Outwardly, you're holding it together. But privately, you avoid being alone for long, because then you’d have to sit with yourself and your thoughts. So you fill the quiet. You online shop, text friends and family to check in on them, make yourself a snack, or find an errand to run.
Maybe you’re the one everyone leans on, but when you’re feeling lonely or stressed, you shy away from reaching out to anyone.
Maybe something happened years ago that you thought you’d moved past. Now you catch yourself doing things that you’re pretty sure most people don’t. You check to see if your partner is breathing while he naps. When your mom is babysitting, you watch the nanny cam on your phone because you don’t fully trust her with the kids, even though she’s never given you a reason not to.
You know yourself well enough to know something needs to change. You just haven't been able to get there on your own.
Therapy is where we slow down and look at what’s really driving these patterns. The goal isn't just insight. It's to stop repeating what isn't working.
MEET ALISON MARKOWITZ, LCSW
Making Sense of Anxiety, Relationships & Trauma Therapy in New York, NY
Patterns I Help People Work Through in NYC
⟡ You get steamrolled by a colleague or boss and end up staying quiet, convincing yourself it wasn’t a big deal.
⟡ You skip the gym, put off the errand you’ve been meaning to do or cancel your own plans the moment someone else needs something from you.
⟡ You check your email three times after sending it wondering if it came across the right way.
⟡ You go on another date with someone you already know you don’t like because you feel like you should.
If scenarios like these feel familiar, you're in the right place. Patterns like these usually start as ways of coping, whether in childhood or through relationships and experiences later in life.
The trouble is they stick around. showing up at work, in relationships, and in how you treat yourself. Together we’ll figure out where yours came from and practice doing things differently, in ways that actually last.
HOW I APPROACH THERAPY IN NYC
My Values As A Therapist
AUTHENTICITY
You’ve probably gotten good at seeming fine. Here, you don’t have to be. Come as you really are. Bring the messy, undesirable and confusing parts. The ones keeping you stuck.
ACCEPTANCE
You don’t have to like what you’re faced with, or pretend it doesn’t hurt. We start by accepting whatever you’re carrying. It might include difficult feelings such as pain, sadness, uncertainty or fear.
CHANGE
You’ve probably tried to fix this by pushing harder, and it hasn’t worked. Letting things unfold on their own creates a ton of anxiety. Let’s figure out what’s keeping you stuck and help you feel more self-directed.
CONNECTION
You’re used to being the one everyone leans on and rarely get to be on the other side. Here, you do. Over time, I hope you’ll feel comfortable enough to let me be that person for you.
ALISON MARKOWITZ, LCSW
A Little More About Me, Your NYC Therapist
I'm not the kind of therapist who just nods and reflects things back at you. I'm engaged, direct, and I pay close attention. I'll notice things you might not, ask the questions that actually move things forward, and tell you what I'm seeing — even when it's uncomfortable.That said, this isn't about me having all the answers. It's about us figuring it out together.
I draw from a range of evidence-based approaches, including CBT, DBT, EMDR, and IFS, to help you understand your patterns, process what's been hard, and actually change how you respond. I don't apply them rigidly; I adapt them to fit you and what we're working on together.
I also bring practical tools, resources and exercises into our work so you can put what we’re exploring in therapy into practice in your everyday life. Over the years I’ve learned how to balance challenging you with supporting you. Sometimes that means helping you to step outside of your comfort zone, suggest a different perspective or question an assumption. Other times you may need patience, encouragement or simply a space to express yourself.
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Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
New York State License # 081206 -1
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Florida License # SW 26391
Master of Social Work (MSW), Fordham University
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EMDRIA-Certified EMDR Therapist
Advanced training in trauma-informed care
CBT, DBT, and IFS Training
Ongoing professional development in evidence-based treatment approaches
