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

Category Archives: Midlife

Midlife for Women in the Modern Day

What is midlife?  Medicine says it’s the period of time when our bodies prepare and enter peri-menopause and then menopause.

Midlife Can be Challenging

During this complex phase of female adult development our perceptions of ourselves change.  We may no longer feel young, we may feel a sense of loss about leaving our first 45 years behind, which includes changes in our physical appearance, our energy levels, our health and our connections to a more youthful robust part our lives.

You may be thinking speak for yourself: in our youth oriented culture we often feel pressure to keep up our youthful appearances. At the same time, we try hard to keep up our health and physical stamina.  Many women report the beginnings of chronic health problems including skin rashes, insomnia, diabetes, chronic fatigue, and heart disease.  These conditions can be debilitating emotionally and physically during these middle years.

They signal to us that we can’t take our health for granted, we are not invincible as we thought we were at 21 or 39.

Before you get completely depressed or stop reading, please keep in mind our resiliency, our hope in the face of adversity and our strength as women in the middle of life. We benefit from the knowledge we have accumulated; we have better coping skills, support systems including friends, family and colleagues. Recently i read that spending a weekend with an old friend can be rejuvenating.

When we don’t have an adequate support system, we seek out connection to others by affiliating with schools, religious organizations, alumni groups, colleagues, book groups, and support groups.

Pondering the Past & Considering the Future

While we think about what we have left behind, we contemplate a richer life in the future.  We may be busy with what life puts in our path, such as elderly parents with health problems or adolescent or adult children with special needs. We are often called the sandwich generation because of all the pulls on our time and emotions. Putting feelings, thoughts and situations in perspective is important to our well being.

Knowing a crisis will pass, a situation with our family is temporary, helps us to endure.

A Therapist Can Help with Midlife Transition

Sometimes we need professional help to address the storm that we find ourselves facing.  Individual therapy and group therapy can be very helpful to address conflicts that reoccur from the past, difficulty coping with relationships and work, and worries about the future. Sometimes we need to think out loud in presence of another person who is trained to listen and help us understand our needs.  Group support and connection can be a very powerful tool during this journey as well.

In contemporary life, the age range of midlife has changed.

In the not to distant past, 35-40 was the start of midlife and by 60; we were considered old and life often ended by 72. Today, with many women in better health, physically and emotionally, and cognitively, we are working longer in the home and in our careers.  We could argue that midlife ranges roughly from 50 to 75.

What do you think? Do you Feel Like You’re in Your Middle Years?

As we age, and move into our late 60’s and 70’s, many women are thinking about the future. Do we want to retire, do we have the finances for it, where do we want to move, what will our health be like in the future, do we want to live near our adult children and grandchildren?

As these questions come into focus and occupy more of your time and thoughts, you are probably moving into the middle years and thinking about your next chapter.

If you are entering midlife and having challenges or anxiety, call me today and let’s schedule an appointment. I have many years of experience counseling other women about life changes and midlife.  I look forward to hearing from you.

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

Laurie Sloane, LCSW
 https://www.lauriesloane.com

Positive and Negative Aspects of Midlife

From the day we are born we start to age, and we all have to go through the various stages of life. At some point we will reach midlife, and for many it can be quite a shock when they realize they are no longer the youngster they feel they still are in their head. Midlife has its differences for men and for women, but there are some things that can apply to us all no matter what our gender is.

Children Fleeing the Nest

It is often the time when parents reach midlife that coincides with their children having left home for university or just to set up their own home. Suddenly there can be just the two of you. There will not be so much washing and other housework to do, so there is more free time. No school runs to worry about or late-night picks ups from friend’s houses. Now you can please yourselves and, after years of caring for children, that can be strange.

Of course, the negative side of this is that you will miss your children on a day-to-day basis, but from a positive point of view your life becomes your own again. You can eat when you want, watch what you want to see on the TV and generally live your life as you see fit.

Having More Money

Hopefully, it is this time of life when your mortgage will be coming to an end, and that can mean you are a lot better off financially. On the positive side, this could mean you will be better off than at any other previous time of your life, but on the negative side, you need to start investing some of that money for your retirement.
If you think that midlife has crept up faster than you thought possible, retirement comes even quicker. If you do not invest some of your newfound wealth in a pension plan for the future, you could end up in a very bad financial state after just a couple of years of finishing work.

Health Issues

Some people say that it is at midlife that our health starts to decline, both physically and mentally. This is not always the case by any means. Yes, our conditions change, but that is not always a bad thing. Physically, women go through the menopause but then do not have the hassle of monthly periods. Men often get a wake-up call at this age because of changes in their appearance and start to take better care of themselves.

Mentally, most people just deal with the changes that are happening, but for some they cannot handle the fact they are getting older and might need some help to come to terms with it. If this is how you feel, contact us today and arrange an appointment with the finest psychotherapist in NYC.

Contact us at 212-413-7088 to schedule a consultation.

Menopause is a Life Changer

Some women will sail through the menopause feeling very little effects, but others will suffer for years. This is because it is a change in hormones that happens very gradually, and to start with the differences can be so slight that they may not even be associated with the menopause. You might find that you are not sleeping quite so well, or that your hair needs washing more often. These are simple things that can easily start in your early to mid-forties, long before you think of going through the menopause. It is a time known as perimenopause, and this can last for several years.

Your hormone production is reducing at this stage and eventually will start to affect your periods. They may become heavier or lighter, but they need to have stopped totally for 12 months before you know you have officially reached the menopause.

An End to the Monthly Hassle

There is no doubt that the best thing about the menopause is the end of the monthly periods. Once a woman has had her children, they become more of a nuisance. It is not just the physical mess of them. Periods can make a woman feel moody and physically ill. Suffering like that every four weeks from the age of 13 or 14 to perhaps 50 or so, and most women are glad to see the end of them.

No More Contraception

Once the 12 months of no periods are done with, there is no longer any need for contraception. At a time of life where for women they can be experiencing some discomfort during sex, the freedom of not having to worry about which contraceptives to use can be an enormous boost to their sex drive.

Symptoms of the Menopause

Most of the symptoms of the menopause are well known. Women suffer from hot flushes, migraines, weight problems, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, and night sweats among other things. These are all very real and although comedians like to make jokes about some of them, when women are going through all these things, it is not very pleasant at all. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can make some women feel better, and there are many natural herbs and vitamins that can help as well.

Another symptom of the menopause is anxiety and mood swings, and with all those physical symptoms, that should really not be a surprise. If you want help to cope with this side of the menopause, contact us today to schedule an appointment with the best psychotherapist in NYC.

Contact us at 212-413-7088 to schedule a consultation.

Finding a New Version of Yourself in Midlife

Midlife is often the point where people feel trapped in their work or their relationships. It is no coincidence that more divorces take place between people in their 50s than at any other age. Often, by this time the children have left home, and the couple finds they no longer have anything in common. Moving on and reinventing themselves is generally the best option for both parties. That can be easier said than done, but there are three traits that, if you can master them, the new version of yourself will emerge unscathed.

Reliability in Others

Making major changes in your life, such as a new home, job or partner can leave you feeling very alone for a time at least. You do eventually get used to the alterations you have made, but in the meantime, you need to have people around you that you can rely on to be there if you need support. Reinventing yourself involves both independence and dependence. You need to be self-reliant but never afraid to ask for help when you need it.

Being Resilient

You will find the steps forward you have made either very exciting or very scary. Those that are feeling full of enthusiasm for the ‘new me’ will find that are very resilient when unpleasant comments are made, as usually they are from envious people who have not had the courage to reinvent themselves. However, if you are feeling worried about the changes you have made, you may find you are left feeling empty and depressed every time something does not go quite as you expected. In this situation, you need to dig deep and find some resilience and then you may start to enjoy your new beginning.

Be Flexible

When you have been in the same pattern of life for many years, it is not always easy to make changes. People who have always worked find it hard to imagine doing anything else, and people who have been married for years can be frightened about being alone. You need to be flexible in your approach, as many people find the changes they were so scared of are actually the best thing they ever did.

Not everyone in midlife feels the need for change, which is why you get people that have been married or in the same job for 60 years or more. Also, not everyone makes the changes by choice, they can be forced upon them and then they are more difficult to cope with.

Whatever the reason, if you need help coping with a ‘midlife crisis’ get in touch with us today to arrange an appointment with the finest psychotherapist in NYC.

Contact us at 212-413-7088 to schedule a consultation.

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