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BOOKS & WEB LINKS ON: Attention Defitcit Resources Divorce and Separation Resources RETURN TO LINKS ON PAGES THEORETICAL ORIENTATION Cognitive Behavioral Therapy "CBT" Family Systems / Family Therapy FAMILY THERAPY |
Clinical Thinking: I believe that one of the fundamental factors that affect our sense of wellbeing is the quality of our relationships with others: our partners, families, peers. When practicing therapy with individuals and families, children and adults, my work is informed by ongoing efforts to examine and improve these relationships, in order to enhance my clients’ quality of life. I find that the therapeutic experience for each person is different--informed by age, temperament, history, and the issues at hand. Some clients respond best to an introspective, reflective approach, while others work best with directive, active methods. When I meet a new client, I get to know his or her needs, goals, and personal style. These determine how to approach therapy with that individual or family. Methods: I am trained in a variety of clinical models, including CBT (Cognitive behavior Therapy), psychodynamic therapy, play therapy, and trauma treatment for individual clients. Family therapy models include Structural and Strategic Family Therapy, Bowen Family Systems, as well as Solution Focused Therapy and Narrative Therapy. I work with clients and families to find best clinical fit among these clinical models. Children, whose emotional coping skills and problem-solving mechanisms are not fully formed, are particularly vulnerable to life’s stressors. Children who encounter a situation that overwhelms their coping skills may react with behavior problems or defiance, academic difficulties, loss of interest in daily activities, or demonstrate low self-esteem. With younger children, I often use play therapy, which encourages the child to create fantasy narratives and scenarios with an assortment of toys or art materials. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) with children involves techniques designed to correct a child’s unhelpful thoughts, augmented by behavioral interventions, such as social skills and coping skills coaching, impulse control, and organizational skills. When working with teenagers, I find myself navigating in uneasy waters, between the teenager’s need for independence and differentiation from the parents, and the parents’ concerns about safety. In treatment, I engage the client in dynamic psychotherapy to help him or her sort through emotional processes and reduce emotional pain, and use CBT when behavior modification or additional structure is needed. Family therapy is often a part of treatment, since many of the issues are frequently related to the child/parent conflict. In family sessions, I support the parents in establishing a predictable, clear, yet flexible home structure and improve communication skills. People come to psychotherapy for diverse reasons. Some seek help to address a mental health disorder, such as depression or anxity, which becomes an obstacle to a successful life. Others find themselves battered by life circumstances: illness, loss, relationship problems, or stress at home or at work. Yet others feel that they are out of synch with their life: middle age uncomfortably sets in, or the nest achingly empty. Or else, one can feel "stuck" in one’s life instead of moving forward. The issues and goals the client brings to treatment determine which clinical method we will embark on. Regardless of the clinical modality, I usually use the therapeutic relationship as a laboratory, examining the client’s other relationships and social interactions through it. The "client" in family therapy is the emotional process of the family. Addressing individual issues of each family member is secondary to the complex behaviors, communication patterns, and emotional bonds among the family members. The family is viewed as a dynamic system, based on the assumption that when one person makes a change, the whole system changes. Therefore, any positive change in one person’s behavior is followed by the whole system adjusting itself to that change. In couples therapy, I help the couple identify and understand the dynamics of their conflicts, their triggers, the process of escalation, and obstacles to flowing communication. I also work with the partners on understanding underlying emotional reasons for relationship conflicts. Such issues may be different emotional needs, different styles of expressing feelings, as well as individual issues emerging from each partner’s life experience. Background: I received my Masters degree in Clinical Social Work from New York University in 1996. Since receiving the MSW degree, I have participated in advanced training in numerous treatment models, including child therapy, several models of family therapy, work with challenging adolescents, child and adult PTSD and trauma, and a variety of adult mental health areas. As a clinical supervisor, I have nurtured the professional growth of clinicians and graduate students at a Duke Medical Center training clinic. I have lectured about family therapy, childhood trauma, and parenting in a variety of academic and public forums. Languages: In addition to English, I am a native speaker of Hebrew, and I speak conversational Italian. Insurance: I am a provider for several insurance plans, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, MHN, and Medicaid. If I cannot accept your insurance plan, or if you don’t have mental health coverage, I will be happy to talk to you about a financial arrangement. .
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Edna Goldstaub, LCSW I am a licensed clinician with over ten years experience working with children, adolescents, and families, as well as adults. I have provided therapy to clients struggling with a wide range of stressors and mental health disorders. My work is based on the belief that at the center of every therapeutic process is the relationship between client and therapist. At its best, this partnership is solid enough to form an emotional holding environment for the client, yet flexible enough to absorb progress and changes that occur during its course.