Corey Datz-Greenberg, LCSW
Specialties
Adults of all ages
It’s important to be able to rely on friends, family, and social connections for emotional support and growth. But therapy is different – it's your time and no one else's. You can say the things that other people in your life might not know how to hold. It’s the time to try ideas on for size even if you’ll discard them later. Time to get angry or sad in a space that’s safe. Be still, or be energetic. Be big, be small. All in the context of a developing therapeutic rapport where compassion and understanding is the foundational intention. It's a time to deepen into knowing and appreciating yourself better.
Couples
It takes vulnerability for people to invite a witness in to their relationships, but sometimes, that's exactly what it takes. Relationships can be tough. People often wonder if the therapist will take sides and whose. You’ve had to fight so hard for your voice to matter in this relationship, will that be acknowledged and respected? My role isn’t primarily to take sides. It's to create space for you to be able to explore and better understand each other's perspectives. We can look at your relationship from any side that's important to you. Conflict is inevitable, but I'm there to help you engage it in a way that feels productive and helpful. Together, we might ask: How did each of you learn to be in relationship, from your family of origin, culturally, from the society around us, your chosen families, your past relationships? Are there values you hold that you don’t know how to express? That it wouldn’t be fair for you to have to let go of? Are you worried what will happen if you let go of control? Or if you take control back? Do you need a space that's safe enough to express difficult feelings? Maybe you've lost a sense of aliveness that used to be there and you’re not ready to give up rediscovering it. I think of therapy as extra nourishment for relationships. The old rules and expectations have grown a tad stale and need attention to refresh. The work is to help you find a space where both of you can equally matter in one shared place.
Later Life
Many people ask as they get older if therapy is still worth it. But you don't stop being important. This is a time in life where the weight of our society's obsession with youth can feel alienating. The increased weight around questions of mortality, both our own and that of our peers, are a lot to be with and worth exploration. Getting support can make a big difference. I've really enjoyed my experiences working with people in this phase of life. In most ways, it's the same as any therapy, but there can be differences. I also find there's power and healing available in cross generational work. There's plenty to share and learn. I've seen how this can be a great time to explore. Therapy is a space where you might look back on experiences and legacy and deepen in the feeling of pride in who you've been and how you've touched the world around you. At the same time we'll be looking forward to what this special time in life can be and who you can still grow into. We have space to sit with everything, whether poignant, hard, beautiful, scary, exciting, or sad, that comes up as you live it.
Adolescents
There have never been more pressures on adolescents and the weight becomes too much at times. What can get lost is the space to figure out who you are and where you fit. What excites *you*? What does it even mean to feel excited?!?!? Maybe what you’d like is for that voice in your head always telling you you’re not good enough to quiet down and let you relax a bit. You don't want to lose motivation, but the critical voice sometimes works against us, leading to paralysis, anxiety, depression, or just plain insecurity. Therapy is a space where you learn to feel good about yourself, enjoy life as it happens, discover your passions, and feel empowered to reach for your goals. We'll start with what feels comfortable to share and go from there. Safety is important as a first step. My skills help you push your comfort zone out as it feels right. You are always in control. While I'm able to share with you perspectives or tools that I've found can be helpful, my starting place is that you already have everything needed inside you. It's my job to help you unlock it.