Laurie Sloane   Licensed Clinical Social Worker


psychotherapist-nyc-college-children-young-adults-veterans-counseling-1Over the past 30 years, a combination of diverse professional experiences and extensive training have made me the therapist I am today. In addition to a Master’s Degree in Social Work, I have participated in continuing education courses and seminars to ensure that I am incorporating the latest in psychoanalysis into treatment plans.

I joined the faculty of the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center (PPSC), a post-graduate training institute, and served as the Executive Director for 10 years. During my tenure, I taught and supervised candidates, developed an internship program for graduate students, and worked to establish guidelines for training and licensure in New York.  My expertise is broad and far-reaching.

 


Current Areas of Specialty


Therapy for Young Adults

Of late, more attention has been focused on the well-being of anxious, depressed and suicidal students on college campuses. I have worked with many students trying to adjust to life away from home. The social and academic pressures of college can bring about the emergence of major mental illness and addiction that needs to be addressed with the proper treatment. In addition to individual sessions, I also offer group treatment to college students and young adults.

Therapy for Women of All Ages

I have extensive experience in counseling women of all ages who suffer from eating disorders. Today, there are a variety of treatments available; I’m able to help navigate through the options and figure out which will work best on a case by case basis.

As baby boomers are aging, they are learning that menopause no longer spells the end. Life after 65 continues to be an important, yet often overlooked part of adult development. I’m able to offer support in either individual or group therapy sessions for women navigating midlife and beyond.

Therapy for Veterans

I am affiliated with Here to Help Military and Families, a Long Island group that offers free counseling to returning veterans and their families. I offer a holistic approach to treatment; for both veterans returning from combat, suffering from the effects of trauma and PTSD, as well as their families, who are struggling to understand how difficult reentry into civilian life can be.


What Can You Gain from Therapy?


Connection to others

Over the past 30 years, I’ve learned a lot about relationships and the value in sharing our thoughts and feelings with friends and partners. Knowing we are being listened to, valued and understood is crucial to emotional wellbeing.

Hope for the future

Therapy is a process. Though there is often no simple, quick solution, it provides a safe space to explore emotions, thoughts, and actions in an in-depth and meaningful way, to eventually bring about change.

Growth and change

Through continued treatment, therapy can be an incredibly powerful tool in helping to significantly improve your quality of life and outlook.

Call me today at 212-413-7088 for a free 15 minute phone consultation.


Support Group for Midlife Women 50-70 Forming Now

I will be conducting a weekly midlife support group for women 50-70 now and throughout the winter. We will be meeting virtually in the afternoon or evenings depending on everyone’s schedules.

Life changes as women head towards menopause and beyond. These changes are reflected in body and mood fluctuations as well as accompanying shifts in lifestyles and goals for the future. In a safe and supportive atmosphere, women will be able to share their emotional and physical upheaval and develop their unique plan for midlife and beyond.

If you’d like to discuss this further, please feel to reach out to me.

Laurie Sloane
516-697-7252
laurie.sloane@gmail.com

Tag Archives: Reasons for Couples Therapy

Couples Therapist

Why do Couples Seek Therapy?

Below are just some of the reasons couples call me for an appointment seeking a couples therapist. Once they come in, many couples discover they are ambivalent about continuing in the marriage or realize they want to work on problem areas and stay together.

Some Reasons Couples Seek out a Therapist:

  • Adjustment to living together
  • Conflicts over in-laws,
  • Money habits of saving and spending
  • Frequency of sex, decreased interest in sex
  • Infidelity
  • Ups and downs of love and longevity in marriage
  • Decision to Divorce or Stay together
  • Uncoupling (transitioning to separation and divorce)
  • Co-parenting after divorce

Sometimes, one partner has been having an affair and needs a safe pla

ce to disclose it.  I’ve worked with couples that decide to stay together after infidelity developing healthier relationships. Of course, lots of couples do not remain in the marriage and work towards divorce.  If enough trust and safety is created in the therapeutic relationship, the couple learns how to communicate their needs and wants more effectively. This often leads to a deeper connection and greater emotional and physical intimacy.

Examples From My Couples Therapy Sessions

Let me give you an example of how showing more vulnerability helped develop more trust in the relationship. Just to be clear, this example is a composite of my experiences, not an actual couple in therapy with me.

Sally and John sat down on the couch next to each with some room between them.

Sally begin by saying they had been married a little over a year, and were fighting constantly but not sure why.  John agreed and added that they were less intimate in and out of bed.

During one of our early sessions, I asked each of them to say what attracted them to one another, in hopes of reminding them of the positive aspects of their connection.

By asking them to simply say what they each felt and listen carefully to one another, this freed them up to be less angry and more trusting in the relationship.

As they learned more about each other’s backgrounds, they developed a more in depth understanding of some their patterns. These including overspending money because of early deprivation resulting in an insecure attachment to the mother, and multiple hospitalizations for a chronic childhood illness, which led to feelings of uncertainty and anxiety in adulthood.

Overtime, they developed more empathy for each and stopped fighting. Instead they listened better to each other and became more respectful and admiring. That’s not to say they didn’t have conflicts, but they learned to how to communicate better when they did have them.

Claims of Favoritism During the Therapy Process

Sometimes one person in the couple will complain the therapist is partial to the other person. It is important to raise this question with the therapist and not be concerned about his or her reaction.  The Therapist is trained to reflect on his or her own experience. It’s called countertransference, which focused on the internal feelings of the therapist.  Sometimes, by bringing this up, a therapist will recognize what is leading to the question and adjust the way they are working, and use it as an opportunity to explore what’s leading to that feeling.

If for example, if a person struggles with sibling rivalry, it might get triggered in the treatment. In reflecting on experiences growing up, it also allows their partner to better understand them.

These are just a few examples of what comes up for couples and therapists in Couples Therapy. As I’ve suggested, it is a very rich and effective way to improve communication and connection.

If you are having relationship issues and think you could benefit from counseling, give me a call today and let’s discuss if you could benefit from couples therapy.

Laurie Sloane, LCSW
211 West 56th Street, Apt 10K
New York, NY 10019
212-413-7088

For more information, visit my website: www.LaurieSloane.com

 

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