Specialties

While Dr. Greifer has been trained in, and practices, psychotherapy for a broad spectrum of people and life issues, she has a particular interest and competence in working with the following areas:

Matters of the Self

Heinz Kohut, the founder of Self Psychology, was greatly instrumental in moving psychology’s focus away from the drive and conflict theories that dominated the work of Sigmund Freud, and onto the struggles more typically experienced by modern-day people. Dr. Greifer is interested and well-trained in working with issues related to the Self (that is, a person’s essential being; one’s sense of one’s own being; one’s sense of one’s own continuity, cohesion, and wholeness). She will work with you to achieve a more positive sense of:

• Self esteem: confidence in oneself and one’s abilities
• Self awareness: knowledge of one’s feelings, needs, desires, motivations, and how these are expressed in one’s personality
• Self efficacy: ability to cope with a variety of situations; flexibility in moving through life’s challenges and transitions
• Self actualization: fulfillment of one’s potential
• Self authenticity: alignment between one’s inner sense of oneself and one’s way of being in the world; the experience of being true to oneself in one’s actions and decisions
• Self in relation to others: satisfaction in one’s interactions and relationships with others

Mood and Emotional Ups and Downs

While a certain amount of fluctuation of mood is, of course, a normal part of everyday life, an excess of sadness and anxiety, over a protracted period of time, can seriously detract from one’s quality of life.  Dr. Greifer will work with you to find a more balanced sense of emotional well-being.

Single Women’s Issues

Partly because of her own life experience, and partly because of the many women who have come to her for therapy, Dr. Greifer considers herself a specialist in helping single, divorced and widowed women meet the challenges that are unique to their lives, including those related to dating, entering into new relationships, detaching from unwanted relationships, loneliness, developing a network of supportive female friendships, managing envy and isolation as friends’ lives take alternate directions, pursuing meaningful interests as well as work and career goals, single parenthood, considering the option of single parenthood, and coping with potentially unfulfilled life dreams if/when they are thwarted.

Parenting Special Needs Children

Because of her background and experience in working with developmentally delayed and disordered children, as well as their parents, Dr. Greifer is very able to understand the joys and struggles, satisfaction and heartbreak of parenting children with special needs. She provides a safe and accepting environment for parents to express the full range of their feelings including ambivalence, frustration, love and pride.