My Approach
Most people who come here have already been told — or told themselves — to "just stop." This work starts somewhere else: understanding what's driving the behavior.
One of the things I've come to recognize through my clinical work is that the behaviors and emotional struggles we see on the surface often have deeper underlying causes. Rather than focusing only on stopping a behavior or managing a symptom, I work with clients to understand what's driving these struggles in the first place. My approach combines understanding these underlying issues with developing practical tools to manage difficult emotions, respond differently to urges and make meaningful changes that last.
WHAT WORKING TOGETHER ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE
1. Understanding your pattern
We map out how the behavior actually works in your life: when it happens, what comes before it, what it does for you in the moment, and what it costs afterward. Most people have never laid it out this clearly — and seeing the pattern is what makes it changeable.
2. Skills for the hard moments
Urges are strongest at predictable times and in predictable states. You'll build a practical toolkit for those moments — drawn from CBT, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness — tailored to your life, not copied from a worksheet.
3. Working on what's underneath
As trust builds, we address the deeper material: unresolved experiences, shame, unmet needs, difficulties with emotion. This trauma-informed work is paced carefully — we go at a speed you can handle.
4. Change that holds
The goal isn't a streak you're terrified of breaking. It's a life where the behavior has less and less pull — because the needs it was meeting are being met in healthier ways, and you understand yourself well enough to catch the pattern early.
What I will — and won't — do
I will treat you with dignity, whatever you walk in with. I will be honest with you, including when progress is slow. I will respect your values, your family, and your religious life. I won't shame you, lecture you, or use scare tactics. I won't paste a label on you that you didn't choose. I won't promise a cure or guarantee results — no honest therapist can.
About working alongside your Rav
Many clients are also speaking with a Rav, a mashgiach, or another trusted figure — and that support matters. With your consent, I'm glad to collaborate, so the guidance you're getting works together rather than at cross-purposes. Therapy and your religious life don't have to compete. Handled well, each strengthens the other.