Shira Spiel

I am here to collaborate with you to find the best path forward, whether you're going through a difficult life transition, need to process painful or traumatic events, need help managing complex emotions, or want to strengthen your relationships with your family, friends, or yourself. Therapy illuminates the patterns we find ourselves in, and also provides ways of coping with the distress resulting from these patterns. Through understanding how our past and present circumstances affect us, we cultivate empathy for ourselves and those around us.

I work with individuals of all ages (adults, teens, and children). I specialize in trauma, anxiety, life transitions, depression, relational difficulties, work/school stress, and issues related to identity. My approach includes Relational Psychodynamic therapy, metaphor, Attachment theory, Trauma focused approaches, CBT and DBT techniques, and Mindfulness. With children I utilize Play Therapy, Mindfulness, as well as behavioral methods.

I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Adelphi University, the Derner School of Psychology. Before entering private practice full time, I co-led a program for children, teens, and families affected by trauma at the Family Advocacy Program at NYC H+H Jacobi Medical Center. I worked in hospital inpatient and outpatient programs for adults and children, a psychoanalytic center, therapeutic schools, and outpatient clinics for adults, teens, and children. I have taught masters and doctoral level psychology classes on trauma, and supervise both masters and doctoral level clinicians.