Yael Schwartz, Ph.D

Therapy can be a powerful catalyst for change which can help you increase insight into unhelpful patterns in your life, promote healing from incredibly painful experiences, deepen your relationship with yourself and others, promote personal growth and evolution, and clarify what is most important to you in order to live a more meaningful life. As a therapist, I consider it an honor to partner with you in working toward becoming the person you would like to be and helping you build a life which brings greater fulfillment, meaning, and joy, even in the face of life’s inevitable setbacks, losses, and disappointments.

My approach is flexible, client-centered, active, open, and collaborative. My number one priority is truly getting to know you as a whole person so that I can best help you address the struggle, pain, and desire for change that bring you to therapy. I consider openness and honesty fundamental ingredients for a positive therapeutic relationship and I work hard to create a safe and non-judgemental environment which facilitates open, honest communication from both ends of the therapeutic relationship. I consider myself eclectic and utilize elements from various approaches including, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Compassion-Focused Therapy, and Psychodynamic therapy.

I am warm, analytical, attentive, understanding, honest, and humorous, and I bring these elements of my personality to my role as a therapist. A bit about me: I am a native New Yorker, currently living in Brooklyn. I graduated with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Adelphi University, the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, in Garden City, N.Y in 2023. I love travel, the sea, sunshine, all kinds of physical movement including yoga, dance, and sports, theater, long drives, new experiences, and spending time with family and friends.

A note: finding/choosing a therapist is hard! So much research has shown that therapist-client “fit” is one of the most, if not the most, important elements for therapy to be helpful, and my own experience has shown this to be true. I hope that the information and flair in this bio gives you some sense of who I am so as to help you navigate the process of finding a therapist who works for you and your needs. If you have the sense that my style and approach may be compatible with what you hope to gain from therapy, I look forward to getting to know you soon!