At the heart of our work is a simple but profound conviction: that the quality of our relationships shapes the quality of our lives.
Our Philosophy
Most of us find our way to therapy through relationships — a partnership that feels stuck, a family dynamic that keeps causing pain, a pattern with friends or colleagues that we can't seem to escape. Or we arrive carrying symptoms like anxiety or depression that, when we look closely, are often rooted in how we relate to others and to ourselves.
We all develop ways of connecting — and protecting ourselves — that made sense at some point in our lives. Perhaps you learned early on to take care of everyone around you while quietly setting your own needs aside. Perhaps trusting others has always felt risky, or you find yourself in the same painful dynamic no matter how many times you try to start fresh. These patterns aren't character flaws. They are adaptations — often remarkably creative ones — that deserve to be understood rather than simply overcome.
Our work is to help you understand where those patterns came from, how they're showing up in your life today, and how to begin relating to yourself and others in ways that feel more authentic and more free.
We also believe that the relationship between therapist and client is not just a backdrop to the work — it is the work. Research consistently shows that the therapeutic relationship is one of the most powerful drivers of meaningful change. We take that seriously. We bring our full attention and genuine care to every session, and we work collaboratively with each client to create a space that feels safe enough for real honesty and real growth.
We recognize that who you are — your race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, body size, ability, and the many other dimensions of your identity — shapes your experience of the world in profound ways, including the ways that systemic oppression may have touched your life. We are anti-racist, LGBTQ+ affirming, intersectional, and pro-choice. We don't ask you to leave any part of yourself at the door. All of who you are is welcome here, and we are committed to holding space for honest, open conversation about whatever feels most true and most pressing for you.
We offer sessions in person at our New York City office and via telehealth throughout New York State.
Meet Our Therapists
Jessica Shimberg, Ph.D.
Co-Founder
Dr. Jessica Shimberg is a licensed clinical psychologist with over fifteen years of experience. She works with adults who are ready to look honestly at themselves — their patterns, their histories, and the ways those histories continue to shape their present lives. Her approach is psychodynamic and relational, grounded in the belief that real change becomes possible when we understand ourselves more fully and extend ourselves genuine compassion in the process.
Dr. Shimberg has a particular interest in working with people navigating the lasting effects of growing up in a dysfunctional or emotionally immature family. This includes the subtle but pervasive ways that early relational experiences show up in adult life — in relationships, in self-worth, in the body, and in the major decisions we face. She brings both clinical depth and personal attunement to sensitive areas including body image, reproductive health, pregnancy loss, abortion, and the complex and often unspoken terrain of family planning — including the choice to be childfree.
Her other areas of focus include relationship difficulties, perfectionism, and the inner work of building healthier boundaries and a more compassionate relationship with oneself.
Dr. Shimberg earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Adelphi University's Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies. She completed her doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Rutgers University's Counseling Center, and has worked across a range of settings including college counseling centers, community mental health, and psychiatric research. She has been in private practice since 2012.
Dana Cohen, Psy.D.
Co-Founder
Dr. Dana Cohen is a licensed clinical psychologist with over fifteen years of experience. She works with women across all stages of adult life, bringing warmth, presence, and a deep commitment to understanding each client's experience on its own terms. Her approach is collaborative and psychodynamic — she and her clients work together to explore the roots of distress and find their way toward genuine relief, greater self-understanding, and lasting peace of mind.
Dr. Cohen has developed a particular expertise in women's mental health across the lifespan, with a special focus on the relational and emotional terrain of reproductive life. She works with women navigating family planning decisions — including the choice to be childfree — as well as pregnancy, abortion, and pregnancy loss. She is also deeply committed to supporting women through the perinatal experience: helping clients prepare for empowered, positive birth experiences, process births that didn't go as expected, and adjust to the profound identity shift that motherhood and parenthood can bring. She has completed specialized training in maternal mental health at the Seleni Institute in New York City.
Her work also encompasses the broader relational world — romantic partnerships, family dynamics, and friendships — as well as stress, anxiety, and the attachment bonds that form between parents and their babies and young children.
Dr. Cohen earned her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from George Washington University. She completed her doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Rutgers University's Counseling Center, and has provided therapy and psychological testing for children, adolescents, and adults across a range of clinical settings. She has been in private practice since 2012.