About Dr. Claudia Perolini
My Journey
…is without a doubt what prompted my desire to dedicate my professional life to helping others have a better experience in their lives, whatever this may mean in their journey.
As a child, I was intrigued by the realization that being successful (be it at work, school, sports, socially, or financially) didn’t always go hand in hand with happiness and fulfillment. Even though happiness and inner peace seemed to be major goals for many, a distressingly large number of people appeared to be unfulfilled or weighed down by life itself. This apparent gap between our deepest desires and what seemed to me the experience of so many people kindled my burning desire to know more about the human psyche (mind, body, and soul) and the process of helping oneself, and eventually others, to live a more authentic, fulfilling life.
My (admittedly somewhat lofty) aspiration was to delve into our complexities as human beings as a pathway to better understand how to live life in a way that feels authentic and fulfilling, and thus in a manner that grant us a sense of peace when one day we look back at it all.
Becoming a psychologist suited me perfectly.
Up Until Now
I have worked with teens and adults from many walks of life, each with somewhat different desires, needs, and goals for therapy. Yet, I believe that underlying the many differences between my patients there is generally one common, shared pursuit—to ease the pain and suffering and find a meaningful path toward healing and well-being.
Going Forward
And here I am—after a long journey, feeling confident and optimistic about the host of possibilities that psychotherapy offers to individuals, perhaps like yourself, who are invested in their well-being and willing to give this potentially transformative experience a chance.
EDUCATION
PhD in Counseling Psychology
Fordham University, NY
Masters in Counseling
Fordham University, NY
BA in Psychology
Southern Connecticut State University, CT
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
University of Miami/ Jackson Memorial Hospital, FL
Post Doctoral Fellowship in Clinical Psychology
Pace University Counseling Center, NY
APA Accredited Internship
Interfaith Medical Center, NY
Veteran Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare
System, Brooklyn Campus
Iona College, NY
HOW MY VIEW OF THERAPY EVOLVED
Our pain, although likely triggered by current stressors (or just life itself), is often related to early life experiences. It is usually in our early interactions that we first develop enduring patterns of relating to ourselves, others, and the world around us. Difficulties tend to arise when our characteristic ways of being and relating, even though helpful early on, are no longer consistent with the person we want to be. What then?
Therapy provides the conditions that allow for a deeply personal journey toward self-knowledge and growth. The therapeutic relationship invites us to shift our gaze inward and challenges us to listen to the wisdom of our inner voice, which may have become almost inaudible. Therapy offers this possibility of growth and transformation through providing a steady, reliable time for reflecting, feeling, or simply being in the presence of a professional who is attuned and in sync with your emotional world. And it is from this place of connection within the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship that healing can unfold.
Yet, truth be told, therapy can present challenges as you work toward your own healing—as often is the case with any endeavor worth pursuing. There may be times in which the journey of psychotherapy may become, for a host of different reasons, difficult. But, it is during these difficult times when we are often stretching, growing, and evolving the most. My hope is that at the end of therapy every one of my patients can look back and feel that (at some point during therapy) their most profound pain was able to come through and that we, together, were able to witness, hold, and contain what emerged. In my experience, having one’s pain witnessed, held, and contained in the safety of the therapeutic relationship can truly be transformative.
A whole new chapter can start when we are able to process distressing thoughts, emotions and experiences in the safety of a strong therapeutic relationship. We no longer need to constantly fight against how we feel or suffer in the same ways we did— for we have been seen, heard, and “felt” in a powerful, healing way.
If my philosophy resonates with you, or perhaps even infuses you with some degree of hope, relief, and possibility, please do not hesitate to schedule a time to speak.
