Stella Gilgur-Cook

One of the most important values to me as a professional is embracing my social work roots within the context of the therapy I offer.

I earned a BA in Psychology at Ithaca College (with a minor in Theater), spent some time working in child welfare and addiction services, before attending NYU for my Master's Degree in Social Work. I spent the early years of my career working with children and families in Early Intervention Services, treating teens in outpatient addiction recovery services, and providing school social work services. Within the past 10 years, I served as the Program Director of 2 non-profit agencies serving foster youth, adoptees, and their families. My work returned to its clinical roots where I spent 3 years providing therapy to a high-risk mentally ill population.

All of these diverse experiences have informed me to be the therapist I am today, while holding tight to the values of social work: collaboration, affirmation of experiences lived, recognition of one's life ecosystem, and how those systems impact health, emotions, and behaviors, with a strong belief that improving the mind/body connection is a key goal in any mental health treatment.

My areas of expertise are anxiety, depression, ADHD treatment, parenting, adoption issues and coping with strained familial relationships (ie estrangement, emotionally immature parents of adult children, and adult children in families with a history of mental illness and/or addiction). I utilize an eclectic mix of modalities that I have been trained in, including motivational interviewing, CBT/DBT, mindfulness and meditation. I currently treat an adult population, 18+.

My overall approach to therapy is to create a warm, compassionate, judgment-free space. I have a conversational tone, I embrace the use of humor, culture and even social media where appropriate, all with the goal of creating an environment where sharing openly about any topic is a comfortable and meaningful experience that will move you closer to the changes you are seeking in your life .

A typical session with me would include a quick check-in or follow up on any previous goals or discussions, followed by establishing what you are bringing into the space that day. Depending on what we're exploring, we may do breathing or relaxation exercises together, we may script out a conversation you are struggling to have, or we may go through various CBT or DBT skills and visualizations to address your symptoms. Toward the end of the session, we will review your take-aways and sometimes establish a goal, new habit or routine to nurture your growth.