About Jessica
Jessica Rothenberg, LCSW
Work and Educational Experiences:
I graduated from New York University with a Master in Social Work, and from Brandeis University with a BA in History. I received post-graduate training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, as well as additional training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and harm reduction. I have a special interest in attachment theory and helping people work through relationship barriers.
Prior to starting my private practice, I worked in multiple mental health settings, most recently at Mount Sinai Hospital serving as the Clinical Director for their Partial Hospital Program and Intensive Outpatient Program, and as a supervisor in Sinai's outpatient mental health clinic where I ran the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program. While at Sinai I also had extensive experience supervising social workers, mental health counselors, psychology externs, and psychiatry residents.
My Path to Becoming a Clinical Social Worker:
I was always the go-to person among my friends when someone needed help, whether they were looking for solutions or just an ear and shoulder. Not that I was analyzing my friends or acting as their therapist, but I enjoyed helping them work through relationship and school problems, and I was good at it. In college, I knew so many people who struggled with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and low self-esteem and who were either ashamed to get treatment or couldn’t access it. Becoming a social worker and therapist just made sense.
It’s as if I was always on this path.
Something You Should Know When Working with Me:
Therapy with me might feel like a conversation with a friend, but we’ll be working, step by step, to help you learn more about your thoughts and behavioral patterns and develop skills to make concrete changes.
In session, I’m warm, funny, and very honest; I work hard to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where you’ll feel comfortable to explore, grow, and change.
We are our own worst critics.
One change everyone can make that has a significant impact is self-validation. We spend so much time and energy looking for external validation, which is either fleeting or insufficient.
Learning to validate yourself or simply talking to yourself the way you talk to a friend can have a great impact on your self-esteem and your relationships.