Kaerensa Craft, LCSW, PSYCHOTHERAPY

NY, NY | Montclair, NJ

Hello and welcome to my practice. I provide psychotherapy to help people improve their satisfaction with life through increasing self-understanding and trying out new things. I meet with people by telehealth and in person in midtown-Manhattan (near FIT & Penn Station) and in Montclair, NJ.

People often meet with me to work on things like…

relationship and interpersonal problems

depression

anxiety

problem drinking / alcohol use disorders

feeling stuck / adjusting to change

existential concerns

For mental health providers, I offer professional clinical consultation.

APPROACH

I practice from an integrated approach of behavioral and psychodynamic models. I am formally trained in Psychodynamic and Relational Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I am also trained in evidenced-based interventions The Flash Technique, a therapeutic process to reduce the distress associated with traumatic or other disturbing memories.

I start with the “here-and-now” to address immediate concerns of clients, and draw from different treatment models to increase self-awareness, add perspective, and strengthen skills to better manage thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Earlier life experiences are explored as they relate to present-day challenges, and may be explored in-depth over time to help resolve deeply-rooted issues. I am feminist-identified and LGBTQIA-affirming.

ABOUT

I completed my Master’s degree in Social Work at Columbia University in 1999 and began my career in mental health providing services to families and individuals affected by social systems, including foster care, the criminal justice system, and public assistance.

In 2002, I began working with individuals struggling with alcohol and substance abuse problems at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, NY. I completed the NY State Certification in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling (CASAC) in 2008. Between 2009 and 2019, I provided psychotherapy for various research studies investigating moderation-focused interventions for alcohol use disorders.

Alongside my training in behavioral therapies, I pursued insight-oriented studies to help clients work through deeper issues. In 2005, I completed a 2-year training program in providing psychodynamic psychotherapy to adults at the  Psychoanalytic Association of NY. I completed 3 years of intensive studies with the Stephen Mitchell Center for Relational Studies in 2014.

I have lived and worked in NYC for 25 years, and have been in private practice for over 20 years.

Visit my PsychologyToday profile.