DAVID BERGER
PhD, Clinical Psychology
ABOUT ME
Professional Training
After graduating with a BA in Psychology from Yeshiva University, I earned a PhD in Clinical Psychology from St. John's University in New York City. My training included intensive clinical work with a variety of clients in diverse settings, but was primarily geared toward working with individual clients in private practice.
Having earned my doctorate in America, I relocated to Israel and opened a private therapy practice for English-speaking individuals. I also happen to be an ordained rabbi and often work with those from an observant background, but the majority of my work has been with people of varied personal, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, and I welcome clients of all kinds.
"Integrative" Approach to Therapy
The field of psychology encompasses many valuable clinical approaches, and the contemporary trend is to utilize the best features of each. I practice this “Integrative” approach, tailoring it to best to fit the unique needs and personality of each client. Practically, this means that I draw upon a number of therapeutic approaches:
Client-centered
Pioneered by Carl Rogers, this approach is meant to empower clients by partnering with them to set and achieve therapeutic goals. The key to this approach is that the psychologist does not pretend to be the expert with all the answers, but rather acts as an empathic facilitator for the client to find his/her own identity and sense of worth.
Psychodynamic
This foundational approach, first formulated by Sigmund Freud, focuses on the unconscious emotions, thoughts, and conflicts that drive human behavior. The goal of this approach is to achieve insight and emotional validation by helping clients to “make the unconscious conscious”, whether through a sensitive exploration of the client’s early history or perhaps an analysis of a client's dreams.
Cognitive-behavioral (CBT)
This approach helps clients gain a clearer understanding of their own thought patterns, which can directly impact behaviors and emotions. Even when not applied as the primary approach in a systematic manner, this method can be very helpful for clients whose unhelpful thought patterns, such as all-or-nothing thinking, are clearly affecting their lives.
Interpersonal (IPT)
This therapeutic approach primarily for depression focuses on our relationships to other people as the key to making progress in our own lives. In addition, it helps clients learn that emotions are not inherently dangerous, and that the key is learning how to express our emotions constructively.