make sure you get what ‘s right for you.
I’ve seen a lot in 25 years of practice. I’ve sat with people in ambivalence, in relapse, and in recovery. I’m trained in harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and Internal Family Systems.
So I don’t flinch when people tell the truth about their lives. I’ve seen the guilt, the relapses, the parts that still want to use even when things are going okay, and the parts that “want to want to” quit.
I’ve seen what shame does. I’ve also seen what works.
I’ve worked in abstinence-only programs that framed setbacks as moral failures. I saw people walk away not because they didn’t care, but because they weren’t allowed to be human. Starting where people are, on their own timeline, with their real lives? That actually helps.
You can say it here. So no, your story won’t scare me (unless there are rodents, especially rats, because EEK!). Other than that, I’m all ears.
