Stefanie Landau (she/her)

The nature nurture debate is real. Based on our hardwiring at birth and our environment during early development, we form perceptions of the world and of important people in our lives. These perceptions may be "the world is unsafe and people are unpredictable, dangerous or scary" or "the world is safe and people are predictable." These attachment styles shape our thoughts, feelings and behaviors throughout life. Therapy can help to establish more secure attachment patterns.

Relational therapy is unique from other treatment modalities because it places greater emphasis on the relationship between the client and the therapist. I believe that much more can be learned from the collaboration of two minds; therefore, I aim to create a space for mutual reciprocity. In any relationship, each person brings with them their own life experiences, expectations, and opinions. By holding in mind both sameness and difference, this process can promote tremendous relational healing.

Anxiety is a blanket term for the body's fight, flight, freeze response. It serves a protective function, but in current times, many people's fight or flight response is in overdrive. It is unlikely that an exam, asking your boss for a raise or meeting a new person will cause us physical harm. I help clients identify and understand their anxiety cues and learn to engage with their body's physiological responses so that they can use anxiety in a healthy productive manner.

Genocide, racism, antisemitism, poverty and white supremacy are examples of historical traumas that cause suffering in generations proceeding the initial trauma. Sometimes, the connection is not apparent at face value. I encourage clients to expand their narrative of "what happened to me" to include "what happened to those who came before me." This intergenerational perspective can create space for greater appreciation of how you got here and give you freedom to make alternative choices.

In today's society, women are more empowered and more stressed out than they have ever been. As their voices and visibility grow louder and brighter, so does the pressure women feel to "have it all" and to "do it all flawlessly." This cultural and internal pressure has detrimental effects on physical, emotional and spiritual health. I open my door to you to have a safe space to make mistakes, embrace your flaws as beautiful, and to own that you are enough just as you are.

Rooted in Freudian psychoanalysis, psychodynamic therapy is informed by the belief that the client has the ability to heal their own suffering. Therapy is simply a vehicle to speed up this process by bringing awareness to root causes in an intentional way. Some of the ways I do this are by paying attention to wishes, fantasies, dreams and strategies for coping with distress. I invite all parts of you into this process, including the parts you may dislike the most.