Hello! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the states of Pennsylvania (PA) and New Jersey (NJ), also holding a PhD in Clinical Sexology. My primary areas of clinical focus include relationship and sex therapy, self esteem and body image, mind-body exploration, somatic therapies, and mindfulness. My doctoral research focused specifically on exploring the experiences of self-silencing, sexual self-esteem, and body image among women in relationships.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In a first session, you can expect to begin with us becoming acquainted through introductions and receiving any general or procedural information I must provide. The remainder of the session will focus on getting to know a bit about you, the story that brings you to therapy with me, and what goals and intentions you currently have in mind for this space.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I believe that one of my greatest strengths as a provider is my ability to resonate with a broad and diverse range of clients regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. I also find a great deal of strength in my ability to see and learn each client's language of unique self-expression; truly getting to know their story and understanding who they are through their own definitions, and the lived experiences they share with me.
About Dr. Emma Herman LCSW, MEd
Appointments
Virtual
My treatment methods
Narrative
Together, we will look at the stories that your life is currently constructed around. The stories that immerse you in your beliefs about who you are, what you do, your purpose, what others think or feel about you, and all that life ultimately has in store for you. As I get to know you and the stories of your life -- we will work together to carve out which narratives currently support the greatest version of you, strengthening those elements; and alternatively, re-writing and re-framing the aspects of your story that no longer serve you, or that stand as roadblocks to your peace. An example of a powerful shift in one's narrative, is the story of a victim who grows into the identity of a survivor.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness is at the core of being truly present in our daily lives. It enables us to get what we most need from each experience, environment, situation, and relationship. It equips us with self-awareness and the awareness of others that empowers us to feel increasingly confident and competent in navigating our lives and interactions. It brings us a great deal of peace in recognizing the here and now, and frees us from the burden of anxiety as we exist in that space consistently. As we learn and incorporate aspects of mindfulness, you may find it to eventually become beautifully second-nature in practice; and increasingly evident in it's existence at the root of many healthy, functional habits and perspectives.
Somatic
Through somatic healing methods, we may discover the deeply connected relationship between our mental health and bodies. This approach focuses on working through trauma and root issues as they are stored at a cellular, nervous system level. Often times, we begin the work of talk therapy and wonder why anxiety, depression, and old patterns still plague us -- despite doing the ongoing work to reframe our thoughts and broaden our perspectives. This is because our body has stored it in a variety of ways, and remembers, even when we are consciously working to unlearn and relearn. I strongly believe that a holistic combination of talk therapies and somatic, mind-body therapies generally promote the most abundant and successful therapeutic outcomes for a diverse range of clinical concerns.
Mind-body approach
The mind-body approach to therapy connects mindfulness to the holistic relationship between the mind, body, and our behaviors. Mind-body therapies may include breathing exercises, meditation, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, movement therapies, yoga and so on. I find this approach to serve as a natural facilitator of the holistic elements I seek to bring as a mental health, sexuality & relationship practitioner.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most well-known, tried and true therapeutic approaches to date. I like to think of it as the responsibility we have to conceive our minds as a muscle that we must "work out," like any other muscle of the body, to see the desired results. For example: cultivating a positive outlook in general, or learning to discard suspicious and distrustful attitudes within romantic relationships both require us to be intentional about our thoughts and what stories our mind gives air time to. We learn to hold ourselves accountable to healthier, more realistic and balanced thoughts, that can profoundly improve both our internal and external experiences.
