Madeleine Strassler, LMSW
Verified background check
Message from Madeleine
Welcome! Looking for a therapist is not always easy, but I'm glad you are here. It's perfectly normal for anyone to feel anxious or ambivalent about engaging with this process. Maybe you are ready to dive right in, or perhaps you are somewhere in between. I seek to provide a safe, non-judgmental, and compassionate space for you to process what may be going on in your life. My approach is holistic and takes into account all aspects of who you are. This includes your strengths, traumas, and your overall life experiences in the midst of life's challenges. Together, we will explore what you may be experiencing now, what may have happened in the past, and where you’d like to see yourself in the future. You are the leader in this journey, and I am here to bear witness to your experience. Please reach out to me for a free 15-minute phone consultation to get a sense if I am the right therapist for you. I received my MSW from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in NYC, where I studied clinical practice with a specialization in health and mental health. My master's thesis explored the role of social workers in reproductive healthcare. I have experience integrating a variety of different therapeutic modalities, including psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and relational and narrative therapy. I'm currently in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Empire BCBS, Evernorth, Optum, United Healthcare, Aetna, Anthem, UMR, and Cigna.
About Madeleine's practice
Weekdays 9am - 5pm
$$
Sliding scale
Directive
Reflective
In-person available: No
Virtual available: Yes
Career-Related Stress
Women's Obstacles
Young Adulthood
Life Transitions
LGBTQIA-Related Stress
Self-Reflection
Anxiety
Trauma
UMR
Evernorth Behavioral Health
Optum
Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
Anthem
Aetna
Cigna
Blue Cross Blue Shield BCBS
United / Oxford
NY
Why state matters
Get to Know Madeleine
What are your policies and practices around insurance?
I am in-network with BCBS, Cigna, Aetna, and United Healthcare. Since everyone's insurance plan is different, I will have to check your coverage first. If you have one of the above insurances and are interested in checking your coverage, please message me. I also encourage you to check with your plan directly, and ask, "what is my copay to see an in-network behavioral/mental health therapist? What is my copay under the following billing codes: 90791, 90834, and 90837? And, what is my deductible and how much of it has been met to date?" For all other insurance plans, I am out-of-network. If you have out-of-network benefits in your insurance plan, I can provide you with documentation that you may submit for reimbursement.
If I have never been to therapy before, what should I expect? How do I know if I should go, and how do I start?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Every practitioner is different, as there are a wide range of styles, therapeutic modalities, and personalities, but I will always start where you are and center sessions around what feels most top of mind for you. Only you can know if it's time to start. If you're not sure and want to talk it through, feel free to book a consultation with me and we can go from there.
From your perspective, what is therapy?
Therapy is a chance at exploration and change: what's working for you, and what isn't? Are there shifts you would like to make? Do you feel stuck in how to make those shifts? It is an opportunity for you to get to know yourself through a collaborative relationship with a mental health professional. You may or may not have a tangible goal at first, you may feel like something is off and can't quite name it--that's all okay, and we can figure it out together.
Are there any philosophies or values that inform your work that I should know about?
As a social worker, I value taking into account the whole person through systems theory and an intersectional framework. What this means is it is important to me to explore a multitude of areas so that we may perceive a holistic understanding of what you may be experiencing. For example, maybe your anxiety is rooted in stress from work (environmental and social), maybe it stems from your genetics (biological: is a close family member prone to anxiety?) or perhaps a nuanced combination of multiple factors. We will take into consideration these influences, as well as the impact of larger systems like gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, class, and others. I’d love to support you in better understanding and navigating this mosaic.