Women Working with a Male Therapist in Maplewood & South Orange, NJ

Many women in Maplewood, South Orange, and the surrounding area come to therapy with a clear preference for a female therapist, and that preference is entirely valid. The relationship between a client and therapist is the foundation of the work, and you deserve to feel comfortable in it. For some women, however, working with a male therapist proves unexpectedly valuable — and if you are uncertain which is right for you, I hope what follows is helpful as you decide.

I am a licensed psychotherapist (LCSW) with an office in South Orange, on the Maplewood border, and a substantial part of my practice over the years has been devoted to working with women through the particular challenges of their lives. I offer this page not to persuade you, but to share what that work can look like.

Why some women choose to work with a male therapist

There is no single reason, but women have shared several with me over the years:

  • A wish for an outside perspective, particularly on relationships with the men in their lives — partners, fathers, colleagues

  • The value of experiencing a respectful, attuned, and nonjudgmental relationship with a man, which can in itself be reparative

  • A sense that it can be easier to speak candidly with someone at some remove from their own world

  • Simply finding, after a first conversation, that the fit felt right

If you have hesitations

It is natural to wonder whether a man can fully understand certain experiences, or to feel cautious for reasons that are entirely your own, including difficult past experiences with men. These concerns are legitimate, and I take them seriously. My role is to listen without judgment, to move at your pace, and to help the space feel safe. If at any point the work does not feel right, that is important information, and you are always free to seek the therapist who suits you best.

How I work

My therapy style is collaborative, interactive, and conversational, and clients frequently describe my warmth and a sense of being genuinely understood. I draw on psychodynamic psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, cognitive behavioral therapy, and, for couples, Emotionally Focused Therapy, tailoring the approach to you. Whatever brings you in — anxiety, depression, relationships, self-esteem, trauma, or a period of transition — the work is shaped around your needs.

Making the choice

Choosing a therapist is a personal decision, and there is no wrong answer. If you would like to talk it through, or to arrange an initial conversation simply to see how it feels, I would be glad to hear from you. You are welcome to request an appointment or to call me at (646) 265-3634. My office is in South Orange, minutes from Maplewood and convenient to Montclair and the surrounding communities.