“It may be that when we no longer know what to do,
We have come to our real work,
And that when we no longer know which way to go,
We have begun our real journey.” —Wendell Berry
My Approach
Helene Greece MSW, LCSW, SEP
Psychotherapy—psychodynamic psychotherapist
Embodiment Work—somatic experiencing practitioner
Licensed in New York and Louisiana
Adult individuals, Couples
Photo by: David Bartolomi
I try to respond to each person in a curious, collaborative, and direct way. I want to get to know the world they live in: What are the influences and circumstances, both internal and outside, that have shaped their outlook? Who are the people who have influenced their emotional and psychological lives? Together we try to find a common language, in words and through the body, that opens the path for each person to express what they need to express.
I try to listen to the different facets and voices of each person. Sometimes people need help connecting with parts of themselves that feel estranged or disavowed, or they come to understand that they have been living in only one register while minimizing other aspects of themselves.
I genuinely appreciate and respect the people I work with. They have come with a real need and are expecting real help. I don’t tell people what to think or what to do. My aim is to empower each person to come to their own decisions with confidence. I may challenge certain beliefs or perceptions, which might feel difficult or uncomfortable. But I recognize that each person is the best expert on themselves. I also recognize that humor is an important part of life, and of the healing and therapeutic process, so when appropriate there will be laughter in the room.
The reasons people choose to see me are many and varied. Sometimes they feel stuck—in their life or relationships, their work or creative pursuits. Sometimes it’s an external event—a terrible loss, expected or not. Sometimes it’s a crisis. Sometimes people want to understand why they keep repeating a pattern of behavior or why they are always drawn to a certain kind of person or relationship. Sometimes terrible events or experiences that happened in the past keep intruding into the present. And sometimes there is no clear or conscious reason, and the person just needs someplace to be, to speak of things they have been unable to give voice to before. Even seemingly positive events can bring on a feeling of unease. Each individual brings something unique and different to their sessions, including what they might want to change in their lives.
No matter where we begin or where the path leads, I try to provide a place where people feel safe to identify and probe their interior world—their thoughts, experiences, feelings (conscious and unconscious), fantasies, dreams, and reveries. This exploration helps people find understanding and meaning in the past, a measure of peace in the present, and the ability to imagine a more fulfilling future.
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is a process that begins with questions inside the person seeking treatment. Clients may be wondering about things that haven’t gone well in their life, or looking to achieve previously unattainable goals—some concrete, like improving their career, relationships, or creative pursuits; some less specific, like breaking patterns or addressing anxiety, depression, or behaviors rooted in childhood and past traumatic events. For some, therapy is a place to speak truths that have previously been elusive or hard to articulate elsewhere. Sometimes interactions with a therapist become a catalyst for deep self-knowledge, or for a respectful and trusting relationship that has not been present before. Sometimes the quest is to discover one's self, or to explore the unconscious.
Therapy takes courage—no one can predict what will happen, or if anything will happen—but for most people, the rewards far outweigh the risks. For some, therapy becomes one of the deepest and most potent experiences that life offers.
What is psychodynamic psychotherapy?
Psychodynamic psychotherapy is an insight-oriented talk therapy based on the premise that one’s family of origin and childhood have a central influence on current personality, behavior, and emotional health. It is rooted in psychoanalytic theory and includes a belief in the unconscious. This way of working encourages people to investigate and observe the impact of long-standing patterns and psychological conflicts from the past and the ways they affect present challenges and emotional struggles. In psychodynamic psychotherapy, the relationship between therapist and client itself may elicit relational patterns from the past. A psychodynamic approach encourages self-reflection and self-awareness.
What is somatic experiencing (SE)?
Somatic experiencing, a branch of so-called embodiment work, focuses on inner-body experience. SE assists people in connecting with their body, enabling them to recognize and process difficult or traumatic memories and experiences. It also helps them restore lost parts of themselves and be present to experience the wealth of resources and knowledge held in the body.
During SE sessions, people are asked to pay close attention to inner or body experiences that are typically ignored or minimized. This attention leads to the development of a language to describe what is happening—sensations, images, physical impulses, emotions, and eventually meaning or narrative. Noticing thoughts or judgments that stand in the way of embodied knowledge is also part of this work. The body stores information about all that has happened, even experiences the mind has forgotten, which is why SE is such an effective tool to deal with past trauma. Often when experiencing trauma, the body freezes in an incomplete and highly activated state. SE allows the body to complete the biological response and restore equilibrium.
SE can be used as a stand-alone treatment but is more often combined with other psychotherapy modalities. My training in psychodynamic psychotherapy provides insights and a frame to recognize historical patterns and access the full range of a person's intra-psychic makeup.