Emma Nelson, PhD
Message from Emma
As a therapist and as a human, I feel the pain and possibility of these times. Existential and collective stressors (e.g. the climate crisis, white supremacy, political instability, late-stage capitalism) are increasingly central to therapy for many people. At the same time, we’re still coping with personal traumas, challenging relationships, and caring for others. All of this (and more!) is welcome in therapy. I am working towards a unique specialization in climate-inclusive therapy. This means we can explore feeling scared, angry, grief-stricken, and numb about our climate emergency. As we honor our pain, other experiences emerge naturally: gratitude, new & remembered wisdom, and meaningful action. I also understand how the crises of our time are embedded in one another. Our work together can explore your experiences of privilege & marginalization, connection & disconnection from your culture(s), and the trauma & resilience of your ancestors. I believe they have so much to teach us! As a white-bodied person with European ancestry, I invite compassionate attention to cultural alienation, moral injury, and discomfort talking about race in my work with other white-bodied people. Therapy can be a safe place to open up these and other difficult topics, creating healing not only for yourself but also for our global community. My therapeutic approach is relational and process-based. This means I’m trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches and apply them flexibly based on what you need, with a particular emphasis on what you need from our relationship. I can help you to understand diagnostic language if/when it’s helpful for you, but will always view you as a whole human, not defined by your symptoms. I’m also flexible with the language we use in therapy; Western scientific, spiritual/religious, and cultural ways of understanding ourselves are all welcome and respected. If the above resonates with you, we may be a good fit for therapy together. I typically work well with people who feel curious about themselves and our world. I also enjoy working with those who feel ambiguous about therapy or feel therapy isn’t “for me.” Deep feelers, practical problem-solvers, and folks working through difficult families are also very welcome.
About Emma's practice
Weekdays 9am - 5pm
Weekdays After 5pm
$$$
Sliding scale
Directive
Reflective
Body-based
In-person available: No
Virtual available: Yes
Trauma
Existential Crisis or Transition
Family Dynamics
Social Justice
Spiritual Crisis or Transition
Out of network providers
NY + 3 more
Why state matters
Get to Know Emma
How much do you share about yourself during our time together and why?
It depends! I pay close attention to whether self-disclosure is helpful to you. On one hand, I believe self-disclosure is an important therapeutic tool, especially in these times. As the outside world (politics, climate, racism, patriarchy) comes into therapy more and more strongly, I don't think it's useful to leave my authentic self at the door. I particularly welcome questions about my own experience with race, gender, chronic illness, ancestry, religion, and climate emotions. I have found this helps build trust and connection, particularly when we're including the crises of our time in our work together. At the same time, I do think there are times in therapy where it can be helpful to allow some distance between us. Depending on who you are and what you need from therapy, knowing less about me can help YOU take up the space you need to feel truly safe in our relationship. You can trust me to adjust accordingly :).
How will our relationship be different than relationships I have with friends/loved ones?
Unlike other close relationships, our relationship is in the service of your healing. I believe a therapy relationship gives you a unique opportunity to form a powerful, intimate connection with another human while staying focused on your own growth. This is pretty incredible. As we cultivate trust and safety in our relationship, patterns that trouble you in other relationships might show up in ours. Because we've built a safe enough space, you can re-experience, process, and heal from these patterns in an effective and powerful way. I deeply respect this process - I believe healing within a therapy relationship is one of the most awe-inspiring parts of good therapy.
How participatory are you during sessions?
I am a process-based therapist, which means I pay close attention to what works for YOU. Essentially we co-create a therapy, together, that is unique to the two of us. My participation looks different depending on what we're working on. For example, we might notice that you often feel dependent on others' perspectives, so I might step back to let you hear your own voice. Alternatively, you might want support learning how to manage distressing thoughts, so I'll lean in to teach, help, and give feedback. Either way, you can trust me to center what you are in therapy to work on.