Somatic and IFS Therapist in Brooklyn
MEET EMILY
I work with people who learned that being capable, easy, and nice was the safest way to belong. You’re skilled at staying composed, even as your body carries the tension and fatigue of doing too much for too long.
In therapy, we’ll explore what it feels like to move through the world with less pressure, less self-monitoring, and more internal sturdiness, all in a way that supports the deeper shifts you’ve been trying to think your way into for years.
This work isn’t about becoming a different person. It’s about learning how to be yourself without hustling for worth—how to live from a steadier, kinder place inside your own body.
To learn more about my approach, keep reading. If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, you can learn more about anxiety therapy or therapy for life transitions here. Or, if you’d rather skip ahead, just reach out—we can connect human to human and I can answer any questions.
My Approach
Many of my clients in New York already have lots of smart insight into themselves and why they are the way they are—but something meaningful still hasn’t shifted yet. Talking through things can be helpful, but we will also work in ways that go beyond conversation.
I often work somatically and experientially, because I believe the body can be a rich source of information that’s not otherwise consciously available to us. This means that when it feels right for you, we’ll slow down enough to listen to your body and learn from it. To hear from parts of you that developed for good reason, usually during a more fear-based time in your life, but that may no longer be serving you and instead are keeping you stuck in old patterns.
I take an active approach in therapy. I don’t just sit back and listen; I provide leadership while also making sure the therapy room gets to be your space. My clients and I build trust and create a relationship that is intentional, curious, and supportive, and which also creates the conditions for deep and challenging work.
My approach draws from psychodynamic, somatic, and relational therapies with a focus on Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS).
Before becoming a therapist, I worked as an editor in publishing, and I still edit today. I’ve always valued language and narrative, and I understand the power of the stories we tell about ourselves and the stories other people—both in our lives and in the larger sociopolitical context—tell about us. In therapy, I help clients find and tell their stories in ways that work for them, including integrating the painful parts into their larger narrative.
Since becoming a therapist, I’ve worked with folks of all ages, identities, and backgrounds. Before moving into the private practice world, I worked at Barnard College’s counseling center, supporting students navigating acute stress and complex trauma, anxiety, depression, and struggles related to race, ethnicity, class, and LGBTQIA+ identities. While there, I also provided substance use counseling and education using a harm-reduction approach. I’ve also worked with kids living in temporary housing, developing a dynamic approach using play therapy, art, storytelling, and other tools that still influence the way I work with clients of all ages today.
My Background
I’ve lived in New York City for thirteen years and call Brooklyn home, but I have my roots in New England and will love it forever. Brooklyn has my heart and Maine has my soul? Something like that. I love city and nature equally—especially lakes and mountains.
I love reading fiction, baking (though nothing beats a perfect chocolate chip cookie), being outside, and spending time with people I love. I am often found chasing my toddler around and having strong opinions about children’s books.
As a human and a therapist, I try to live and work through an intersectional and anti-oppressive lens. As a white woman, I understand this to include my own lifelong work, and bringing my own social locations into the relationship where appropriate, while aiming to understand someone’s experience within the broader context of systems of power and oppression.
More personally
My Training & Credentials
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of New York.
I earned my MSW from Columbia University and my BA in English Literature from Colby College.
I have completed advanced trainings in Internal Family Systems (Level One) through the IFS Institute and Hakomi Mindful Somatic Therapy (Level One) through the Hakomi Institute. I am currently a candidate for certification in IFS therapy.