Welcome to Change Begins With You. Searching for a psychotherapist is no simple feat. How do you know whether the person you’re going to confide in will accept you as you are AND encourage you to change? I’ve worked hard throughout my professional career to be a therapist who does both. Innate curiosity about what helps people grow guides my trajectory as a therapist. As a dedicated professional, I’m a lifelong learner; attending conferences, constantly reading, studying and learning from colleagues with experience and expertise in a variety of methods that help people progress in therapy. I’ve taught master and PhD level social workers and psychologists at The Westchester Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (WCSPP). Most recently, I taught Human Development in their Foundations of Psychotherapy Program. Teaching allows me to remain well versed in developments within the field of psychoanalysis. In addition, I co-chair the Diversity Intiative at WCSPP.

I came to this point, career-wise, via a combination of influences in my early life, eombined with unique traits and talents, with a bit of quirkiness thrown in. Naturally you’ve also been influenced by your past. Psychotherapists invite you to look at the past, not to go back there, but to move forward. Our sense of identity is tied to experiences and relationships we’ve had throughout life, with both invigorating and dispiriting impact. Therefore, its likely that your future will be shaped by the choices you make today, which will someday become the past that has influenced your life. Therapy helps with regret management, so you’ll have the opportunity to reflect on your decisions from the perspective of a person who engaged thoughtfully and created a meaningful life. Sure, we all have history; which is an essential component of who we are now, although there is more to the story! Mindfulness techniques are extremely useful and can help reduce anxious feelings and physical sensations associated with stress. Psychotherapy is primarily a language based approach that aligns with self-help practices. The purpose of psychotherapy is not so much relaxation as exploration. Many find therapy useful in conjunction with meditation, yoga, massage and other methods of self-attunement.

If you think this process may be of interest to you I look forward to talking and answering questions you may have about getting started. At this time I only have virtual sessions available.

 

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE

 I graduated social work after working part-time at Parents Place in the city of White Plains while raising two daughters.

The Columbia University School of Social Work http://socialwork.columbia.edu

Subsequently, I earned a certificate in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy from:

The Westchester Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (WCSPP) https://www.wcspp.org

Change is a choice requiring bravery, vulnerability and determination. By working together, you will come to fully understand yourself and increase your capacity to live and make choices that align with your most treasured values.

My specialty areas include:  

  • Launching into Young Adulthood

  • Relationships with Self and Others

  • Parenting from within

  • Adult Transitions

  • Aging

  • Loss, Grief and Bereavement

Places Worked and Roles Occupied:

  • The Westchester Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (instructor, volunteer)

  • Gilda’s Club Westchester (program director)

  • Stony Lodge Hospital Outpatient Clinic (clincal social worker)

  • Behavioral Health Center, Stamford CT (social work intern)

  • Pelham Guidance Council (social work intern)

  • Westchester Jewish Community Services (bereavement social worker)

  • Parents’ Place, White Plains (parent/child expert)

  • Families’ First, Brooklyn, NY (parenting coordinator)

  • St. Thomas Aquinas College (adjunct professor)

  • Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Vulnerable Populations (volunteer)

  • Served as Expert Witness protecting the rights of mental health professionals (consultant)

  • Skadden, Arps, Meagher, Slate & Flom (paralegal)

 

 

 

 

  psychotherapy begins with you

  JULIE WILLSTATTER, LCSW-R  

PSYCHOTHERAPIST