services

Dr. Esses' approach to therapy is DBT-informed and relational. She helps slow things down, notice patterns that arise both in your life and in the therapy room, and build the awareness and skills needed for lasting change. 

weekly individual therapy

Some patients benefit from a more structured and intensive approach. Using her advanced DBT training, Dr. Esses offers high-fidelity individual DBT with weekly sessions, skills-focused interventions, and between-session support when indicated.

high fidelity dBT

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Dr. Esses is actively involved in consultation groups and provides consultation on differential diagnosis, case formulation, and DBT-informed approaches to emotion dysregulation and complex cases. She has experience supervising trainees and is currently available to provide supervision.

consultation and supervision

psychodiagnostic assessment

Therapy process

Dr. Esses provides psychodiagnostic evaluations to clarify diagnoses and guide treatment. She assesses a wide range of presentations and has particular expertise in differentiating bipolar disorder from borderline personality disorder and in accurately assessing for OCD.

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Your free 15-minute consultation allows us to connect, ask questions, and see how working together might feel.

1. free consultation

Your 60 minute intake appointment will allow me to gain a comprehensive sense of who you are, what's bothering you most, and how I can help you feel better. 

2. intake appointment

schedule a consult

Following your intake, I’ll share my impressions of your presenting concerns and thoughts on how therapy can best support you. From there, we’ll meet for 45-minute sessions once or twice weekly, depending on your needs.

3.  individual therapy

individual therapy

the process

For those with more complex symptoms or diagnostic questions, the intake and early sessions may include a detailed psychodiagnostic assessment. Whether you have a clear diagnosis or simply know you’re not feeling like yourself, we’ll use this information to guide our work.

  • High emotionality
  • Relationship issues
  • Borderline personality disorder (more on BPD here).
  • Anxiety and obsessive compulsive patterns
  • Substance and alcohol use
  • Self-harm and suicidality
  • Occupational stress and trauma (e.g., among healthcare workers, first responders)

specialties

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While my primary approach is DBT informed and relational  psychodynamic, I also have extensive training in evidence  based trauma and anxiety treatments. I integrate elements of these when they meaningfully support your progress.

first responders

With specialized training at Mount Sinai’s World Trade Center Program, Dr. Esses is dedicated to supporting 9/11 rescue and recovery workers and other first responders with accessible therapy.
She understands the demands of this work—the need to shut off emotions to function in crisis, and the struggle to reconnect outside of it. Dr. Esses values helping people process these experiences and regain balance.

specialized, low-fee therapy (limited spots)

fees     insurance

I offer a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation before our first appointment.
My fees for individual therapy are consistent with those of doctoral-level clinicians trained in evidence-based treatments in California and will be reviewed during our consultation call. Payment is due at the time of each session.

fees

insurance

I am not in-network with insurance companies. Many clients, however, are able to use out-of-network benefits. I encourage you to contact your insurance provider to learn more about your coverage. If you do have out-of-network benefits, I can provide a monthly superbill you may submit for reimbursement. Eligibility and reimbursement rates vary by plan.

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ready to connect?

schedule a free consultation call

Most people reach out when things feel messy or unclear—I'm here to help guide you. During the call, you can share what’s bringing you to therapy, ask any questions, and get a sense of my style and approach.

If you’ve reviewed the basic details and want to talk about fit, you’re welcome to book a 15 min consultation call.

schedule

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