Licensed Psychologist
Relationship & Intimacy Mentor
Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here.
I acknowledge you for taking this step, whether you’ve been in therapy in the past or considering it for the first time. As you navigate this page, I hope you’ll get a sense of my services, my approach to personal-growth and the potential “fit” between us. Additionally, meeting in person for an evaluation period of two to four sessions can help us determine if psychotherapy makes sense for you at this time and if I am a good match for you as a psychologist.
Research demonstrates that the quality of relationship with your therapist is the most significant predictor of a successful treatment. When selecting a therapist, I encourage you to consider your own ‘gut’ feelings and reactions to being in the same room together.
I make every effort to provide a welcoming, accepting, and confidential environment where a safe space is co-created and trust can develop and deepen over time. I am committed to being a sensitive listener and honoring the full range of your feelings and reactions. When I work with couples, I strive to listen and understand each partner from within his or her own perspective and subjective experience.
My psychotherapy practice in Livingston, NJ, is dedicated to working within the interfacing spheres of relationships, sexuality, fertility and parenthood. My services are designed with clients in mind, with both in-person and tele-coaching options available.
DECIDING TO BEGIN THERAPY
People enter treatment for many reasons and in many different states. Whether you are coping with an immediate crisis or sorting through longer-standing difficulties, psychotherapy can help.
I will work with you to clarify your most urgent needs and establish the rhythm and direction of our work together. We will explore the possibilities you envision for yourself and your hopes for how therapy can help you. Your body-experiences such as muscle tension, breathing patterns, body-language, acute or chronic pain, and other physical sensations can also guide our work together.
If alternative services appear to be a better match for your needs, I will offer to direct you to those resources.
THERAPY SERVICES
Couples Therapy
Couples have a powerful opportunity to invigorate, repair, and deepen their connection in couples therapy. The partners we are attracted to and fall in love with delight us and meet many of our needs; however, we are also likely to experience inevitable disappointment...
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Sexuality & Intimacy
Unfortunately, 3 out of every 4 couples I work with say their biggest struggle is holding onto the connection with each other, while being chronically sleep-deprived, feeling like their bodies are not their own, figuring out shifting roles and responsibilities...
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Individual Therapy
Significant life transitions such as marriage or divorce, an affair, the transition to parenthood, a new job, illness, loss, or trauma can also trigger or overwhelm our inner resources and impact our close relationships—creating a cycle of stress and tension....
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Fertility & Family Building
A significant part of my practice is dedicated to working with people who are either considering or pursuing medical fertility treatment or other family-building options. It is not uncommon for people to blame themselves or feel they are being punished...
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In addition to these offerings, I also have advanced training and expertise in health psychology and group therapy. I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with other providers in these areas and others.
My Approach
My approach is anchored in the psychodynamic/object-relations traditions, which means that I embrace the basic premise that our early relationships with our caregivers and families give rise to enduring psychological “blueprints” that continue to guide us in our adult relationships. Moreover, our early relationship experiences collectively function as an implicit frame-of-reference, organizing and imbuing our experiences with meanings throughout our lives.
Additionally, I draw from relational and body-oriented therapies, which recognize the unity of our psychological-and-bodily-selves as well as the multiplicity and richness of our experiences in any given moment. These perspectives honor the truths latent in our bodies and value the importance of moving into intuitive awareness.
I make every effort to provide a welcoming, accepting, and confidential environment where a safe space is co-created and trust can develop and deepen over time. I am committed to being a sensitive listener and honoring the full range of your feelings and reactions. When I work with couples, I strive to listen and understand each partner from within his or her own perspective and subjective experience.
WHAT CLIENTS ARE SAYING
“We got so much more than we expected. Ma’ayan helped us see each other tenderly and vulnerably so that instead of automatically shutting down, attacking or getting defensive, we can now understand each other’s true intentions and be more compassionate.”
“Before we started working with Ma’ayan we were stuck in a cycle of resentment and kept finding ourselves in the same spot. We were constantly disappointed in ourselves and each other and we felt hopeless. We’re both overachievers and we’re used to accomplishing anything we put our minds to.
It was a real blow to feel like we were failing in our relationship, the part of our life that matters more than anything. We’re still working through our issues, but we know without a doubt that with Ma’ayan’s help we won’t repeat the painful patterns we saw growing up in our parents’ marriages. That means the world to us.”
hear from Ma'ayan
10 Habits of Deeply Connected Couples
Are you starting to feel like you and your partner are simply co-parenting roommates? Do you crave the feelings you felt during the honeymoon stage of your relationship and want to experience them again?
I’ve created a free video guide for overstressed parents just like you, who are ready to reconnect and bring back harmony and mutuality into their marriage.
INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT
I am an out-of-network provider, which means that I do not bill insurance companies directly. Your therapy services may be eligible for reimbursement through your out-of-network benefits, medical spending or health care savings accounts. I can provide you with a monthly superbill, which you can submit to your medical insurance carrier for reimbursement.
Out-of-network benefits cover psychotherapy with the licensed therapist you choose. Most plans require the client to pay a yearly deductible, and then reimburse a certain percentage of the fee after that, typically 70 - 80%. Authorization is not required and our work together is not managed by a third party. All treatment decisions are made solely between us, based on your individual needs (including the type of therapy, the duration of our work together, and who should or should not be consulted).
There are many benefits to seeking therapy on an out-of-network basis. Insurance companies require regular treatment plans to be submitted by their in-network providers in order to continue authorizing sessions. Retroactive decisions about what they cover often lead to unanticipated balances billed to patients. Finally, insurance companies regularly audit in-network psychotherapists' records, further compromising confidentiality.
Obtaining psychotherapy on an out-of-network basis avoids the issues that compromise confidentiality and autonomy of treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, I am happy to help you navigate them so you can determine if your insurance company will cover our work together
Let's Connect
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I'd love to hear from you. Let me know if you have any questions or want to chat about how I can support you to connect deeply within yourself, or with your partner.
The 4 Pillars for a Loving, Thriving Marriage
Sign up for my free webinar
for overstressed couples ready to bring back connection, while raising a family
In this powerful free online training, I will cover how you can:
1. Unlock the full potential of your marriage to become a healing force for self-discovery and personal growth.
2. Finally get back to THRIVING in a loving marriage, even while raising a family and running a busy household.
3. Move beyond power struggles and create a safe zone with your partner where you can hear each other without shutting-down or getting defensive, and take a stand for each other’s growth like never before!
4. Go from being frustrated that you’re always "adulting" or taking the high-road to trusting that you’re in a true partnership; even if your mate isn’t quite on board with you yet.
5. Learn how to rekindle the intimacy in your marriage, even if you feel like you’ve been co-parenting roommates for years and you’ve accepted that your marriage may have lost its luster forever.