The hardest thing about therapy, most people say, is making that first phone call ... which is why I believe it’s vitally important to have a therapist who creates a safe, open, and responsive space where you can speak freely, feel heard, and get some useful feedback.
I would describe myself as a warm and thoughtful listener who is able to share insights in a supportive environment where there is room for humor. I am a psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapist. Among other things, this means the agenda comes from you, and together we explore and work to understand what makes you tick, where the problems are, and how to find better solutions.
Life is often very hard, and we all struggle to find a way to live that allows for peace, happiness, and success. We live in a culture where quick fixes reign, so it's very tempting to seek short-term solutions. But the issues we deal with have generally taken root over many, many years of living in certain ways -- ways we may not even be aware of -- so developing new patterns of dealing with stressors, and making changes that will last, takes time.
And so, even as I value cognitive-behavioral techniques, it's my experience that the steady, in-depth work of analytically-oriented therapy, as understood and practiced in a contemporary manner (no silent man behind the couch!) is the best and surest way to live a richer, happier, more full life.
I have worked with a wide range of patients across a spectrum of all sorts of difficulties, and I am pleased to have helped so many people grow and move forward in their lives.
So if you're in pain, feeling stuck, going through a difficult time, tired of struggling alone, help is available.
The first phone call awaits ...
Matt Aibel, LCSW
offices in New York City and in Stony Brook, Long Island | 646.361.7677