Meet Your Therapist: How I Actually Work

I'm Alissa Friedlander, LCSW, and I practice psychodynamic and relational therapy in Brooklyn and NYC. My focus isn't on managing symptoms — it's on understanding what a pattern is doing and why it made sense in the first place, including how it shows up directly in the relationship between us.

I'm not neutral in the room, and I don't pretend to be. How you tell a story, what you leave out, how you respond to me — all of that is information, not small talk. This isn't quick, and I won't promise you it is. A pattern that took years to build doesn't loosen in six sessions. Naming a pattern isn't the same as loosening it. What I'm working toward is your sense of agency — not just insight.

If that approach resonates with you, I'd be glad to talk.