Sima Ariam, PhD., CGP
Therapy that frees you to be the person you were meant to be...
ABOUT DR. ARIAM
I am a licensed psychologist in New York State (Lic. # 6865) and have been practicing for over 20 years. I received my Master's degree in Psychology from Columbia University and Ph.D. from New York University. I was born in Israel and speak fluent Hebrew as well as English. I have 25 years of experience leading workshops and groups on eating disorders.
I am a Certified Group Psychotherapist and a member of major professional associations, such as the American Psychological Association (APA), American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA), Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society (EGPS), International Association for Group Psychotherapy (IAGP), and Group Analytical Society International (GASI), and have conducted many workshops at their conferences in the U.S. and abroad.
I have appeared and been interviewed on radio and television, and my articles and essays have been published internationally, in English and Hebrew.
For more, see my listing on Psychology Today here.
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
"When I look I am seen, so I exist. I can now afford to look and see. I now look creatively and what I apperceive, I also perceive."
D.W. Winnicott
Michelangelo described his work this way: "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." I love that metaphor, and believe my work reflects a similar process.
I see the angel in your narrative. Together, we "carve" off the self-defeating behaviors so that your authentic self may emerge.
How? By using mirroring therapy together. This kind of contemplative and reflective therapy facilitates a back and forth movement through your resistances and limitations and reveals aspects of your self that had been denied expression. Mirroring therapy opens the door toward better choices in life and allows for a more enlivened self to emerge--spontaneous, free and involved.
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
"God is the self of the world but you cannot see God for the same reason that without a mirrror you can't see your own eyes."
Joseph Campbell, On Myths
In individual therapy, we use dreams, stories and fleeting thoughts as mirrors to relax defenses that once worked to protect you but now no longer serve you. . Through empathic, intense listening and observation--not only to your words but also to tone, body language, , rhythms and omissions---we shed light on what restricted your growth and together uncover your true self. You will find life more engaging and vital and develop greater self-awareness and healthier relationships. You will feel truly alive.
GROUP, COUPLES & FAMILY THERAPY
"We need to be able to see through others as well as to be seen by them in order to survive and prosper."
Malcolm Pines
In group, couples or family therapy settings, you will see yourself in and through the reflection of the "other" (or many others, like a "hall of mirrors"). This will shed light on your defense mechanisms that get in the way of functioning in healthy relationships. Working in a group setting facilitates the courage to be vulnerable, which is essential for intimacy and relationship building. Also, through revisiting the old "stories" together, mirrored with members of your family or group, you take in new voices, and thus perceive the old "stories" in a new way.
EATING DISORDERS
"Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."
Hippocrates
Imagine you can eat anything you want. Now imagine that what you want is healthy food that makes you feel great. Imagine losing your cravings for foods that make you unhealthy, angry and depressed. This is what happens when you nourish your authentic self. This approach is not about dieting. It's about discovering who you are and what you truly want.
I am a pioneer in the field of eating disorders, having studied eating disorders cross-culturally, and run workshops and groups in the United States and abroad.
Through more than 20 years of working with patients, I have developed an innovative approach. I work on weight issues from the outside in…and from the inside out.
Using food as a mirror to reflect and reveal the wishes, wants and desires that were repressed, squelched or forgotten, you will learn to listen, identify, verbalize and release buried and unacknowledged feelings. In this supportive, loving environment, you will learn to connect to your true self and thus free yourself from the viscious “food-diet cycle” and the tyrannical rule of compulsive eating and restrictive dieting. You become the person you were meant to be and live the life you were meant to live.
FEES, INSURANCE, PRIVACY
Fees will be discussed during an intitial consultation. I will provide bills that you may submit to your insurer and services may be reimbursable by most insurers.
The law protects the relationship between a patient and a psychologist and information may not be disclosed without the written permission of the patient.