Stephen Shainbart

Message to clients

What makes me different than most therapists on this site? A few things, in my opinion.

Perhaps the most important difference is that I am an active and straightforward therapist. This means that I will provide you with ample constructive feedback during our time together to facilitate your growth and help you change. I actually will tell you what I really think. I am not one of those therapists who sits there silently, saying little more than “go on” or “that sounds hard.” Too often, that is an expensive waste of time. My style is based on a collaborative model in which we participate in mutual conversation. I believe that empathy and kindness are essential in psychotherapy, but they do not have to come at the expense of helpful, clear, and usable feedback. Together, through this constructive and active dialogue, we will figure out why you are feeling and behaving they way you are - and we will find a way to change it.

Another difference is that I use humor to facilitate the therapeutic process. I see no contradiction between taking the work very seriously and at times being funny and playful at appropriate times. Looking at yourself and changing is hard work and a very serious and difficult endeavor, and humor and play are often very helpful, even necessary, in that difficult process.

Let’s go.