Hello,
I'm Jonathan Ames, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist. I address immediate needs and situations as well as longer-term mental healing. With decades of practice and my own analysis and therapy, I provide psychotherapy to relieve continued suffering, confusion, and emotional pain -- working with preteens to older adults, individually, in couples, groups, and families. My frame of reference is relational -- concerned with past and current relationships clients have experienced, and how these may be improved or even transformed. Thus we often consider the effects and residue of past trauma.
Symptomatically, I address Adjustment Problems; Relationships; Bereavement; Depression/Mood Disorders; Anxiety; Coping with Illness; Managing Aging; Parenting Issues; Obsessions and Compulsions; Food, Alcohol and Drug-related Matters; Dealing with Stress and Wellness; Trauma and Dissociation; Thought Disturbances; Neurodevelopment Differences, Critical Incident Debriefing/PTSD Support, and so on. Framed differently, I support growing and sometimes grieving, leading to the development of resilience and mindfulness. Therapy can range from a few sessions to years of engagement. It is always a collaborative process.
(Going up or down?)
I also provide consulting and coaching to people strongly committed to making something in their life work better, or finally come into existance– a relationship, an employment situation, a schedule or plan. In such cases, Life Coaching may offer the most direct, timely support for your success.
While life-coaching and psychotherapy certainly overlap, they are different in emphasis. Life coaching involves commitment to achievement of particular goals, and is typically future-oriented and time-limited (i.e., until you get there, or see the light at the end of the tunnel). Psychotherapy is more about traumatic healing, recovery, integration and longer-term change, as well as opening to new, perhaps previously feared or unimagined possibilities in life.
A key practical difference is that insurance covers only psychotherapy, which requires a diagnosis, and justification of treatment as medically beneficial (which I handle). In situations where insurance is inappropriate or unavailable, I offer a sliding scale when necessary.
Either approach starts with developing client self-acceptance: it's okay to have the issue; concerns are better recognized than ignored -- in fact, they become pathways. During our initial interview we consider what sort of approach is most suitable for your situation. Currently I am in-network with Aetna, Fidelis, Empire/Beacon Options, and several local insurers; and am listed as an out-of-network provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield. In situations where people have out-of-network benefits and I am not in the client's insurance network, I provide statements including diagnosis and treatment codes, which the client can submit to their insurer for reimbursement.
This website describes my work and orientation. Please take a look and let me know if you think I might be helpful.
While life-coaching and psychotherapy certainly overlap, they are different in emphasis. Life coaching involves commitment to achievement of particular goals, and is typically future-oriented and time-limited (i.e., until you get there, or see the light at the end of the tunnel). Psychotherapy is more about traumatic healing, recovery, integration and longer-term change, as well as opening to new, perhaps previously feared or unimagined possibilities in life.
A key practical difference is that insurance covers only psychotherapy, which requires a diagnosis, and justification of treatment as medically beneficial (which I handle). In situations where insurance is inappropriate or unavailable, I offer a sliding scale when necessary.
Either approach starts with developing client self-acceptance: it's okay to have the issue; concerns are better recognized than ignored -- in fact, they become pathways. During our initial interview we consider what sort of approach is most suitable for your situation. Currently I am in-network with Aetna, Fidelis, Empire/Beacon Options, and several local insurers; and am listed as an out-of-network provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield. In situations where people have out-of-network benefits and I am not in the client's insurance network, I provide statements including diagnosis and treatment codes, which the client can submit to their insurer for reimbursement.
This website describes my work and orientation. Please take a look and let me know if you think I might be helpful.