Eliza Bienstock · New York City
Therapy with Eliza
Evidence-based psychotherapy for humans of New York.
about
Hi, I’m Eliza!
I'm a naturally curious, warm, and engaged Columbia University-trained therapist with a sense of humor and a deep belief that we are all humans trying our best.
I am a trauma and relationship specialist, and love working with both individuals and couples navigating the nuanced realities of sex, identity, communication, and behavioral patterns.
As a certified yoga teacher with 400+ hours in mind-body integration, I specialize in somatic work and helping clients understand the relationships between trauma, the body, and the nervous system. Instead of asking "What is wrong with you?", I ask "What happened to you?"
I'm especially drawn to intergenerational patterns, sex and intimacy, gender, and the particular pressures that come with high-achieving careers and big life transitions. I also tend to work well with people who've tried therapy before, and either didn't connect with it or are seeking something deeper.
As an integrative clinician, I have a toolkit of various evidence-based practices, including parts work, relational, psychodynamic, CBT, DBT, and somatic theory. I am skilled at working with clients and couples to figure out which therapeutic framework lands best for them.
I see clients in person in Midtown Manhattan at Intuitive Healing Psychotherapy and virtually across New York State.
Sessions feel collaborative and grounded, with room for playfulness, honesty, and depth.
education
Columbia University
M.A., Counseling Psychology
Ed.M., Mental Health Counseling
Vanderbilt University
B.S., Human & Organizational Development
Minor in Gender & Sexuality Studies
licensure
Mental Health Counselor — Limited Permit (MHC-LP)
New York State
Under the clinical supervision of Alana Carvalho, LMHC & Lindsey Pratt, LMHC at Intuitive Healing Psychotherapy
somatic training
Yoga Teacher Training — 200 HR
Trauma-Informed Yoga & Somatics — 100 hours
Yin Yoga — 50 HR
Yoga Therapy Certification - 800 HR (in progress)
approach
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Integrative
Not every approach works for every person, and part of what I do is figure out what actually lands with you. I draw from a range of evidence-based theories and tools, including attachment theory, IFS, somatic practices, and compassion-focused approaches, bringing in what fits and setting aside what does not. Therapy should feel like it was made for you, not like you are trying to fit into it.
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Trauma-Informed
Trauma-informed is a way of understanding people that starts with the question: what happened to you, not what is wrong with you. It means recognizing that the ways we protect ourselves, go quiet, or react strongly in certain situations often make complete sense given what we have been through. Nothing in this work is about fixing or labeling. It is about creating real safety so that something different can become possible.
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Relational
The patterns that shape our relationships outside the room tend to show up inside it too, which makes that space one of the most useful places to understand and shift them. Good therapy feels like a real conversation between two humans, not a clinical transaction.
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IFS & Parts Work
Internal Family Systems understands us as made up of many parts: the achiever, the protector, the people-pleaser, the one who is just tired of all of it. Rather than fighting those parts, the work is getting curious about each of them. What is this part protecting? Where did it come from? What does it need? It is one of the most researched and quietly humane approaches in modern therapy, and it can change the relationship you have with yourself.
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Somatic & Body-Based
A lot of what we carry does not live in our thoughts. It lives in the body: the tightness in the chest, the held breath, the tension that shows up before we even know we are stressed. Somatic work means paying attention to those signals and working with them directly. With 450+ hours of somatic and yoga therapy training, this is a central part of how I work.
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Intersectional & Culturally Informed
Who we are is shaped by more than our individual experiences. Race, ethnicity, culture, age, family history, gender, sexuality, and the systems we exist within all leave their mark on how we see ourselves and the world. This awareness is foundational to my clinical understanding and approach.
areas of focus
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High-Functioning Anxiety & Perfectionism
Some of us are great at moving, doing, and keeping things going but find it much harder to just be still. Together we can look at what's underneath the momentum and explore what a life with more ease could actually feel like.
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Somatics & the Body
Somatic therapy brings the body into the room alongside the mind. Together, we work with memory, sensation, and nervous system patterns to reach what talk therapy alone sometimes can't.
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Sex, Intimacy & Relationships
Desire, attachment, conflict, and closeness are some of life's most meaningful and complex parts. This is a space for honest conversations that are hard to have anywhere else, without shame or without rushing toward a fix.
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Healing from Trauma, Abuse, Neglect & Toxic Relationship Patterns
Making sense of painful experiences, whether from childhood, past relationships, or patterns we're still untangling, takes courage and the right kind of support. This is a space to explore that, make sense of it, and move toward feeling more like yourself.
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Gender Identity & Affirming Care
This is an actively affirming space for all identities, orientations, cultures, and backgrounds. Therapy can be a place to come home to yourself.
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Eldest Daughters & Parentified Caregivers
Some of us grew up carrying more than our share, emotionally, practically, or both. Together we can explore those early dynamics, understand what they've shaped, and make room for needs that may never have had space before.
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Shame & Self-Worth
Shame is one of the most powerful forces shaping how we move through the world. Together we can trace where it came from, what it's been protecting, and how to build a life less organized around it.
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Heartbreak & Loneliness
Heartbreak and loneliness are among the most human experiences there are, and some of the hardest to talk about. This is a space to understand what we're carrying, what we're longing for, and to move toward the kind of connection that actually feels possible.
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Neurodivergence & Building a Life That Works for You
Minds work in all kinds of ways, and the world isn't built with all of them in mind. This is a space to understand how yours works, what it needs, and what it looks like to actually a build a life that works for you.
couples
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Premarital Counseling
You've chosen each other! Now comes the fun of building what's next. This is a space to talk about what matters including but limited to money, family, conflict, and dreams. Step into your marriage feeling clear, connected, and confident in what you're co-creating.
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Relationship Enrichment
Good relationships are worth investing in, no crisis needed. This is a space for couples who want more of what's already working. Build deeper intimacy, more understanding, and room to keep growing together.
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Sex & Intimacy
Desire, closeness, and connection are some of the most meaningful parts of a relationship. Together, we’ll explore what you each want to build an intimate life that feels exciting, alive, and aligned.
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Discernment Counseling
Maybe you’re unsure about next step the or whether you want the same one. Instead of rushing to an answer, we slow down and make room for honesty, so whatever you decide, you can move forward with intention and care.
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Communication
Every couple has patterns. Together we can understand the ones you get stuck in, what's underneath them, and find ways of hearing each other that actually bring you closer.
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Relationship Repair
When trust has been broken or distance has crept in, finding your way back to each other takes courage and the right support. Together we can make sense of what happened and rebuild something that feels honest and secure.
Free Consultation
$0 / 15 min
A brief phone call to get to know each other and access fit.
investment
If cost is a barrier and you feel we'd be a strong fit, please reach out. I hold a limited number of need-based sliding-scale spots.
I am an out-of-network provider and provide superbills for clients seeking out-of-network reimbursement.
Individual Sessions
$190 / 45 min
Weekly sessions in New York City or online.
Couples Sessions
$230 / 55 min
For partners working through communication, intimacy, or transition.
faqs
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You don't have to be in crisis for therapy to be useful. If you're noticing patterns you can't seem to shift, feeling more anxious, stuck, or numb than you'd like, navigating a transition, or simply wanting to understand yourself more deeply — those are all real and worthy reasons. A free consultation call is a low-stakes way to explore it.
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It's a brief, free phone call. You'll share a bit about what's bringing you in, get a feel for each other, and figure out if it's a good fit. We'll also cover availability and logistics.
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Sessions are 45 minutes. I meet with clients on a weekly basis — this kind of regular contact, especially at the start of treatment, allows the work to build and deepen over time.
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I offer early morning slots before work and evening appointments after work, as well as daytime hours.
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Both. I see clients in person at Intuitive Healing Psychotherapy in Midtown Manhattan, and online via secure telehealth across New York State.
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I'm an out-of-network provider, which means I don't bill insurance directly. I can provide superbills (detailed receipts) that you can submit to your insurance company for partial reimbursement if you have out-of-network mental health benefits.
I recommend using the tool at the bottom of this link to check your benefits and/or calling the number on the back of your insurance card to ask specifically about your out-of-network outpatient mental health coverage. Many plans cover 60-80% of session costs.
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I hold a limited number of need-based, sliding-scale spots and update availability as space becomes available. If cost is a barrier and you feel we'd be a strong fit, please mention it when you reach out.
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IFS stands for Internal Family Systems — a well-researched, compassionate approach to therapy. The core idea is that the mind is made of many parts, each with its own perspective, fears, and intentions — and that healing happens not by fighting or silencing difficult parts, but by understanding what they're protecting.
In session, we might get curious about the part of you that shuts down in conflict, or the one that can't stop achieving, or the one that feels impossible to quiet. This work tends to feel both surprisingly gentle and profound.
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Somatic therapy integrates awareness of the body into the therapeutic process. Rather than only talking about an experience, we also pay attention to what's happening physically — sensation, breath, posture, areas of tension or numbness — because the body often holds what words can't quite reach yet.
As a yoga therapist in training with 450+ hours of certification in trauma-informed yoga, polyvagal theory, and somatic practices, I bring this lens in with care and at your pace.
It can look like slowing down enough to notice what your body is already telling you.
book a free consultation
practice location
Intuitive Healing Psychotherapy
875 6th Avenue, Suite 2300
New York, NY10001
online sessions
Available across New York State via secure telehealth.