Tracey J. Strasser Vorus, Ph.D.

People seek treatment for a variety of reasons, often because they are in distress or feel “stuck” in some aspects of their lives, personally and/or professionally. This can manifest itself in specific symptoms, such as insomnia, anxious or depressed feelings, or creative blocks, or can involve broader aspects of life, such as interpersonal and work difficulties, self-defeating behaviors, or identity concerns.

I work to help individuals identify and understand more about their own life patterns – what makes them “tick” and how that came to be – so that they can make significant changes in their lives. While we usually can describe “problems” and name things that bother us, we are often are unaware of the things that motivate us beyond our immediate awareness. By understanding both current struggles and entanglements from the past, I help individuals discover alternative choices that can take them on new, more fulfilling and successful paths in their lives.

There is no single one-size-fits-all approach to treatment that works for everyone. Rather, by careful listening and inquiry, I provide space for people to express themselves and tell their own story, in their own words, on their own timeline.

Psychotherapy

I offer insight-oriented psychotherapy on a weekly and twice-weekly basis. It is my belief that emotional growth is best achieved in the context of consistent and interactive relationship. As treatment often involves discussing painful or distressing aspects of one’s life, I provide a safe, calm, and supportive space. I listen empathically and without judgment and work with you to understand issues relating to family, work, identity, and relationships. My aim is to help identify problematic thoughts, behaviors, and repetitive self-destructive tendencies, and to develop more beneficial coping strategies and adaptive choices.

Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is a more intensive form of treatment in which I meet with patients 3-5 times per week, often with the use of the couch. This structure facilitates greater depth in the treatment process, providing more time and space to face one’s innermost “demons,” and can lead to lasting and profound therapeutic change. It may be recommended for more longstanding and entrenched difficulties beyond symptom reduction.

Parent Guidance and Consultation

Parenting is hard work! Even the most loving, caring, and attentive parents can struggle with how to best support their children. Often, parents find themselves locked into maladaptive patterns from their own childhood and benefit greatly from an exploration of their own lives. I offer parent guidance, both ongoing and in consultation, to help parents better understand themselves and their role in the dynamics of the parent-child system.

Clinical Supervision

My approach to supervision is collaborative and collegial. My aim is to recognize, support, and develop one’s own inherent clinical strengths. I currently provide clinical supervision to graduate students in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at CUNY and the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research (IPTAR). I have also provided supervision to graduate students at the New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University Medical Center.