David Horne, LCSW
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Message from David
I start from a place of empathy. Life is challenging, and respect for how we all do the best we can in our specific situations is an important part of my practice. I think the magic of being in therapy is to achieve some clarity on what our current situations are and how we are showing up in them - which is usually affected by how we’ve done it or what was available or happened to us in the past. The goal is to help people to uncover and nurture a fuller sense of themselves and how they can be in the present. There’s a lot of possibility in that. In session, I think it is important to include both talking and feeling. A lot of us are more comfortable talking about things from a safe distance. A big part of my function is to help people get comfortable and into the habit of paying attention to how they are feeling and using that information constructively. On the surface, the method looks like a conversation, during which I will be paying attention to what you are saying (or not saying); your expression and how you are holding your body; your breathing, volume, when you start to fidget and or make or break eye contact, among other things. I might interrupt to make a comment or to ask a question or to suggest that you to go back to something that feels like it stood out to me in some way. I may ask you to try sitting differently, or to pay attention to what your hands or feet are doing, or how big or small you feel. Nothing too woo woo, but a way to get out of an analytical rut and into some newness and novelty. I completed 3 years of postgraduate training in Gestalt therapy. I also find the framework of Internal Family Systems therapy helpful. I’m familiar with and often utilize cognitive behavioral techniques. Prior to starting my own practice, I was an oncology social worker, helping people who were impacted by cancer. Grief, loss and the struggle to navigate that painful experience (in a society that doesn't really know how to deal with it) is familiar terrain, and one that I think a lot of people shy away from. I have a great clientele! Professionals, academics, creatives, students, performers. Mid-twenties to late 70’s. I have a particular affinity toward working with people in or approaching some type of change or transition in their lives, as well as for people who are looking at themselves and their various relationships and how it's all feeling. Seeking ‘growth’ is a common goal.
About David's practice
Weekdays 9am - 5pm
$$$
Sliding scale
Directive
Reflective
Body-based
In-person available: Yes
Virtual available: Yes
Health-Related Concerns or Chronic Illness
Family Dynamics
Grief and Bereavement
Life Transitions
Depression
LGBTQIA-Related Stress
Anxiety
Out of network providers
NY
Why state matters
Get to Know David
"David is fantastic - he strikes a perfect balance between professionalism and relating to you on a personal level that has really helped me through some difficult experiences. Our conversations are always completely authentic - he reflects honestly on what I’m saying which has helped me understand my own thoughts and emotions significantly. He has been extremely understanding and empathetic towards my transition into adulthood, and continues to dynamically support my growth as we approach one year of working together. I couldn’t recommend him more highly."
Anonymous, Client
"David has an amazing way of helping me feel ok to be an imperfect human, while also uncovering deeper layers of who I am and who I am becoming. He is an amazing listener and space holder for emotions, and also knows how to ask the right questions or point out the patterns and hidden layers that I might've missed myself. Over the last 2 years he has helped me navigate some of the biggest life changes I've ever experienced, including care-taking my mother with cancer and disabled father, while reinventing my career and business. I'm grateful for the stability and awareness that his guidance has brought into my life and highly recommend him as a therapist."
Anonymous, Client
"David is a gifted and skilled clinician whose work is best defined by empathy and compassion. He is well-versed in Gestalt and Existential psychotherapy and employs the philosophical underpinnings of these schools in his practice. Although he possesses a solid understanding of clinical theory, David’s ability to transcend these boundaries simultaneously, has afforded him the freedom to connect with his clients on a deeper level. His humanistic approach to understanding the “whole person” - who not only are comprised of intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics, but encompass a spiritual dimension as well - allows him to enter into therapeutic relationships that are rich and meaningful. Recognizing that the path to “wholeness” can be challenging and unique for each individual, David will help you trust in the “process” and navigate the journey that is unfurling within you."
Glenn Meuche, MSW, MPhil, LCSW, Colleague
How much do you share about yourself during our time together and why?
What and how much I share about myself in session is based on what I perceive to be helpful in the process and the relationship. Maintaining an artificial secrecy about myself while the client is wide open and vulnerable seems like a weird power hierarchy. On the other hand, this is a therapeutic, not a social, relationship. It is about the client being seen and supported. I'll share enough about myself to facilitate that.
Where did you work before going into private practice?
I was an oncology social worker at a not-for-profit, supporting people who were coping with cancer, either themselves, or through someone who was important to them. Way before that, when I first moved to New York 30 years ago with an undergraduate degree in art and art history, I worked in props, events and fashion, which was amazing until it started to feel less so...
Have you received any particular training beyond your post-Bachelor's training?
I received 3+ years of training in Gestalt psychotherapy at Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy in New York. I have a certificate in Meaning Centered Psychotherapy from Memorial Sloan Kettering. I've become increasingly interested in and starting to incorporate aspects of Internal Family Systems therapy into the work. Unfortunately, the certification for that method is currently on hold while we all cope with the pandemic.
Do you have experience (5-10 years+) working with any types of obstacles or people in particular?
While I am lucky to work with a broad spectrum of people, many of my clients function in a creative capacity, in the arts, performance, social service or education. A big part of what I do is supporting clients in moving through historical obstacles in order to become a fuller, truer version of themselves. That often includes working on relationships, with one's self, family, parents, partner(s) or some type of community. The other side of that is exploring and defining one's identity in aspects large and small, and in relation to all of the above!
How participatory are you during sessions?
That varies from session to session and client to client. If someone is on a roll, deeply engaged in their own process, I'm careful not to interrupt that. If I see someone struggling with something new or difficult, or getting caught on a habitual snag, I will offer a reflection or an experiment that may lead to a new way of engaging. What is helpful can vary moment to moment, and I encourage my clients to let me know if they need something more, less or different from me in terms of participation.
How should I prepare for my first session with you?
Just prepare to be open and pay attention to as much of your experience as possible. We'll start the session acknowledging that we are both largely unknown to each other. The intention is to develop a therapeutic relationship based on respect, curiosity and increased awareness, at a pace that feels safe and productive.
How long should I commit to being in therapy, at least in the beginning?
First, you should get a sense of whether or not the therapist feels like a good fit. If not, let them know, and move on. If you find someone that you think you can be comfortable working with, give yourself a couple of months. It takes a while to feel safe, develop the relationship, and get an idea of what is going on.
How can you tell if I am feeling stuck, unseen, or unheard?
By checking in and paying attention to the interpersonal process on an ongoing basis. “What is going on with you right now?” or “What is going on between us right now?” is how we do that. Whatever is happening in the therapy space has a correlation to what happens in the world outside of therapy and how one navigates that, so it’s vital information.
How can you tell if I am benefiting from working with you?
When I observe some relief, growth, sense of aliveness, etc. Clients often provide examples of how they have navigated something differently, based on something that has come up in therapy.
How do you approach diversity in the room or working with clients who may come from a different background than you?
As always, I start where the client is. What are they facing? How are they making meaning? What is their environment and how do they navigate it? Those questions are fundamental, no matter what background a person has.
What is unique about the work you do, or how have you found your work to be different than your colleagues'?
That’s hard to say, because all the work is so unique and private. Other practitioners who have been clients have shared an appreciation for the sense of openness and respect they experienced in working with me.
What is the best part of the work for you?
Showing up as a fellow human being and facilitating a person’s growth and emotional development.
What led you to become a mental healthcare practitioner?
It is endlessly fascinating and valuable work. I also like how working with people’s intensely personal and unique experiences feels like a good balance to what I view as an increasingly brutal and commercial social environment.
Is there ever a time when you would encourage me to leave or graduate? Or how do I know when it's time to end or move on, or time to stay and explore more?
Yes. That would be a conversation about whether we were engaged, if it felt useful, how therapy supports (or doesn’t) your life. What is working, what isn’t. Maybe something has changed? I don’t think that everyone needs to be in therapy all the time.
How will our relationship be different than relationships I have with friends/loved ones?
Unlike a personal relationship, the therapeutic relationship is one sided. It’s all about you, your needs and how you uniquely go about your life. You are the valid starting point. My only expectation is that you engage in the work.
Do you assign homework, activities, or readings for me to do between sessions? Why or why not?
It depends on our therapeutic relationship and process. If you use our time primarily as a supportive context in which to explore your experience and make meaning, assignments, besides paying attention to your process, probably don’t seem useful or relevant. If, on the other hand, you are trying out new ways of being, I may assign a tiny, manageable action to try out, or ask you to pay attention to a particular type of situation in order to help figure out what happens. For example, if you are someone who was conditioned to meet other people’s needs and automatically say yes to requests, I may suggest trying “let me get back to you on that” as a response that gives you space to take your own needs into account and decide what you want to do.
Are there any philosophies or values that inform your work that I should know about?
I use Gestalt psychotherapy, which is focused on an exploration of the full spectrum of one’s experience, as a starting point. What are your needs and how do you meet them? I find narrative therapy useful as well, paying attention to what stories/meanings you may have absorbed from your environment or created yourself, and how do they impact how you navigate any given situation? I approach the therapeutic relationship as co-created and have a lot of respect for how each of us navigates our given circumstances to the best or our abilities. And how complicated that can get.
From your perspective, what is therapy?
Therapy is a designated time, space and relationship that supports the client in looking at the full spectrum of their process - how they go about meeting their needs in the world, how they make meaning of the various components of their lives and relationships, maybe working on a pattern or reoccurring situation that is problematic - and using that awareness to get to a greater sense of agency, acceptance and well-being.