About

Allison Berwald, LCSW, is a Licensed Psychotherapist in New York, New Jersey and Washington State.

I have been practicing as a psychotherapist since earning a Masters Degree from Columbia University in 2011. While working as a therapist full time, I pursued a Certification in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy in New York City from 2014 to 2016. This rigorous program has broadened my training and qualifies me to handle a wider range of cases.

I have extensive experience working with the LGBTQ+ community and allies.

Prior to private practice, I was the Clinical Coordinator at a community-based organization where I provided psychotherapy and other programming to LGBTQ+ youth in NYC, most of whom are low-income young people of color with varying levels of trauma.  I also provided supervision to the counseling staff and MSW students.  I held various clinical positions in this agency for 9 years, allowing me to cultivate special experience working with trans* and gender non-conforming young adults and their families.  I have also worked with adults of all ages, life stages, and backgrounds at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and a LGBTQ+ community mental health clinic in NYC. Other professional experience includes serving as an expert panelist and presenter at events and conferences focused on work with the with the LGBTQ+ population in NYC and the Tri-State area. Additionally, I co-authored a chapter in the Handbook of Child and Adolescent Group Therapy entitled "LGBTQ Adolescents," published in 2016.

I started my private practice in 2017 in-person in New York City, and since the start of the pandemic I have shifted to working remotely and meet with my clients over Zoom.

Effective Affirmative Psychotherapy for people of all intersecting identities.

I provide a space for individuals of all identities seeking affirmative psychotherapy to handle a vast array of challenges. I employ a psychodynamic, trauma-informed, anti-racist, and culturally inclusive approach. My role as a psychotherapist is not to tell you how to lead your life, but to establish a collaborative and supportive therapeutic relationship to guide you towards deeper understanding of yourself and what life can be like for you. Our work will aim to support insight and self-reflection, expand your recognition of options, allow you to make changes that will improve your life and relationships, find ways to cope with and work through stressful circumstances, and learn to identify and manage emotional challenges with more calm and assurance.