Todd Bresnick, Psychologist – ACTIVE PRACTICE

Dr Todd Bresnick, Psychologist

heal | thrive | grow

GROWTH PRACTICE

Therapy has the potential to go beyond treatment of symptoms to deeper growth. Growth in understanding yourself. Growth in learning how to navigate aspects of yourself, of others, of life. Growth in seeing more clearly, in your ability to find perspective. Growth in resonating and flowing with yourself and life rather than moving from one set of cloudy emotions and reactions to another. Growth in your ability to connect with others and with life. We can only go so far in such growth through our own explorations. It is in exploring with someone who can see the things that we are blind to in ourselves and what is around us that we can grow to further levels. A good therapist can inspire, challenge, nurture, heal, teach and co-create with you. This requires a therapist with knowledge, life experience, wisdom, creativity, emotional depth, caring and intelligence. Value yourself and life enough to choose a therapist that will help you heal, help you fulfill your potential and help you contribute to the world as a clear, vibrant person.

Life’s challenges, difficult as they may be, are the key to furthering growth and depth. I will call upon a range of tools and life lessons, from insight to experiential, to help you find your way out of the confusion of repeated patterns and into a sense of safety, strength and forward movement. We’ll use the tools in active collaboration so that eventually they are yours. And you may find that we have a very good time together along the way.

CHOOSING A THERAPIST

In my years speaking with clients about their experiences in therapy and with other therapists I’ve come to believe that the most important difference between therapists is whether they are an active or a passive therapist. These two categories aren’t established by orientation or training, but by the type of person the therapist is. By the experiences the therapist has had. By how the therapist sees the world and what it is to be human. By the wisdom the therapist has gained and has to give. By whether the therapist has found the strength and inspiration to deepen themselves, and the dedication to a better world in which we all help each other grow.

I had a client start therapy with me by telling me that she had been meeting with a therapist who mostly asked her how she felt about things and that she wanted more than that out of therapy. She was seeing what I would call a passive therapist. Much, much more is possible in therapy. Good therapy can change your life, can open ways of being that you couldn’t have imagined. I’ve seen this and been honored to be part of it many times, but such therapy requires so much creativity, engagement of intelligence, as well as mental and emotional energy that many therapists never practice such therapy. Listening well is an important part of therapy, but most people don’t come to therapy only to find a good listener, but to learn how to navigate their own emotions, how to relate more fully and deeply, how to be happier, how to live a better life. We can only learn so much about these from our own reflections. There are skills to be taught, perspectives to be given, challenges to be imparted, practices to be passed down. We are, in our essence, relational beings, and our growth is a relational experience. Speaker and listener is a limited relationship. Look for a therapist who actively engages with you, who inspires you, who has wisdom to give you, who uses their wisdom to help you find your own wisdom.

“Dr. Bresnick is a wonderful therapist. I have consistently felt that he is fully present and genuinely invested in collaborating with me to find real solutions to problems in my life that have been a source of anxiety, stagnation, and general unhappiness. Through our conversations I have felt safe to question some taken-for-granted assumptions about how my life and relationships should be, and have built confidence to make changes – both big and small – that have been a catalyst for personal growth. Dr. Bresnick conveys genuine respect for my experiences and insights, and I would describe our sessions as truly collaborative – whether it is in navigating through a time of crisis, or in learning new, concrete ways to achieve greater balance and fulfillment in my life. His knowledge of the research in his field is clearly extensive and up to date, and he applies it to offer alternative perspectives and practical solutions while maintaining a collaborative atmosphere. He is warm, empathic, and has a good sense of humor. I would (and have) recommended him to my friends.”

Over 20 Years Experience

In Invidual and Couples Work

My Training

Supervision & Teaching

I supervise and teach upcoming therapists

MY OFFICE & CONTACT

699 Sackett St, Brooklyn, NY | drtoddbresnick@gmail.com | 917-722-1554 (please email initially)