Who I work with
Therapy for creatives and artists
You can make the thing. What's harder is being a person on the days you can't, and on the days after it's finished and the room goes quiet.
You might recognize
Some of this may sound familiar
- You finish something good and mostly feel relief that you got away with it.
- One critical note outlasts a month of praise.
- Rest reads as a risk, so you keep scheduling over it.
- The voice that pushes the work and the voice that tears it down turn out to be the same voice.
In the work
What we actually do
The critic as a part
Internal Family Systems doesn't treat the critic as a character defect. It treats it as a part of you with a job, usually an old one, usually protective. We slow down enough to ask what it believes will happen if it ever stops talking.
Somatic work, no touch
Somatic and experiential psychotherapy means we track what your body is doing while we talk — the held breath, the jaw, the flinch that arrives before the thought. There is no physical touch in this work. Sessions are 50 minutes and usually weekly, by telehealth, with you in New York State.
Making, worth, and the gap between
Somewhere along the line the work became the evidence that you're allowed to take up space. That's a heavy job to hand a draft or a canvas. We look at where that arrangement got made and what it has cost you to keep it running.
“I'm especially drawn to working with creatives, artists, entrepreneurs, queer folks, and people recovering from high-demand religions, because all of those things have been part of my personal experience.”
FAQ
Questions people ask
Will therapy take the edge off my work?
This comes up often, and I don't treat the fear as silly. What I'd say is that the edge and the self-punishment aren't the same thing, even when they've been fused together for a long time. Therapy outcomes are not guaranteed, and I won't tell you in advance what yours will be.
Do I have to be making something right now?
No. Some people arrive mid-project and some arrive in a long silence, and the silence is often the reason they called. You don't need a body of work to qualify for your own attention.
Where do I have to be for sessions?
Weekly therapy takes place via telehealth. I am licensed in New York and can only offer psychotherapy services to people who reside in New York State, which means you need to be physically located in New York State at the time of each session.
What does it cost?
Individual psychotherapy is $235 for a 50-minute session, usually weekly. I'm out of network with all insurance plans and there is no sliding scale. I provide a monthly superbill you can submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement, though reimbursement is never guaranteed, and a Good Faith Estimate is available.
What if things get bad between sessions?
If you are in danger right now, call or text 988 or dial 911. This site isn't a crisis service and email is not monitored for emergencies.
How do we start?
There's a free initial consultation, 15 to 20 minutes, by video or phone, with no obligation on either side. You can reach me at melanie@embodiedwithmelanie.com, and booking runs through Carepatron.
Start with a free consultation
A short conversation to see whether we would be a good fit for working together. Weekly therapy takes place via telehealth. I am licensed in New York and can only offer psychotherapy services to people who reside in New York State.