Aaron Silverman

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Aaron Silverman's style

Why Aaron Silverman chose to be in the helping profession

For much of my life, I've felt a desire to both grow and find peace (which I knew to be only through growing). I was prodded to search by the conflict in my own nuclear family and my parents' impending divorce, not knowing how to help, or be happy. During my one and only year (once a week for about 7 months) of Jewish studies when I was 12, being uninterested in food, fasts and blind faith, I found little interest in what I thought Judaism was and started exploring different religions. I clicked with the spirituality I found in the East, a light feeling of something beyond my sense of body that I hadn't much recognized in the Hebrew school, and I felt a pull towards deep thinking. At 17, I added Greek philosophy texts to my interests and read (sometimes during geometry lessons - I did well in math but my teacher was not ok with this) a lot, spending time with ideas like stoicism. This interest increased rapidly especially as I applied and got accepted into my first college (Albright College - Liberal Arts) which had a noted philosophy department. Things continued to shift as my mind was developing, and I felt the power of thought and spirit above circumstance, achieving some equilibrium, inner peace.

Right before I left for Albright, I was officially introduced to the Chassidic life in my town, Morristown, NJ, while working at Kings Supermarkets by helping one of the community women bring her groceries to the car.
I visited the yeshiva over the next two months off and on and found chassidic teaching to be deeper and more enjoyable than my previous education, fitting right into my desire for self-knowledge and healing. After one year at Albright and learning from chassidic texts in my free time (which I had a whole lot of in college), I enrolled in a baal tshuva yeshiva in Brooklyn and learned full time (and had no free time) for about 1 1/2 years.

With money tight and no long-term plan, I returned to Morristown to stay with my mom and attended more college, working part-time in a supermarket cashiering (this was my go-to income since 14) to help out and buy a car. I thought to get a degree in psychology at Morristown Community College, taking abnormal psych and a couple of other psych classes. I learned some vocabulary and got more skills in communicating ways for other people to get to know themselves and I found I was really good at this. A whole lot clicked in understanding myself and other people and I felt I had found another passion. At this time, I was also writing and recording music and started to work on my first professional rap album (Come Listen), enabling me to envision reaching people with the combination of music and psychology, infused with the insights of Torah.

I got married in 2005 and my wife and I went together to graduate school at Touro College for our social work degrees. I had preferred psychology (with things like 'thinking about thinking') and was quite scared at the idea of getting my hands dirty in social work, but pursued social work for just that reason; to focus my heavenly tendencies on raising a family. Though I started officially counseling in the CDTP of Pesach Tikvah as a group counselor a short time after my wedding (2005), I went to Touro College only in 2009, graduating with my Masters in 2013. Since my licensure, my passion has brought success in university teaching, consulting, supervision, and private practice, helping hundreds of people live full lives, BH.

Aaron Silverman's approach

All people have wisdom, they just have to have the right space to access it. As soon as there is real understanding, feelings correct and growth is automatic. I help clients identify themselves via relationships and introspection, and their unique responses to life. My skills have significantly developed in helping others focus and emote, to heal with the help of insights and corrective emotional experiences.

I am an eclectic therapist, with my own organic specialty combined of the vocabulary and wisdom of Motivational Interviewing, CBT, DBT, IFS, EFT, Tapping, Rogerian Therapy, Somatic Intervention, among others, but all primarily infused with the awareness of Torah and chassidus.

What you can expect from sessions with Aaron Silverman

My clients can expect to connect with me and enjoy therapy. Through humor, healthy modeling and being accessible, you'll find the sessions are like speaking to something inside yourself, touching a natural wisdom that recognizes when things we talk about sound true.

I have used my love of music, psychology, and secular fields of activity (health, finance, etc), illuminated with the immense depth of Torah to connect to clients but reference holy concepts overtly only according to client comfort and preference.

I welcome you to discuss your specific financial situation.

Aaron Silverman's experience working with the Jewish community

With a love and skills in rap music, psychology and Torah, I consider it my mission to assist people in healing the multitude of crippling mindsets, illnesses or family dysfunction many of us experience but my passion lies most with my own nation. I've worked with Jewish clients since 2001, several years before my social work degree and have a unique sense and intent when helping Jews.

Starting as a yeshiva student in 1996, I cared for co-students, mentored teens and adults, did direct care work for Human Care Services in a group home, and ran group therapy Jewish adults for Pesach Tikvah in their day program, all before social work licensure in 2014.

I continued the group work until around graduation and then did 5+ years of case management for Jewish adults with mental illness for Pesach Tikvah and Ohel. Five years ago, I began teaching Jewish students in the social work graduate program at LIU and for two years, have supervised mentors for Shvili, a growing program in Wiliamsburg that empowers OTD teens in NYC. As well, I do intakes for Pesach Tikvah for Jewish youth, enrolling them in the CFTSS program.

Aaron Silverman's Book Recommendation Zone

• Toward a Psychology of Being
• No Bad Parts
• Facing Codependency

Approaches

• Attachment-based
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Existential
• Inner child work
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Mindfulness and Meditation
• Motivational Interviewing
• Person-Centered Therapy
• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Concerns

• Addiction
• Anxiety
• Dating
• Depression
• Divorce/Separation
• Drug/Substance Abuse
• Emotion regulation
• Mood Disorders
• Parenting
• Personality issues & disorders
• Relationships
• Religious Identity Issues
• Self-Harm/Suicidality
• Transitions & Change
• Trauma

8 years in practice

Licensed to work in New York

Licences

• LMSW by NY State 2014. License number 088791

Degrees

• MSW by Touro College 2012

Awards

• Honors Graduate by Touro College 2012

Certificates

• SIFI by LIU 2023

Trainings

• Energy Psychology by ACEP 2023

Affiliations

• Professor of Social Work by Long Island University 2018

Average costs per session

$200 - $300

Payment Methods

• Sliding Scale
• Free consultation
• Cash
• Zelle Quick Pay
• Venmo
• PayPal