Alan Bernstein LCSW, PC

I approach the process of transition from a number of modalities. Initially trained in psychoanalytic psycho­therapy, I later developed a keen interest in family systems and trained at the Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy. In addition, I have found that Modern Group Psycho­analysis is a powerful mode for both self under­standing and developing a capacity for emotional intimacy and intens­ity. My office practice is a lively mixture of group therapy, couple and family consultation and individual psycho­therapy.

This background helps me address the increasing desire I have observed for individuals to make changes in their careers. Many times people become paralyzed as they engage with their deeper interests and realize that these may be vastly different from their skills. They hesitate to commit themselves since they are not confi­dent that they can clearly see their way forward. I have considered, in books and articles, ways to leverage peoples’ trans­ition skills while containing their ambivalence toward change. My practice includes people contemplating career shifts, as well as career development. In addition, as our society ages, I have seen the passion older people have for reinvention and developed a program and book to address this life stage.

One of the tools I have found helpful in individual transition is The Birkman Method®. It provides in-depth information about motiv­ation and has been useful as well in corporate settings, helping teams define and articulate their creative interactions.

I enjoy bringing the skills of a psychotherapist—analyzing motiv­ation, exploring conflict—into the workplace arena, as well as in my office. The liveliness of this mixture of modalities and settings stimulates my ability to develop new theories and practices to share with people.