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: Mood Disorder

Functioning with Bipolar Disorder in College

Before we discuss how students with bipolar disorder can work their way through college, we need to understand what the problem they are suffering from is. For many years it was referred to as someone being a manic-depressive. The manic part of the name was for the highs and the depressive part for the lows. This is because someone with bipolar disorder experiences both, with his or her mood swings often happening very quickly and for no apparent reason.

Medical researchers and scientists have been looking for a long time to try and find the cause of this mental health problem, and a way to cure it. As yet there are no definite answers, but it tends to affect people between the ages of 15 and 24 and the contributing factors appear to be stress, genetics and changes in the brain.

How Bipolar Disorder Can Affect College Life

Students suffering from bipolar disorder can be fine for a while and then have an episode that is either a high or a low. When this happens, their thoughts will start to race, and they will have trouble focusing, making learning extremely difficult. It will be almost impossible for them to concentrate while in class or while studying, and they will have trouble making rational decisions. Their behavior becomes very impulsive and they will think nothing of skipping a class, or even missing a test.
When the episode has passed, and they are feeling more normal again, they often find themselves wondering how they can put right the damage they have done to their studies.

Help on Campus

There will be some help on campus if the student admits they have bipolar disorder. Most colleges have counseling centers, health centers and some have support groups as well. The students will be able to get advice and guidance from these places, which hopefully may help them to cope with their bipolar disorder while they are at college.

For some students, this type of help is not enough though. Some need the help of a psychotherapist who will be able to help them deal with some of the causes of their problem, which should help reduce its effects.

Letting Friends Know

It is very important that the closest friends of the sufferer know about their bipolar disorder. Apart from the support friends can give, it means they will understand the moods swings and that when the sufferer is perhaps unpleasant to them, it’s their illness that is causing it. The help of friends can be crucial for students to complete their college courses.

The student could also seek help from professionals who are used to dealing with bipolar disorder. If you want to consider this, contact us today to arrange an appointment with the finest psychotherapist in NYC.

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

Signs of Bipolar Disorder

Could you or your loved one be suffering from bipolar disorder? Though this condition used to be thought of as a rare condition, it is growing in prominence today. This may be due to better understanding of the condition and its symptoms, and therefore better understanding of our need to help those struggling with these types of symptoms. It is important to recognize signs of bipolar disorder so that you can properly get the help you need. Whether you have a child, teen, or adult in your life or you yourself may be suffering from this type of mental health problem, it is important to seek out help.

Common Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

To understand whether someone may have this condition, it is important to understand the different types of conditions and the levels, as well as the symptoms that apply to each of these situations.

    • Bipolar 1 disorder: Here, individuals will have had one manic episode. This includes symptoms that impair your life and may require hospitalization or may have created a break from reality.
    • Bipolar 2 disorder: In this situation, individuals have had at least one major depressive episode that lasts at least two weeks as well as one hypomanic episode that lasts at least four days. Individuals here have not necessarily had a manic episode.
    • Cyclothymic disorder: In this situation, individuals have had at least two years of numerous instances of hypomania symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms.
    • Other types: There are other symptoms that can occur. This may include other medical conditions associated with them such as strokes, Cushing’s disease, or multiple sclerosis.

What occurs varies in each individual. It may be important to talk to a doctor about your concerns related to bipolar disorder if you see symptoms such as the following:

    • Periods of time when you are abnormally and persistently elevated in mood. This could be a very good mood or a very irritable mood.
    • Instances in which there is unusual talkativeness
    • Racing thoughts
    • Decreased need for sleep
    • Inflated self-esteem
    • Distractibility
    • Increased goal-directed activities

If you have had any of these symptoms, seek out the help of a psychotherapist as soon as possible. It is important to react quickly to these types of situations. Call our New York offices to make an appointment with our doctor today to learn more about your condition and any treatment options available to you.

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

Signs of Bipolar Disorder

Could you or your loved one be suffering from bipolar disorder? Though this condition used to be thought of as a rare condition, it is growing in prominence today. This may be due to better understanding of the condition and its symptoms, and therefore better understanding of our need to help those struggling with these types of symptoms. It is important to recognize signs of bipolar disorder so that you can properly get the help you need. Whether you have a child, teen, or adult in your life or you yourself may be suffering from this type of mental health problem, it is important to seek out help.

Common Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

To understand whether someone may have this condition, it is important to understand the different types of conditions and the levels, as well as the symptoms that apply to each of these situations.

Bipolar 1 disorder: Here, individuals will have had one manic episode. This includes symptoms that impair your life and may require hospitalization or may have created a break from reality.
Bipolar 2 disorder: In this situation, individuals have had at least one major depressive episode that lasts at least two weeks as well as one hypomanic episode that lasts at least four days. Individuals here have not necessarily had a manic episode.
Cyclothymic disorder: In this situation, individuals have had at least two years of numerous instances of hypomania symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms.
Other types: There are other symptoms that can occur. This may include other medical conditions associated with them such as strokes, Cushing’s disease, or multiple sclerosis.

What occurs varies in each individual. It may be important to talk to a doctor about your concerns related to bipolar disorder if you see symptoms such as the following:

  • Periods of time when you are abnormally and persistently elevated in mood. This could be a very good mood or a very irritable mood.
  • Instances in which there is unusual talkativeness
  • Racing thoughts
  • Decreased need for sleep
  • Inflated self-esteem
  • Distractibility
  • Increased goal-directed activities

If you have had any of these symptoms, seek out the help of a psychotherapist as soon as possible. It is important to react quickly to these types of situations. Call our New York offices to make an appointment with our doctor today to learn more about your condition and any treatment options available to you.

What Treatment Options Are Available from Psychotherapists for Mood Disorders?

Most people will experience times in their life where they are faced with challenges. Everyone will have good days and everyone will have bad days. That’s normal. However, in some situations, individuals may struggle to find balance between good and bad days. Healthy individuals are able to rebound from bad days quickly by finding emotional balance. Those who suffer from mood disorders do not make that connection and are often faced with challenges as a result.

Mood disorders may include:

  • Mania or bipolar disorder
  • Chronic low-level depression
  • Major depressive disorder
  • Substance-related depression concerns

Whenever mood disorders occur, it is often a result of an imbalance of chemicals within the brain that directly impact a person’s mood. These chemicals, called serotonin and noradrenaline, are often linked to mood disorders. And, when there are severe situations in the development of dopamine, another type of brain chemical, there is evidence of complex mood disorders such as schizophrenia and psychosis.

What Can Be Done to Treatment Mood Disorders?

The first step in treating them is to understand what is happening and why. That is done with the help of a psychotherapist. Many factors contribute to the type of therapy that is beneficial including age, severity of the condition, the reason for the imbalance of chemicals, and medication or therapy tolerances.

Most commonly, cognitive behavior therapy is used as a first step in treating mood disorders because it is the most effective option. In this treatment, it is possible to focus on the actions and behaviors of an individual. You learn to recognize when your thoughts are distorted and then learn how to replace those negative thoughts with better thoughts. There are other types of therapies available to help individuals with mood disorders including electroconvulsive therapy, natural supplement therapy, and medical assistance

If you suffer from a mood disorder or you think you may, the first step is to seek out the help of a psychotherapist that specializes in treatment for these types of concerns. It is then possible to create a treatment plan that is customized to meet your individual needs. Many factors play a role in determining what is the best underlying treatment for your needs. Nevertheless, many people can see improvement. When you come in to see one of the best psychotherapists in New York, you’ll learn more about the options available to you.

Contact me to schedule a free consultation at 212-413-7088.

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