Linda Charlaff, LCSW

We all have the resources to heal within ourselves. Therapy helps us access what’s already there.

Linda Charlaff, LCSW's style

Why Linda Charlaff, LCSW chose to be in the helping profession

I have been in practice since 1984, and even after all these years, I still genuinely enjoy the work and the opportunity to sit with people and help them work through what is going on in their lives. There is nothing fancy about why I chose this profession. I simply like being with people and having conversations that can make a difference.

Over the years, I have worked with many different people, and I have continued to learn from every experience. One thing I have come to believe very strongly is that people have more resources within themselves than they often realize. We all have the ability to heal ourselves from within, and sometimes we need a therapist to help us access those resources and see what is already there. That belief is a big part of why I continue to do this work and why I still find it meaningful after so many years.

Linda Charlaff, LCSW's approach

I believe that we all have the ability to heal ourselves from within. We already have resources inside of us, and my role is to help my clients access those resources. I am direct, warm, challenging, a good listener, and solution-oriented. I am also a strong proponent of somatic therapies and polyvagal theory because I believe healing involves much more than simply talking about what has happened to us. We have to help our bodies understand when we are activated and learn how to calm our systems.

Trauma lives in our bodies. We cannot simply talk about trauma until it disappears. We can end up reporting what happened like reporters and still experience flashbacks or become activated. I want to help my clients learn ways to soothe themselves and befriend their autonomic nervous system through things like breathing, movement, somatic responses, and other practices that help the body become less activated. Even something as simple as picking up a rock can be soothing for me because of the way it feels and the memories it brings back. I want my clients to discover the things that help their own systems feel calmer and safer. My work also incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy, DBT, Gottman therapy, and hypnotherapy.

What you can expect from sessions with Linda Charlaff, LCSW

Our sessions are like a conversation. My clients bring what they want to work on and, in that sense, they drive the bus. They tell me how they see things, and we talk about what is going on. If I see something a little differently, I might ask, “Would this possibly be something that you would consider?” or “Could you see it in this way?” I want the work to feel like a conversation rather than me simply telling someone what they should think or do.

I also want my clients to learn things they can actually use outside of our sessions. When someone is activated, I do not believe that talking about it alone is always enough. We can learn to recognize what is happening in the body and develop ways to self-soothe and bring the nervous system back toward a calmer state. My goal is for clients to develop their own resources so they can continue using them in their everyday lives, not only when they are sitting with me. I work with adults and elders, including individuals, men, women, and couples, and I want each person to feel that our work together is focused on what they need and what can be helpful to them.

Linda Charlaff, LCSW's experience working with the Jewish community

I am Jewish and Modern Orthodox, and I have worked with the Jewish community extensively throughout my career. I previously had practices in Manhattan and Northern New Jersey, including in a religious area, and I have also practiced in Tel Aviv. I have worked with Jewish clients for many years and have a great deal of experience working with people from the Jewish community. That experience has allowed me to understand many of the different aspects of Jewish life that can be part of a person's relationships, family, identity, and everyday experience.

My familiarity with the Jewish community is both personal and professional. Being part of the community myself has given me an understanding of Jewish life that is also informed by many years of working with Jewish clients. I understand that a person's Jewish life and relationships can be an important part of how they experience themselves and the world around them. I bring that familiarity into my work while meeting each client as an individual, with their own experiences, circumstances, and needs.

Linda Charlaff, LCSW's Book Recommendation Zone

• The Let Them Theory — Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins
  If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn't you. The problem is the power you give to other people. Two simple words—Let Them—will set you free.
• The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work — John Gottman, PhD, and Nan Silver
  The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work has revolutionized the way we understand, repair, and strengthen marriages. John Gottman’s unprecedented study of couples over a period of years has allowed him to observe the habits that can make—and break—a marriage.
• The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation — Stephen W. Porges
  This book compiles, for the first time, Stephen W. Porges’s decades of research. A leading expert in developmental psychophysiology and developmental behavioral neuroscience, Porges is the mind behind the groundbreaking Polyvagal Theory, which has startling implications for the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, and autism.

Approaches

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Gottman Method
• Hypnotherapy
• Somatic Therapy

Concerns

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood Disorders
• Relationships
• Trauma

40 years in practice

Licenses

• Licensed Clinical Social Work by NY 1983. License number R030289-1
• Licensed Clinical Social Work by NJ 1994. License number 44sc00363300
• Licensed Clinical Social Work by TX 2004. License number 110491
• Licensed Clinical Social Work by Israel 2014. License number 32587

Average costs per session

$225

Payment Methods

• Free consultation
• Check
• Credit Card
• PayPal
• ACH Bank Transfer