Individual

Counseling

I am retiring soon and I am no longer accepting new patients.

I am Gary Siegel LCSW-R and I’d like to give you a sense of how I do therapy.

I went to Columbia University School of Social Work and graduated in 1988. From there I worked as a therapist for Dutchess County Mental Hygiene and eventually moved, into private practice. I can tell you it’s been quite the journey. The learning never stops and I’m glad I’ve been able to grow as a practitioner all these years. And where else could I have met and helped so many people!

As a therapist I have always looked for a balance between the experiential & intuitive approaches on the one hand, and the hard core scientific on the other. In the end we need to see change and where does change come from? We don’t usually realize how much old habits run how we live our lives and respond to challenges form habits. Therapy is dedicated to recognizing and breaking free of them, in your mind, but also in your emotions and inner recesses.

So what is a session like? I treat each person and pretty literally every minute of therapy as unique. For the most part we are not just talking or going over strategies, but working to get to the root of places we are stuck or have become maladaptive.

With insights and unburied emotions, fresh ways of being can occur. Client and therapist work together to pay attention to these unfolding dynamics and create more freedom.

Do I have a specific approach – my orientation is focused on the Dynamic Experiential Therapies which were opened up for me by AEDP and Diana Fosha. Also important to me is Attachment Theory, with its multiple authors and some cute little monkeys. Polyvagal Theory of Stephen Porges, and Affective Neuroscience by Jaak Panksepp are also important. There are also all the learnings of sensory awareness I have picked up along the way. Also, a general appreciation of brain networks, how they work and how they change is in there in the mix. Lastly, I have an appreciation for how your general health affects your psychological health.

I should also say that I work exclusively online, and I do not accept insurance. Please feel free to talk to me about my rates. I take new clients when I have openings. Feel free to check in with me as to my availability. Thanks for looking at this description, and good luck with finding what you seek.

A Little Bit Of Peace

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