Shifra Mendelson

When life starts feeling overwhelming, it can be hard to tell whether you need to push through or finally give yourself space to slow down and be supported. Anxiety or depression may leave you feeling emotionally exhausted, family or relationship challenges can make you feel disconnected from the people you care about, and painful experiences from the past may continue showing up in ways you did not expect. I work with adults experiencing substance use or addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and family issues. These concerns can also overlap with OCD, stress management, anger, grief or loss, LGBTQIA+ experiences, bipolar disorder, PTSD, trauma, or chronic health concerns. Therapy can be a place where all of those pieces are allowed to exist together rather than treating you like a collection of symptoms. Together, we can understand what has been weighing on you, reconnect with your strengths, and begin creating changes that help you feel more stable, connected, and confident in yourself.

Our work will make room for both what you are experiencing today and the relationships, emotions, experiences, and patterns that have shaped you along the way. We’ll explore how substance use or addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and family issues may be affecting your emotional wellbeing, relationships, and ability to feel like yourself. I may use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you recognize patterns in thoughts and behaviors that contribute to distress and develop healthier ways of responding, Dialectical Behavior Therapy to build practical skills for managing intense emotions, tolerating difficult moments, and communicating more effectively, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help you navigate difficult thoughts and feelings while staying connected to your values. Motivational Interviewing can give you space to explore change without pressure, while Positive Psychology can help us identify strengths, sources of meaning, and parts of your life that can support your growth. I may also draw from Family Systems approaches to better understand how relationships and family patterns influence what you are experiencing. Our sessions will be collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in your individual needs rather than expecting you to fit into a predetermined version of therapy.

You do not need to know exactly what needs to change before we begin. During our first few sessions, we will take time to understand what has brought you to therapy, what has been most difficult lately, and what you hope will feel different. Together, we will identify goals that feel meaningful and realistic and decide where it makes the most sense to start. You can expect me to meet you with warmth, empathy, and respect while creating a space where you can talk honestly about difficult emotions, relationships, behaviors, or experiences without feeling judged. Progress may look like feeling less overwhelmed by anxiety, reconnecting with yourself when depression feels heavy, developing healthier ways of coping, improving your relationship with food or substances, or feeling more confident navigating family and relationship challenges. We will continue checking in on your goals and shape our work around what helps you feel more grounded, capable, and connected to yourself.