Melissa Stanger, Melissa Stanger, LCSW
(She/her/hers)
About Me
I regularly integrate EMDR into psychoanalytic talk therapy to help my clients work through persistent stuck points that may stem from earlier traumatic or stressful experiences. Our work will be a collaborative effort to understand you — why you think, feel, believe, and behave the way you do — and to help you grow personally, professionally, and relationally. I believe that the mental health symptoms we experience are a manifestation of unresolved conflicts from our past. I specialize in treating eating disorders, as well as gender/sexuality/relationship issues (including non-traditional relationship structures); trauma and PTSD; anxiety and depression; and family/interpersonal conflicts. I consider my approach warm yet challenging, and I work with clients to co-facilitate growth and insight. I am licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. I approach therapy from a standpoint of non-judgmental curiosity and an antiracist, anti-oppressive lens.
Education & Experience
Education:
- Masters Degree in Social Work, CUNY Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work (2019)
- Bachelors Degree in Liberal Arts (Psychology, Creative Writing), Sarah Lawrence College (2010)
Postgraduate Training:
- Psychoanalysis, Institute for the Psychoanalytic Study of Subjectivity (2024-2028)
- Focal Psychodynamic Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FPT-AN), Exhale Psychology Centre (2026)
- Somatic- and Attachment-Focused EMDR, Personal Transformation Institute, parts I & II (2025)
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Training Institute for Mental Health (2019-2021)
Additional Field Work:
- 9/11 Survivors Clinic Mental Health Social Worker, Bellevue Hospital (2023-2024)
- Inpatient Medical Social Worker, Bellevue Hospital (2021-2023)
- Geriatric Social Worker and Case Manager, Vista on 5th Assisted Living Facility (2020-2021)
- Helpline Operator, National Eating Disorders Association (2018-2019)
Professional & Volunteer Affiliations
- Institute for the Psychoanalytic Study of Subjectivity (IPSS)
- Women’s Mental Health Consortium
- Manhattan Alternative Community
- National Eating Disorders Association (volunteer)
Specialty Area
- Abuse/Neglect
- Anger Management
- Anxiety/Panic Attacks
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Family Issues
- Gender Identity
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Race, Culture, Ethnicity Issues
- Stress Management
- Survivor's Guilt
- Traumatic Incident
Population Served
- Adolescents (13-17)
- Adults
- First Responders
- Immigrants
- LGBTQ+
- Seniors
Language
- English
Insurance
- Does Not Accept Insurance
- Sliding Scale