I’m Dr. Sherry, a licensed clinical psychologist in Brooklyn. The people I work with come in at very different places. Some already have a sense of their patterns. Others feel confused and frustrated without quite knowing why. Both are good places to start. Relational psychodynamic therapy pays attention to what keeps repeating in someone’s life and gets curious about where it comes from. That’s the work, wherever you’re starting from.
A lot of people come to therapy having already done significant self-reflection. They’ve read the books. They understand attachment. They can describe their family dynamics with real precision. The insight is genuine. But something underneath it keeps operating the same way. The same relationship dynamic shows up in different forms. The same internal critic lands the same way it always has. The same question keeps appearing: I understand this. So why hasn’t it changed?
The pattern isn’t the mystery. What we’re curious about is why it keeps running.
Relational psychodynamic therapy doesn’t start by asking you to explain your past. It starts with what’s happening now, and it follows what repeats. The premise is that the patterns showing up in your life aren’t random. They make sense given your history. And when you understand them in a more embodied way, not just intellectually but in the room with another person, they start to become more like choices and less like things that just happen to you.
This work tends to resonate most with people who already have some self-awareness and still feel stuck. Relational psychodynamic therapy may be a good fit if you:
We don’t start by digging into your childhood just because that’s what therapy is “supposed to do.” We start with whatever keeps showing up now. The recurring argument. The relationship ended the same way as the last one. The part of the work that gets you every time. The past matters because it’s where those patterns began, but the way in is usually through the present.
What the work actually involves:
I’m a licensed clinical psychologist in Brooklyn. My approach integrates several therapeutic modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based interventions, and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
At the heart of my work, however, is a relational psychodynamic approach. In graduate school, I received extensive training and supervision in psychodynamic psychotherapy, and later completed an advanced yearlong seminar in relational theory in clinical practice at The Stephen Mitchell Relational Study Center.
I’m deeply curious about how people came to relate to themselves the way they do, and about the ways they learned to protect themselves. The patterns that once made perfect sense—often because they helped someone survive, belong, or avoid pain—can eventually begin to limit them. I’m especially interested in the space between what we understand intellectually about ourselves and what we can actually feel and experience. Real change often happens in that space.
My style is collaborative, direct, and curious. I pay attention not only to what happens outside the therapy room, but also to what unfolds between us in session. I’ll share what I’m noticing and invite your perspective, asking whether it resonates, what I might be missing, and how you understand it. Together, we’ll develop a deeper understanding of your patterns, creating more freedom to respond in new ways when old ones are no longer serving you.
I also offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for people who have done meaningful psychodynamic work and find that something still isn’t shifting at the level where it needs to. The two approaches inform each other in my practice.
The pattern makes sense. Let’s get curious about it.
Reach out to schedule a free consultation.
Different people arrive at therapy through different routes, and not every approach suits every person. My primary orientation is relational psychodynamic, and everything else I draw from is integrated into that foundation rather than offered as a separate track.
In relational psychodynamic work, the relationship between therapist and client isn’t just the container for the work. It often is the work. What happens between us in session tends to mirror what happens in the rest of your life. If there’s a pattern in how you relate to people, it will show up here eventually, and that’s useful. When I notice something shifting in the room, I’ll say so. When a dynamic appears that seems worth looking at, we look at it together with curiosity and without judgement. That kind of real-time attention to the relational experience is often where the most useful material is.
Psychodynamic therapy operates on the premise that most of what drives us isn’t fully visible to us. Not necessarily because we’re in denial, but because patterns learned early about the ways we manage closeness, conflict, need, and disappointment become automatic. They run without our choosing them. Psychodynamic work makes those patterns visible. Together we trace them back to where they began, understand what they protected, and figure out whether they’re still serving the person you are now or keeping you stuck.
I draw on ACT when someone is not yet clear about their values, or they find a large gap between their values and how they’re actually living. It’s a useful complement to psychodynamic work, where psychodynamic therapy asks why the pattern exists, and ACT asks what to do while we figure that out. For people whose depression and anxiety create a kind of paralysis around the things that matter most, ACT gives us a practical way in.
I often draw on the language and concepts of Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help people develop a more compassionate relationship with themselves. Most of us have different parts that want different things: protective parts that keep us safe by relying on familiar patterns, vulnerable parts that carry old wounds, and a deeper, steadier Self that is capable of meeting each of them with curiosity rather than judgment. Instead of trying to silence or get rid of these parts, we work to understand what they’re trying to accomplish and help them take on healthier, more flexible roles. Often, it’s this shift from self-criticism to curiosity that allows insight to become something you can truly feel and live, rather than simply something you know intellectually.
Relational patterns don’t just live in thought. They live in the body. The tightening when a conversation goes in a certain direction. The flatness that lands before you’ve had a conscious thought about it. I pay attention to what’s happening somatically in session, and I’ll name it when I notice something shifting. For many people, that kind of body-level attention is what helps insight move from the head into something more usable.
This approach tends to be most useful for people dealing with patterns rather than singular events. The presentations I work with most often:
Some people come in having already done significant therapeutic work. They understand themselves well. The issue isn’t insight. The issue is that something hasn’t moved at the level where it needs to. Others come in having never been to therapy before, feeling confused or stuck without quite knowing why, and figuring out what’s going on is itself the work. Both are welcome here, and both are good starting points. Relational psychodynamic therapy is useful for either, and gives us options about how to move forward.
Recurring interpersonal dynamics are one of the clearest entry points into psychodynamic work. The same argument in different relationships. The same sense of not quite being seen. In the same way, closeness starts to feel threatening. These patterns usually have roots, not in the current relationship, but in earlier ones that taught the nervous system what to expect from people. Understanding that history doesn’t make the pattern disappear, but it does make it less automatic and gives us options about how to move forward.
Shame is particularly stubborn because it tends to hide from direct examination. It shows up as the voice that narrates everything as fundamentally wrong, the sense that other people manage things you can’t, the way a small mistake can feel like evidence of something larger. In relational psychodynamic work, we pay attention to where that voice comes from and what it was originally protecting. That understanding doesn’t always shut the voice off, but it does change the relationship to it.
Anxiety and depression that are entangled with how someone relates to others often require relational treatment rather than purely symptomatic management. The depression that shows up whenever closeness increases. The anxiety that runs in relation to specific kinds of people. These aren’t just mood states to be regulated. They’re signals connected to something, and the psychodynamic framework is designed to follow that signal to what it’s actually about.
Attachment and relationship patterns formed early in life tend to organize how safe closeness feels later on. For people who learned that need was dangerous, or that emotional intimacy can be overwhelming, adult relationships can feel simultaneously desirable and threatening. Psychodynamic work creates the conditions to understand those early relational experiences and gradually develop a different experience of what closeness can feel like.
Most people come to a first session with some version of the same concern: “Am I going to have to explain my whole history?” The short answer is no. We start with what’s bringing you in now.
I’m interested in whether the approach feels right, and I’ll ask. If something I’ve said doesn’t land or the framing doesn’t fit, that’s useful information. Figuring out the fit is part of the work.
If you've been trying to change for years and still feel stuck, that's worth talking about.
A free consultation is where we start. You can tell me what’s been going on, what you’ve already tried, and what has you curious about this kind of work. I’ll answer questions, explain how I work, and we’ll figure out whether this feels like the right fit. You can also reach me directly through my contact page if you’d prefer to start there.
Frequently Asked Questions About Relational Psychodynamic Therapy in Brooklyn, NY
A relational psychodynamic therapist is a licensed clinician whose primary orientation combines psychodynamic theory, which focuses on unconscious patterns and how early experiences shape present behavior, with a relational framework that treats the therapeutic relationship itself as a central tool for change. Rather than positioning the therapist as a neutral observer, relational psychodynamic therapy treats what happens between therapist and client as meaningful material. The therapist’s presence, reactions, and the dynamics that emerge in session are part of the clinical work.
Psychodynamic relational therapy is an approach to individual psychotherapy that draws on psychoanalytic and psychodynamic theory while centering the therapeutic relationship as a vehicle for change. The relational psychodynamic approach holds that people develop their characteristic ways of relating, protecting themselves, and understanding others through early attachment experiences and significant relationships. Those patterns then repeat in adult life, including in the therapy relationship. The goal is to understand those patterns in a more embodied way through the relational experience in the room, not just through reflection and self-analysis.
The goal of relational psychodynamic therapy is enduring change in how someone relates to themselves and others, not just symptom relief. That means understanding the recurring patterns, the unconscious processes, and what keeps driving those patterns, and developing the kind of self-awareness that leads to a different experience, not just a different explanation. The work tends to take longer than symptom-focused approaches because it addresses roots rather than surface presentation, but what it produces tends to last.
Relational psychodynamic therapy is best suited for people who are psychologically curious, who want to understand the roots of their difficulties rather than just manage symptoms, and who are willing to engage in an open-ended therapeutic relationship over time. It tends to work particularly well for people dealing with recurring relationship patterns, interpersonal difficulties, chronic low self-esteem, shame, depression, and anxiety that feels connected to relational history.
Psychodynamic therapy is generally not the right fit for people looking for structured, skills-based, or short-term symptom management. If the primary goal is to learn specific coping techniques quickly, approaches like CBT or DBT may be more appropriate. Psychodynamic therapy also requires a certain capacity for self-reflection and tolerating the open-endedness of exploratory work. It’s also not a good fit if the person isn’t interested in the relational dimension of the work.
In relational therapy, you can expect open-ended conversations that follow what’s most alive in your experience rather than following a structured agenda. Sessions involve emotional exploration, reflection, and attention to what emerges between you and me. You don’t need to arrive with a prepared topic. What shows up, including what’s difficult to say or hard to name, is the material. Over time, recurring patterns become visible, and the therapeutic relationship itself becomes a place to understand and work with them. The pace is collaborative. I pay close attention, and I’ll share what I’m noticing.
Relational psychodynamic therapy draws on a set of practices that, taken together, help both of us understand what’s happening beneath the surface. In sessions, I pay attention to what comes up spontaneously, what gets avoided, what patterns repeat, and what happens emotionally between us in the room. Rather than applying techniques mechanically, I bring curiosity and without judgement to whatever emerges. I’ll share what I notice and ask you to confirm. Most psychodynamic therapists, including myself, also integrate more active approaches like CBT and ACT when that’s what the moment calls for. The caricature of the purely analytic therapist who just listens and never intervenes is rarely how relational psychodynamic work actually looks in practice.
The relational approach in psychology holds that the self develops in the context of relationships and that what feels difficult is best understood through a relational lens. This means attending to patterns in how someone connects with others, the communication and conflict dynamics that repeat, and the ways early attachment experiences organize adult relating. In therapy, the relational approach treats the therapeutic relationship as central, not incidental. What unfolds between therapist and client is treated as meaningful data, not just a backdrop for talking about life outside the room.
CBT focuses on identifying and changing thought patterns and behaviors, typically through structured techniques and skill-building. It’s short-term, goal-directed, and works with present symptoms. Relational psychodynamic therapy focuses on understanding the roots of those patterns, including unconscious thoughts, unconscious feelings, and the relational history that shaped them. It’s longer-term, open-ended, and treats the therapeutic relationship as a primary vehicle for change. CBT is often chosen for targeted symptom relief. Relational psychodynamic therapy is often chosen when the goal is big and lasting change in the patterns that organize how someone relates to themselves and others.
Research on psychodynamic therapy consistently shows strong outcomes, particularly for long-term gains. Studies comparing psychodynamic therapy to other modalities find that its effects tend to continue growing after treatment ends, a phenomenon sometimes called the sleeper effect. For depression, anxiety, personality-related difficulties, and interpersonal problems, the evidence base is solid. The honest answer is that success depends heavily on fit: the therapeutic relationship, the person’s capacity for self-reflection, and whether the approach matches what they’re actually looking for.
Psychodynamic therapy is sometimes criticized for being long-term and difficult to study using the randomized controlled trial methods favored in outcomes research. Critics argue that its concepts, like unconscious motivation, are hard to operationalize and measure. Some also take issue with certain historical elements of psychoanalytic theory. Within the broader field, there are legitimate debates about how much insight-oriented work is needed versus skills-based intervention. What’s often missing from that debate is that most relational psychodynamic therapists, including myself, actively integrate approaches like CBT and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy when that’s what the person needs. The research on contemporary relational psychodynamic therapy is substantially stronger than the older critiques suggest, and for certain presentations it produces deep and lasting outcomes that shorter approaches don’t.
The main downsides are time, cost, and the tolerance required for open-ended work. Meaningful change typically takes longer than symptom-focused approaches, and the financial and time commitment is real. That said, in practice I also draw on more structured and active approaches when that’s what someone needs, so the work doesn’t have to feel entirely open-ended or without direction. For people whose difficulties are rooted in longstanding relational patterns, a shorter approach often produces change that doesn’t hold. What takes longer to build tends to last longer, but the path there doesn’t have to feel formless.
Whether it’s worth it depends on what you’re looking for. If the goal is to understand yourself more deeply, change the patterns that keep repeating in relationships, and develop a different relationship with yourself over time, the answer is usually yes. If the goal is primarily symptom management in the short term, there are more efficient options. For people who have tried other approaches and found that the gains don’t hold, or that something remains stuck at a level that skills and coping strategies don’t reach, psychodynamic therapy tends to address what those approaches miss.
It varies. Short-term psychodynamic work runs twelve to twenty sessions. Longer-term relational psychodynamic therapy often runs one to several years at weekly frequency. Most people in my practice start weekly, and we figure out the right pace together as we go. In some cases I see people twice a week, and I’ve found that this more intensive pace can deepen the work in ways that weekly sessions sometimes can’t.
There is no preset length. The timeframe depends on what someone is working with, what they’re hoping to change, and how much time and money they are realistically able to invest. We assess that together.
It tends to work best when the difficulty is rooted in long-term relational patterns and when the person is motivated to understand themselves more deeply rather than just reduce symptoms. What it offers is deeper self-awareness, lasting change in relationship patterns, and a more compassionate relationship with oneself. The trade-offs are real: time, cost, and tolerance for open-ended work. It’s not a short-term fix. For the right person, what takes longer to build tends to last longer.
Yes. I offer in-person individual psychotherapy at two Brooklyn offices: Park Slope and DUMBO. In-person sessions are strongly preferred for relational psychodynamic work because the somatic and relational material available in a shared physical space is part of what the work draws on. Virtual sessions are available in select circumstances. If you’re looking for a psychodynamic therapist near you in Brooklyn, both office locations are accessible by subway, bus, and ferry.
I’m a licensed clinical psychologist and licensed mental health provider in New York State and Connecticut, with a doctorate in clinical psychology. Therapists are trained in many frameworks; mine is relational psychodynamic and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, with additional certification in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research from the California Institute of Integral Studies.
My values are curiosity, honesty, and whole-person care. I work with adults across a range of backgrounds and identities. Creating a space that feels genuinely affirming is something I try to embody in how I work, not just as a stated position.
I’m a solo practitioner. My practice is built around relational psychodynamic therapy for adults who are self-aware and still stuck. Psychodynamic therapists who work this way are doing something specific, and I think it’s worth being clear about what that is.
Yes. Individual psychotherapy is the only format I offer. Sessions are tailored to you, not to a protocol. The treatment plan emerges from understanding your particular emotional distress, your mental health history, and what you’re actually trying to change. We develop it together and revisit it as the work evolves.
Relational psychodynamic therapy has a substantial evidence base. It performs well for depression, anxiety, and interpersonal difficulties, and its effects tend to grow after treatment ends. I consider myself holistic in the sense that I’m treating the full person, not just the presenting symptoms.
My practice is a solo one in Brooklyn, with offices in Park Slope and DUMBO. I’m not part of a broader network or directory, but I work collaboratively with other providers when that’s useful. Psychodynamic therapy in NYC covers a wide range of practices; what distinguishes mine is the consistency of the therapeutic relationship and the relational treatment approach.
My primary focus is depression, anxiety, shame, and relationship patterns. I also work with people who have ADHD, though I don’t specialize in it and wouldn’t be the right fit for someone looking for executive functioning coaching or ADHD-specific support. Eating disorders, OCD, and gender care benefit from therapists who are trained specifically in those areas. In cases where I don’t believe I’m the best person to treat you, I’ll connect you with someone in my professional network who is better positioned to help.
I offer in-person individual psychotherapy at two Brooklyn offices: Park Slope and DUMBO. Both are accessible by subway, bus, and ferry. In-person sessions are strongly preferred. Virtual sessions are available in select circumstances.
A free consultation is the first step. We’ll talk about what’s bringing you in, whether my approach is a good match, and what the next steps look like. In cases where I don’t believe I’m the best person to treat you, I’ll connect you with someone in my professional network who is better positioned to help. A referral to the right therapist is better than starting with the wrong one.
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