Dr. Lily Swistel

I am a clinical psychologist offering in-depth, psychodynamically oriented therapy. My specialization is working with adults who struggle with relationship issues and inhibitions in their work and creativity.

I believe that we all unwittingly engage in repetitive behaviors in our approaches to relationships, our work, and ourselves. These ways of being and coping made sense at earlier points in our lives, but hold us back from feeling authentic in the present. The process of therapy can create long-term shifts through building understanding of ourselves and by allowing for greater freedom in self-expression. I view therapy as transformative because of the safe space it provides for a new relational experience, one in which clients can experiment with new thoughts, feelings, and words in the presence of a receptive and responsive professional.

I earned my Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the Derner School for Psychology, Adelphi University. My certifications in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy complement my clinical focus on developmental trauma. My psychoanalytic expertise was deepened through excellent mentorship at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute and the William Alanson White Institute.  During my doctoral residency at Silver Hill Hospital, I worked with patients suffering from complex personality disorders and substance abuse in residential treatment.  

I also hold an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from New York University. I see my literary practice as connected to my ability to help patients create more coherent and capacious narratives through psychotherapy.