Dana Brownstein, LP
Message from Dana
I work with high-functioning accomplished adults and college students who suffer from anxiety, depression, and trauma-related discomfort. Although my clients have generally achieved success and stability through their careers and academic accomplishments, they have become alienated from their need for connectedness and authentic relationships. This alienation commonly expresses itself as free-floating anxiety, and/or troubling interpersonal relationships (such as unsatisfying romantic relationships, toxic friendships, or workplace conflict). The roots of these experiences are often found in maladaptive coping mechanisms that worked for my clients earlier in life but limit them in the present. I help my clients reflect on their interpersonal relationships, focusing on how clients unconsciously cultivate relationships into re-enactments of painful earlier experiences. I also guide clients through the exploration of their relationships with themselves, identifying negative self-talk and self-sabotaging behaviors that hold them back from achieving their goals and experiencing profound satisfaction. Further, I use my human resources experience to coach patients through workplace conflicts/conflict resolution, communication roadblocks, and time management challenges. Bringing these various elements together, I guide my patients to live a life that is more satisfying and meaningful. I also help clients who have suffered through trauma (including intergenerational trauma) process painful material using EMDR.
About Dana's practice
Weekdays 9am - 5pm
$$$
Sliding scale
Reflective
Body-based
In-person available: Yes
Virtual available: Yes
Anxiety
Depression
Life Transitions
Dating
Divorce
Perfectionism
Self-Esteem
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Out of network providers
NY + 1 more
Why state matters
Get to Know Dana
How should I prepare for my first session with you?
Our first session is an intake interview, which unlike our regular sessions, is fairly structured. I will ask you a series of questions about your current life as well as your past. These questions are easy for you to answer, and help me get a high-level understanding of your current struggles as well as some of the key events and circumstances that have shaped who you are today.
If I have never been to therapy before, what should I expect? How do I know if I should go, and how do I start?
My practice is psychodynamic, but I am not a silent observer. Sessions with me are generally weekly, at the same time and day each week, and last for 45 minutes. Our sessions are a safe, supportive holding space for you to explore your past experiences, current difficulties, and the defense mechanisms you use to cope with challenges. If you are having a hard time adapting to a recent life change, or if you find that you seem to be stuck in certain behavior or life patterns that make you unhappy, therapy might be very helpful.
From your perspective, what is therapy?
Therapy is a form of self-care. It is an opportunity for you to focus on what's holding you back from truly enjoying yourself and creating a life that is meaningful and satisfying.