Dr. Suzanne Feinstein: A Caring NYC Psychologist

Clinician at ABH

Dr. Suzanne Feinstein has been treating clients with OCD, BFRBs (Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors), the full spectrum of anxiety disorders and mood-related disorders since 1995. She trained at the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University where she gained expertise in the use of Exposure Therapy and Response Prevention (ERP) and Habit Reversal and Stimulus Control for patients with mild to severe OCD, BFRBs and tic disorders. In 2000, she received her NY State license and became the Clinical Director of Advanced Behavioral Health, LLP.

Dr. Suzanne Feinstein has various articles published in empirical journals as well as book chapters highlighting her areas of expertise. Her work has been cited in over 200 publications worldwide.

Therapy Models

We, at ABH, specialize in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness-based therapy. These are time-limited, structured approaches to better assist people in managing thoughts, behaviors, and emotions.

Behavioral Therapy

• Systematic Desensitization: Systematic Desensitization is a behavioral therapy in which the therapist and client work together to create a hierarchy of feared stimuli, with the most feared stimulus on the top rung of the hierarchical ladder and the least feared stimulus on the bottom. Clients are encouraged to face a fear that is of a manageable level and systematically work their way up the ladder as they learn to desensitize to their feared stimuli. This type of exposure therapy is highly effective in helping patients gain confidence and become less avoidant in various aspects of their lives.
• Exposure Therapy and Response Prevention (ERP): ERP is the gold standard of treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In this treatment, the client is assisted in facing fearful or distressing thoughts, feelings, images or preoccupations, and simultaneously, is helped to reduce the number of compulsions or rituals performed. Clients are taught to manage the short-term discomforts and trust that the anxiety will pass in an attempt to achieve long-term gains.
• Habit Reversal and Stimulus Control (HR/SC): HR/SC is a successful form of behavior therapy for impulse control disorders and addictive behaviors. Through the use of daily logs, various obstacles, behavioral changes and cognitive restructuring, clients are taught how to “unlearn” maladaptive behaviors.

Cognitive Therapy

An important aspect of Cognitive therapy is to teach clients that they, to a large extent, create their own anxieties through irrational thought patterns. Through Cognitive Restructuring, the client is taught how to reframe dysfunctional thought processes and replace inner dialogue with a more rational choice of words.

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Mindfulness-based therapy is another useful tool in Cognitive Therapy. It teaches clients how to disarm their thoughts by not reacting to their inner dialogue and how to watch their thoughts without judgment.

Diaphragmatic Breathing, Relaxation and Biofeedback Techniques

Diaphragmatic breathing, relaxation and biofeedback techniques are often employed to help clients manage the physical symptoms of anxiety. Therapists teach clients how to slow down breathing, reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, and gain a sense of calm and confidence in the face of fear, anger, pain or other unwanted emotion.