Find a Therapist in Flower Hill, New York.

When you come to me for psychotherapy, I will listen without interruption until you are ready for input. Then I ask difficult questions that make you think. If you want solutions, we work on those together. Many of my questions though are designed to help you consider your options and further self-discovery. I try not to answer your questions right away, because then it's about me, not you. I will help you to feel less frustrated and hopeful about your future.

Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods to help a person change behavior and overcome problems in a positive manner. Its aim is to help people understand the thoughts behind feeling anxious or depressed and addressing these thinking patterns. Psychotherapy will help you change behaviors and habits that are limiting you, to experiencing your fullest potential.

I aim to create a safe space where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Together, we can gain insight into the negative patterns and beliefs that may be contributing to your challenges. Through this process, you can develop coping skills, enhance your self-awareness, and learn strategies for managing stress, anxiety, depression, and many other issues. In these sessions, you can focus on improving all types of relationships, including romantic relationships, family relationships, professional relationships, and friendships.

My patients benefit from psychotherapy with me because I show them not only how to feel better but get better. Getting better means learning how they make themselves upset and how to stop doing this even when life and people are blocking them. I teach skills for directly changing self-defeating behavior. I give patients tools for self-direction and emotional responsibility. I send my patients emails to prompt them to think differently between sessions. I help them to transfer the skills I teach from my office to their home and work environments. I teach people how to maintain and extend treatment gains so that they do not need to be in psychotherapy forever.

We are charting a new path that brings outcomes focused therapy to you. We simplify over 100 years of proven psychology and make it meaningful to your needs, goals, and journey. Our approach is adapted to fit your specific needs. Together, we map your path forward with our LifeMAP — a unique set of tools we have developed to clarify your goals, transparently track your progress, and move you towards your destination, so you can see and feel the progress being made.

We strive to help individuals reach their highest potential and connect with their inner strength through the process of psychotherapy. Using a collaborative and supportive approach, we help you explore your roots in order to understand why an issue may be occurring and combine these insights with evidence-based interventions (e.g. positive reinforcement, relaxation training, mindfulness, coping skills) to help improve overall emotional health and wellness. We help you experience greater joy, peace and positive interactions with your loved ones.

As experienced, highly-credentialed clinical psychologists and couples counselors, Dr. Joel Stukalin and Dr. Sara Mandelbaum have the necessary background to conduct short-term or psychoanalystic psychotherapy with clients. This means that clients can decide to work on direct symptom-relief or more comprehensive therapy that may lead to a deeper understanding of inner-conflicts, self-aspirations and unconscious processes. In order to do our psychotherapy compassionately and effectively, Dr. Joel and Dr. Sara collaborate closely with clients to understand their initial motives and unfolding goals within the psychotherapy process. Clients often benefit from this higher standard of care.

Psychotherapy is not anything to be scared of, or intimidated about. Seeking out a therapist or being in therapy isn't an admission of weakness or some kind of character flaw. Therapy is a collaborative process and a partnership with someone who is trained in and experienced with facilitating personal growth. And in this process, you are in the driver's seat. Our minds and emotions and relationships involve complicated machinery just like our bodies do and in the same way a medical doctor helps you stay physically healthy, Psychotherapy is designed to help you be and stay mentally and socially strong, and continually in a position to take on life's many challenges as your best self.