Therapy for Stress in NYC
A hand for when life feels overwhelming
Life is full of stress — work deadlines, family responsibilities, health scares, major transitions.
In New York, that can mean long hours and constant hustle, the daily grind of crowded subway commutes, being far from family and longtime friends when you could really use a hug, and paying sky-high rent for barely enough room to breathe. Or maybe you know the ache of trying to date with sincerity in a sea of apps, or the loneliness that sometimes hides behind a packed schedule.
Many people seeking therapy for stress in New York feel like they’ve already tried everything—self-help, mindfulness apps, short-term fixes. But the stress keeps coming back, showing up in tense muscles, digestive trouble, headaches, drinking too much, smoking, using other drugs, and wearing them down in quiet ways. Emotional exhaustion builds. You’re keeping it together on the outside, but inside, it’s hard to catch your breath.
Meet Dr. Gottdiener
- PhD psychologist with 25+ years treating clients with chronic stress
- Board-certified specialist in psychoanalytic & psychodynamic psychology, psychoanalysis, and addiction psychology
- Professor & former director of doctoral program in clinical psychology at CUNY
- Both in-person (Midtown Manhattan) and telehealth options available
Understand the Root of Your Stress, Not Just Manage It
In our work together, we won’t just focus on putting out fires. Instead, we’ll explore how you relate to stress—what it stirs up emotionally, what patterns you find yourself repeating, and how those responses may be shaped by past experiences.
There are plenty of strategies out there to help you manage stress, such as changing your thoughts, doing breathing exercises, and trying to stay in the moment. These can be helpful, especially in the short term.
But when those tools stop working—or never fully do—it’s often because the stress is rooted in emotional templates you’ve carried for years: how you learned to handle pressure growing up, how you see yourself in relationships, or fears that may be just beneath the surface.
This often shows up in patterns—overcommitting, avoiding conflict, putting others first, staying constantly busy to avoid feeling stuck. These responses may have once helped you cope, but over time, they can leave you feeling disconnected from yourself.
In psychodynamic therapy, we don’t just talk about what’s happening—we help you get to the heart of things by exploring why. We look at how early experiences, unconscious emotions and beliefs, and relationship dynamics might be shaping how you respond to pressure now.
Over and over in my decades of experience as a psychologist and psychotherapist, I’ve seen this kind of insight create space for lasting change. Not just coping better, but living with a stronger sense of direction, emotional freedom, and depth.
You too can gain more clarity, more space to breathe, and a stronger sense of who you are in the face of it all.
And something shifts—you begin to live from the inside out, not just the outside in. From that steadier place, you're no longer just reacting out of habit, pressure, or fear.
Even when the world outside stays loud, you begin to carry a quiet inside. That’s where real change begins.
Make Mental Space for Yourself in NYC
I offer psychodynamic therapy for stress, burnout, and emotional overwhelm—whether you're feeling chronically overextended, emotionally drained, or just tired of pushing through on your own.
Sessions are available in person in Midtown Manhattan or virtually anywhere in New York State.
If you’re curious about working together, I offer an initial 15-minute consultation to talk about what’s been going on, answer your questions, and see if we’re a good fit. There’s no pressure to commit—and if I’m not the right person to help, I’ll gladly refer you to someone in my trusted network.