Elaine Belson, LCSW-C

I've been a clinical social worker for 30 years including the Army, which I joined at the age of 42. I've had my own practice for the last 12yrs, but have worked in hospitals, outpatient clinics and combat zones.

Changing minds takes more than information and reason. It takes insight, problem-solving and coping skills. I use a lot of analogies, idioms and 3-step strategies (I call mantras) that are relatable and useful. As a seasoned therapist and former theater major at NYU, I have the speaking skills to keep listeners engaged.

Sample Podcasts Topics:

Communication skills to save your relationship

Stop worrying forever

Stop people-pleasing and gain self-confidence

Why diets don't work and what does

How parents and teachers can get kids/teens to listen and cooperate

Stop stressing about _________ (fill in the blank).

How to put your past in the past

Sample Mantras:

"People have good reasons for making bad decisions."

"Chocolate or vanilla ice cream, that's easy, but most things in life we have mixed feelings about."

Like pain and hunger, feelings are a survival mechanism - information of a need or threat you're ignoring.

Anxiety is innate. Worrying is a choice.

"You don't have a crystal ball, but you can have a toolbox full of coping skills to take with you wherever you go."

"If setting boundaries and asserting yourself "makes things worse," it's because the other people can't handle it."

"No matter how much someone upsets you, you are still responsible for how you manage your feelings and express them."

Society is sending the wrong message: that human error is abnormal when, in reality, our cultural expectations are unrealistic.

I have expertise in the following topics: anger management, anxiety, coping with chronic pain, depression, domestic violence, eating disorders, grief/loss, low self-esteem, parenting, relationships, stress, substance abuse, trauma, women's issues, and work issues. I've provided trauma services for Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, bank robberies and military deployment. I'm trained in play therapy, and help children and teens cope with academic challenges, bullying, divorce, peer pressure and low self-esteem.

See links below for recent audio and video interviews.