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about


Individual Therapist
Couples Therapist
Parent Counselor, Coach and Consultant

My Background
I am a Licensed Social Worker and Certified School Psychologist. I bring to my work a unique and special combination of knowledge, education and 30 years of professional experience.

Becoming a Psychotherapist
I have always been curious about human behavior and the struggles and challenges that are part of living life. Life can be complicated as are the relationships that we create. It is the texture and complexity of living that I find most interesting. My focus on marriage counseling, parenting counseling and family dynamics developed organically as my own life moved forward through the various developmental stages of adulthood.

I feel totally blessed that I have had the privilege of working with people in a counseling capacity. It is easy for me to connect with others and create the flow and relationship necessary for deep communication. I love working with a variety of people each with their own unique story.

Becoming a Couples Therapist
As someone who has been married for 30 years, I understand the ups and downs of marriage. Like parenting, it can be one of the most rewarding and yet challenging experiences.

Having had my first child a little over a year after I was married, I was unprepared for the stress and strain that having a baby would put on our relationship. The honeymoon was definitely over!

Fortunately, our struggles propelled us to ask the questions and adopt practices that would affirm ways to keep our marriage healthy. It was the beginning of a long journey that continually challenges us to confront our emotional needs and do the work necessary to keep our life together satisfying. In addition, working on our marriage contributes to the blueprint for our children's future intimate relationships.

The importance of a strong foundation in marriage has influenced my work as a couples therapist in many ways. As part of my practice, I offer premarital counseling to help couples ask and explore the important questions about creating a lifetime together. And, although, I believe that every marriage is a mixed marriage, interfaith relationships often have added pressures and strain. Interfaith counseling is another opportunity to create a strong foundation as a couple and I love to play a part in this exciting time in a couples relationship.

Becoming a Parent Counselor & Parent Coach
Being a parent is the most important job that one can have and yet when you leave the hospital with your baby, nobody gives you an instruction book. Raising children doesn't come with a job description of the responsibilities, training and skills needed to do the work.

I never imagined that being a parent would require as much energy, thought and perseverance as it does. Time and again, while I was raising my own children, I found myself in situations where I didn't know the answers. When I sought parenting information it was often conflicting and overwhelming. Ultimately, I needed to assess the information and then figure out how to implement the best solutions. It was a challenge that is for sure.

After my daughter was born, I joined a parenting group. It allowed me to explore my thoughts, feelings and beliefs about parenting, as well as to learn from like-minded mothers. This experience was the beginning of my intense desire to provide parents with guidance, support and effective tools that can be used to solve the problems that are inherent in rearing children.

I believe that children will teach us more about ourselves then any other experience. They will challenge our perceptions of ourselves and of the world. I definitely learned that I was not always the cool, calm and together person that I thought that I was! I discovered that I couldn't always control the outcome no matter how hard I tried, and that I wasn't perfect. Yes, my children have taught me many of life's most invaluable lessons.

In addition to my work as a parent counselor, for the past 10 years, I have been a parenting facilitator at two synagogues in Manhattan: Central Synagogue in their Parenting Center and Temple Israel in their Playgroup. Both experiences are designed to help parents explore and develop effective parenting strategies.

Therapist Credentials and Additional Counseling Training
Licensed Certified Social Worker in New York #R17222
Masters in School Psychology, Certified School Psychologist
Graduate, Post Masters Program in Individual Psychotherapy, Hunter College School of Social Work, New York
Graduate, Eastern Center Psychotherapy Program
Graduate, Post-Masters Program in Eating and Body Image Problems, Woman's Therapy Institute
Certified Parent Effectiveness Training Instructor (P.E.T.)
Certified Bringing Baby Home Instructor (B.B.H.)

Professional Memberships and Affiliations
National Association of Social Work
New York State Society of Clinical Social Work Psychotherapists
Woman's Therapy Institute

Find out more about my individual counseling, couples counseling or parenting counseling.

Patti Sayre is a therapist for individuals, couples therapist and parent counselor who practices in Manhattan, New York.