individual therapy
We provide active, depth-oriented, collaborative therapy with adults and teens, with in-person sessions available at our Brooklyn office and virtual therapy for clients across New York State.
We are trauma-informed and fully affirming of all gender identities and sexual orientations.
At the heart of this work is a simple idea: meaningful change doesn’t begin with fixing yourself; it begins with understanding yourself.
In-Person in Brooklyn & Virtual Across New York State
We approach individual therapy from a contemporary psychodynamic perspective.
From this foundation we integrate relational-interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral (CBT), dialectical-behavioral (DBT), solution-focused, and mindfulness techniques depending on each client’s individual needs and goals for therapy.
what does this all mean?
It means that first and foremost you have to know yourself, meaning deeply understand why you tick the way you do, before any lasting change can take place. As your therapist, we participate like a guide in developing that self-understanding. We meet you where you are and then foster curiosity with you about you. Together, we explore your blindspots in knowing yourself, your patterns, where you get stuck, and what role you play in what isn’t working for you.
Sometimes this process of growing self-awareness requires looking at the past. This is because part of learning something new often requires unlearning something old. This might also require a process of healing or acceptance of past hurts, disappointments, or losses before taking control of the present and future.
Other times the process of learning about yourself means focusing on the here and now. How do your expectations, fears, beliefs, and behaviors influence your approach to love, friendship, communication, work, and play? Therapy is the laboratory where you can examine your thoughts, feelings, and interpersonal interactions down to their essence. When your awareness about the way you treat yourself, approach relationships, and interact with others starts being known it stops being automatic. That’s where change and growth have an opportunity to come in. In fact, your relationship with the therapist itself may be the first place to start to safely experiment with new ways of communicating and interacting.
Once you and your therapist have a solid understanding of the patterns that are getting in the way of what you want from life and from your relationships, then action begins. You now have the freedom to make the changes that will allow you to experience a more fulfilling life. Your therapist will be your collaborator in making those changes. Part of this process will be deciding together how to alter those pieces that are within your control and how to cope differently with those that are not.
And that’s how we do therapy. It all starts with the Groundwork and grows from there.
Individual therapy at Groundwork Therapy is offered in-person at our Brooklyn office, with virtual options available to clients across New York State. Sessions are tailored to your goals, pace, and needs. Learn more about in-person individual therapy in Brooklyn.
therapy starts with understanding, not fixing
Many people come to therapy hoping for relief from something that feels stuck: a pattern, a relationship dynamic, an emotional response that keeps repeating even when they understand it logically. From a contemporary psychodynamic foundation, individual therapy is a space to slow those patterns down and explore what they might be driving them beneath the surface and keep them in motion.
In our work together, we integrate relational and interpersonal therapy, CBT, DBT, solution-focused approaches, and mindfulness tools depending on your needs. But techniques are never the starting point. Curiosity is.
As therapists in Brooklyn, our role is not to tell you who to be. It is to help you understand how you became who you are, and what parts of that are still shaping your life in ways that may no longer serve you.
what therapy actually looks like
Individual therapy is not a single method or formula. It is a process of developing deeper self-understanding so that change becomes possible from the inside out.
This often means paying attention to patterns that operate quietly in the background, such as:
How you respond to closeness, distance, or conflict
The beliefs you hold about yourself, often unconsciously
The ways you cope with stress, uncertainty, or emotional intensity
Repeated relational dynamics that feel familiar but painful
Moments where you feel stuck, disconnected, or overwhelmed
Sometimes this work involves looking at the past, not to stay there, but to understand how it continues to live in the present.
Because part of learning something new is often unlearning something old.
Early experiences, relationships, and environments can shape how you see yourself and how you expect others to respond to you. Therapy gives space to notice these influences and begin loosening their hold.
working in the present moment
While understanding the past can be important, therapy is equally focused on what is happening in your life right now.
How do your internal patterns show up in:
Relationships and communication
Work and performance
Intimacy and emotional closeness
Decision-making and avoidance
Self-care, rest, and boundaries
In many ways, therapy becomes a space where your inner world becomes visible in real time. We don’t just talk about your patterns, we notice them as they unfold.
What happens when you feel misunderstood? What happens when you feel too close, too distant, too overwhelmed, or not enough?
As awareness grows, what once felt automatic begins to slow down. And in that space, choice becomes possible.
the therapeutic relationship as a living experience
One of the most important parts of therapy is not just what we talk about, but what happens between you and your therapist.
The relationship itself becomes a place where patterns can be gently observed and understood. This includes how you relate to support, trust, boundaries, closeness, or emotional expression in real time.
In this space, you are not expected to perform or present a polished version of yourself. Instead, you are invited to notice what it feels like to be in a relationship differently, perhaps in ways that are more honest, more supported, or more attuned than what you have experienced before.
For many people seeking therapy in Brooklyn, this relational experience becomes one of the first places where new ways of being with others can actually be practiced, not just imagined.
from awareness to change
As patterns become clearer, therapy naturally shifts. Insight alone is not the end goal. It is the beginning of something more active.
Together, we begin to explore:
What is within your control
What is outside your control
What patterns you want to change
What needs acceptance or grieving
What new responses you want to build
This is where therapy becomes collaborative in a deeper sense. You are not being guided toward a “better version” of yourself. You are being supported in building a life that feels more aligned, more grounded, and more honest.
Change is not forced. It emerges from understanding.
who we work with
We offer individual therapy in Brooklyn for both adults and teens navigating a wide range of emotional, relational, and developmental experiences.
THERAPY FOR ADULTS
We support adults experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, life transitions, dating and relationship challenges, gender and sexuality exploration, stress, family dynamics, career concerns, self-esteem struggles, identity exploration, loneliness, ADHD, infidelity, parenting challenges, fertility concerns, and difficulty staying present.
For adults, therapy often becomes a space to untangle long-standing patterns and reconnect with a more authentic internal sense of self.
therapy for teens
We also support teens navigating anxiety, loneliness, school avoidance, ADHD, identity exploration, depression, body image concerns, social anxiety, anger, stress, family conflict, sibling dynamics, and major life transitions such as divorce.
Teen therapy focuses on emotional awareness, regulation, and identity development during a formative stage of life.
Read more about our work with teens here.
an integrative and responsive approach
There is no single way to do therapy well for everyone.
That’s why our approach is integrative, flexible, and tailored to your needs. Depending on what feels most helpful, therapy may include:
Psychodynamic exploration for deeper insight
CBT tools for shifting thought patterns
DBT skills for emotional regulation and distress tolerance
Solution-focused strategies for clarity and direction
Mindfulness practices for grounding and awareness
What matters most is not the modality, it’s whether the work helps you feel more connected to yourself and on the path to change, growth, and healing.
how therapy begins
Starting therapy often begins with a conversation.
In early sessions, we explore what brings you in, what you’ve been carrying, and what you hope might shift. There is no pressure to have clarity from the start. Clarity is something we build together. Over time, therapy becomes a process of noticing, understanding, and slowly shifting patterns that once felt fixed.
Therapy in brooklyn and across New York state
We offer in-person sessions in Brooklyn, providing a grounded and consistent space for depth-oriented work. For clients across New York State, virtual sessions offer the same level of presence, care, and collaboration, with added flexibility and accessibility.
Whether in person or online, the intention remains the same: to create a space where you can understand yourself more deeply and begin to relate to your life with more clarity and choice.
beginning therapy in brooklyn
You don’t need to arrive at therapy with everything figured out. You don’t need to be in crisis. You don’t need to know exactly what to change. You only need a willingness to begin.
Starting therapy is not about becoming someone different. It is about understanding yourself so clearly that you are no longer living on autopilot.
And from that place, change stops being something you force, and starts becoming something that naturally unfolds.