Cynthia Cifuentes
Welcome! My name is Cynthia and I am a mental health counselor licensed to practice in NY and CT. Have you been feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like you are just going through the motions? You are not alone. Together, we can find clarity, create meaningful change, and move toward a brighter, more hopeful future.
I draw from different treatment approaches like CBT, DBT, psychodynamic, Gestalt, attachment-based, and motivational interviewing, among others.
I have experience treating clients with a range of concerns including (but not limited to): anxiety, depression, trauma, low self-esteem, codependency, family/relationship problems, work/academic-stress, bullying, and addiction.
First session
You can see our first session like a collaborative conversation. I will be gathering information to get to know you better, understand your background and the goals you have for treatment. By the end, we can determine if I am the best fit therapist, to meet your needs and goals.
Strengths
My treatment modality is integrative or eclectic, which means that I use a combination of different treatments and tailor them to your specific needs. I draw from different treatment approaches like CBT, DBT, psychodynamic, Gestalt, attachment-based, and motivational interviewing, among others. Based on my clients' collective feedback, they have commented that my style is warm, caring, empowering, and inherently curious.
Ideal clients
The clients that I feel most equipped on helping and that I have most experience with are: adults navigating life transitions, experiencing anxiety, depressive, bipolar (if on medication regimen) symptoms, grief, work/ academic-related stress, struggling with their identity, self-esteem, addiction, codependency, having family, relationship or fertility/ hormonal issues, having unresolved trauma and/ or having been a victim of bullying or abuse.
Treatment methods
Eclectic
Combining treatment methods to fit an individual's specific needs, sometimes is the best approach. Therapy is an evolving process so depending on the complexity of the situations that arise and how the client responds, the modality can be adjusted accordingly.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is an evidence-based treatment method that has been proven to be effective in the treatment of several mental health conditions. There have also been variations of CBT and other treatment modalities that have stemmed from it, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). When incorporating these into my practice, there is a more structured approach and the use of homework, so clients can continue to practice a skill between sessions.
Motivational Interviewing
This is one of the most widely used, evidence-based approaches, to treat addictions (although it can also help to address ambivalence about change in other situations).
Gestalt
Sometimes people come to therapy because they feel a void, they want to understand themselves better, improve their emotional intelligence, or it was suggested by someone. In these situations, an individual may be uncertain where to begin. This is where 'Gestalt therapy' can be beneficial because the person can focus on the "here-and-now" and through certain exercises become more self-aware.
Psychodynamic
The focus of this modality is to find how unconscious thoughts, early life experiences, and past relationships shape your current emotions and behavior. This type of therapy can be used to identify an individual's defense mechanisms and address repeating patterns in relationships (as well as where these patterns stemmed from).
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- ConnecticutLicense 46.008576
- New YorkLicense 010078