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I am a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience on staff in college counseling centers and in private practice. I work to form a trusting relationship with students so that they have a safe space to work through the challenges they are facing. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I am especially focused on providing inclusive, affirming care for students whose identities may not be represented or supported as well as they could be in the available campus resources - whether that ...
Are you struggling with symptoms of anxiety or depression? Maybe you are experiencing family conflict or perhaps you are dealing with grief or loss. I have specialized training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)- an approach that offers concrete tools you can use to cultivate greater happiness, reduce anxiety, resolve conflict and navigate challenges in more effective ways. I have broad experience working with university students creating a safe and supportive environment where we focus not...
It can be difficult to find the time and energy to confront the things that make us unhappy, or to simply explore who we are and how we came to be that way. You may feel "stuck" in certain patterns of relationships, and wish that you were more content. You may want to have someone outside of your experiences to help give you perspective on these issues, but worry about finding the right person for that job. I'm happy to meet with you, and to figure out together if we are a good fit. Using an ...
I want you to know this therapy will acknowledge the very real challenges you face that are NOT just in your head. If you've been left out, excluded, and the people around you don't understand, you have every right to be angry, hurt and lonely. Do the people in your life expect you to conform or “fix your problem” and make you feel like a burden for having needs? Have you started to believe the negative messages; started believe you're lazy, not good enough or a burden? I offer support for folks...
I started my career as a social worker in Philadelphia working with adults living with HIV/AIDS. After finishing graduate school at Temple University and receiving my Master of Social Work degree, I began working with children in the foster care system. Much of my professional career has been working with non-traditional families formed through foster care and adoption. Many of my current clients are teens or adults who were adopted, individuals or couples who have chosen to adopt, or first pare...
I have an eclectic, integrative style, utilizing evidence-based practices and techniques from various therapeutic approaches. I am trauma-informed, apply intersectional, feminist, and body and sex positive lenses, and incorporate harm reduction principles. Though I'm experienced and knowledgable supporting clients of diverse backgrounds, I am also cognizant of my lived experience as a queer cisgender male (he/him pronouns). I take a holistic view of clients, build upon inherent strengths, and cr...
Welcome! You are in the right place to start feeling better. Coping with mental health concerns as a student can be overwhelming. Maybe you are feeling down and depressed and having trouble functioning. Having trouble keeping up in school or with making friends. Or just need a space to process life stress and existential meaning. Deciding to take your therapy journey with me, you can expect a compassionate, nonjudgmental, and person centered therapy style. With over 20 years of experience, I...
At The Better You Institute, we understand the struggles that students go through. It can be difficult being away from home for the first time (or still too close to home and not feeling like you have enough freedom), navigating new professors, workload, social life, career trajectory - everything! We work best with students who feel like they’re carrying the weight of the world while trying to hold it all together. Maybe you're the one everyone goes to for help, but deep down, you're strugg...
People often seek therapy to resolve past experiences and life complexities and the decision to enter therapy may carry feelings of ambivalence and uncertainty. I believe that therapy is most effective when persons are offered an environment that is inviting, collaborative, affirming, and safe. Subsequently, my goal is to provide a challenging, but non-judgmental and encouraging atmosphere for persons to explore concerns and difficulties as a means of achieving desired change. I have been train...
Dr. Apraku is welcoming new patients for video appointments. As a Board-certified M.D. psychiatrist, she specializes in providing psychiatric diagnostic assessments and treatment recommendations for anxiety, depression, OCD and bipolar disorder. Dr. Apraku also gives guidance for mental health concerns related to life transitions, mood swings, anger and traumatic events. As a holistic provider, her focus is on medication management (including for patients wishing to decrease reliance on medicati...
Let my office be a place where you feel safe enough say out loud the thoughts that are keeping you stuck...the thoughts that others may not know how to help you with. Together, we will work to find better ways of thinking, behaving, and coping with your feelings to improve your sense of well-being. My work incorporates various approaches, including cognitive behavioral and mindfulness techniques. In addition to mental health treatment, I am specifically trained to treat individuals with issues ...
If you’re here it’s likely because you find yourself struggling. Perhaps you’re in the midst of a transition - a new job, a new city, the end of a relationship, or the loss of a loved one. You’re not sure how to navigate the situation and the feelings associated with it are intense. Maybe you’re like the estimated 21 million U.S. adults living with depression. You can’t find any motivation. You’re crying for seemingly no reason. Maybe you’re like the estimated 42.5 million U.S. adults who live w...
Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates is private practice of about 25 Psychiatrists, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners and Psychotherapists who are academically oriented and evidence-based, and available for Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Evaluations, Medication Management and Testing for Accommodations in-office in Philadelphia and Paoli, PA and Virtually throughout PA, NJ, NY, and FL. Our providers can generally see patients within 2 weeks. We are out-of-network with insurance, but we will provide ...
Are you tired of feeling depressed or anxious, getting in your own way, or just feeling miserable without even knowing why? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to feel better? If so, I would love to provide you with the guidance, tools and strategies, and support you need to build a life you truly enjoy. As a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist and Certified Gottman Couples Therapist, I offer tools and strategies that research has shown to be effective for individuals who are depressed, anx...
Do you have unresolved issues with yourself, in your relationship, or within your family? You are not alone, and you do not need to suffer. My name is Dr. Jesse Smith, and I provide therapy to individuals, couples, and families dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, relationships and more. I will help you heal old wounds, form secure attachments, and develop effective ways of managing your thoughts, feelings, and actions. My promise to you is that I will listen—really listen—to und...
I am a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates specializing in medication management for a variety of mental health conditions in adults ages 18+, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, PMDD, bipolar disorder, and more. I offer a warm, empathic, non-judgmental and collaborative treatment approach. My philosophy is that using psychotherapy, coping skills, and healthy lifestyle choices combined with psychiatric medications often result in the best ...
Trauma Healing takes time and patience, and for a lot of us with Complex Trauma, this may be something we continually manage as life ebbs and flows. However, it doesn’t have to be a life-long pattern of pain and feeling constantly dysregulated. I invite you to feel within that fear/ anxiety/ dysregulation and make meaning from it. I support folx to heal deep emotional wounds that come from past anxiety, trauma, stress and help them hone-in on their inner experience as a means to gain insight....
I am currently scheduling patients for both in-person (PA/NJ) and telehealth (PA/NJ/MA) appointments. I welcome patients who are looking for medication management, therapy, a second opinion, or any combination of the above. My interests include diagnostic clarification of mood/anxiety/attention disorders, evaluation of young adults who may be seeking help for the first time, and treatment of substance use disorders that often present with other common diagnoses. I offer comprehensive treatmen...
College is a period of time of big transitions in a person's life. My hope is that therapy can provide you a place to improve emotional distress, heal from past wounds, and increase fulfillment in your life. I believe taking a collaborative approach to therapy as you are the expert of your own situation. As a trauma-informed therapist I believed it is essential to create a safe therapeutic environment. The focus of therapy is on your strengths and to build on your resiliency. I look forwar...