Therapist in Jerusalem

Gabrielle Thaler LMSW, Psychotherapist

Treatment of Depression, Anxiety & Trauma.

Counseling Individuals and Couples.

Thank you for visiting my website. I strongly believe that the capacity for healing is deeply rooted in interpersonal connections. My goal as a therapist is to create a safe and supportive environment where freedom of expression is encouraged and embraced. My style is comprehensive and I have extensive experience with NVC, CBT, DBT, EFT, IFS, and Psychodynamic Theory.

About Me

I provide compassionate and collaborative treatment and support to clients struggling with a diverse range of issues. My choice to become a therapist was inspired by my own journey and personal life experiences and represents the culmination of all that I have personally and professionally learned, practiced, and transcended. I find great joy and fulfillment in helping my clients gain insight and self-awareness, to assist in accessing innate strengths and resources in order to develop the skills and confidence required to create a more purposeful life. Each and every client receives an individualized and client-centered treatment plan as I offer services in treating “the client” - not just a potential “diagnosis.”

I graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Hunter College in New York City and received a Master of Social Work degree from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. I have conducted extensive graduate training in both Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as well as Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy (DBT). My affiliations with the Albert Ellis Institute and the American Institute of Cognitive Therapy has afforded me additional training in New York City. Furthermore, I have practiced at the Jewish Association for Mental Illness in London, UK. I have both inpatient and outpatient experience working with adults who struggle with a variety of mental health issues.

Approach

I utilize an integrated approach and strengths-based perspective in providing clinical treatment. My aim is to assist individuals in ultimately achieving their goals and self-actualization by way of personal development and self-empowerment. My initial stages of treatment are to explore undesirable narratives and behavior patterns, improve quality of relationships, and achieve greater self-acceptance. I possess a wealth of experience working with various populations, am culturally competent, and thrive in providing services in both individual and group frameworks. I am well-trained in assessments, diagnostics, crisis interventions, vocational training, and outside referrals, if needed, across a continuum of care. I provide useful and educational resources to enhance and sustain the healing process throughout treatment.

Problems/Afflictions Treated

Anxiety and Depression

Panic Disorder

Obsessive-Complusive Disorder

PTSD/Complex Trauma

Anger Management

Relationship/Conflict Resolution

Addiction Issues

Grief and Loss

Personality Disorders

Modalities at a Glance

Strengths-Based Perspective - Emphasizes people's innate self-determination and strengths. It is a philosophy and a way of viewing clients as resourceful and resilient in the face of adversity.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - Focuses on the patterns of thinking, behavior, and emotional responses that are associated with distress or life dissatisfaction. In CBT, clients learn techniques to recognize and change these patterns to improve daily functioning and life satisfaction. CBT is an empirically supported treatment.

Schema Therapy - The 'schemas' that are targeted in treatment are enduring and self-defeating patterns that typically begin early in life. Some examples of schema beliefs are: "I'm unlovable," "I'm a failure," "People don't care about me," "I'm not important," "Something bad is going to happen," "People will leave me," "I will never get my needs met," "I will never be good enough," and so on.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) - A gentle and somatic technique used to merge tenets of CBT and "Tapping" on meridians in the body by way of discharging "stuck" emotional or physical pain. EFT can become a self-administered technique that can effectively address the underlying causes of stress by calming the amygdala or fear center of the brain, reducing stress hormone levels in the bloodstream, and activating the growth and relaxation response.

Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy (DBT) - Is a highly specialized form of CBT designed to help address problems in regulating emotions, impulse control-distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness practice.

Non-Violent Communication (NVC) - Supports change on 3 interconnected levels: with self, with others, and with groups and social systems. As such it is particularly present in the areas of personal development, and relationships. NVC is ostensibly taught as a process of interpersonal communication designed to improve compassionate connection to self and others.

The Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) - is an integrative approach to individual psychotherapy. It combines systems thinking with the view that the mind is made up of relatively discrete subpersonalities, each with its own unique viewpoint and qualities. IFS uses family systems theory to understand how these collections of subpersonalities are organized and reintegrated by the individual.

Psychodynamic Therapy - Focuses on unconscious processes as they are manifested in a person's present behavior. The goal of this work is to assist the client in gaining insight and awareness into behavior at present, as a result of past experiences.

Couples Counseling and Conflict Resolution

“Every criticism, judgment, or expression of anger is the tragic expression of an unmet need.”
―Marshall Rosenberg

When working with couples, it is important to understand the internal dynamics “at work” with not only each other, but within oneself. An objective third party is often necessary when the cycle becomes too wearisome. At this point, the process of ineffective communication often begs for interruption by an outside perspective. Abandon what does not work!

Understanding the deeply embedded patterns within the individuals’ narrative and how that manifests in relation to another is paramount. Usually, each individual is unconsciously contributing to the undesirable behavior cycle due to misunderstood or unmet needs. Getting to the root of those patterns requires becoming vulnerable and taking stock of acquired belief systems.

By implementing principles and practices of NVC and examining through an internal family systems (IFS) lens, employing empathy, mutual understanding, and overall authentic relating becomes an easier feat. In my experience, the goal is to keep a safe and open channel of communication throughout conflict and to potentially move through triggers more gracefully. This is usually where we get stuck in our relationships. My intention is to help facilitate taking ownership of the feelings and behaviors which are stifling effective conflict resolution. We work together towards adopting accessible and alternative methods through principles of non-violent communication. If needs are not being met, conflict is going to emerge! Learning how to meet each others' needs in a more compassionate way, promotes healing and adaptation to a more connective relationship.

More in-depth aspects to healthier relationships include:

  • Noticing unproductive personal patterns of relating
  • Allowing for reflection of individual attachment styles
  • Awareness of healthier boundaries
  • Becoming attuned to the process of relational healing
  • Authentic expression of uncomfortable emotions
  • Assessing distinct core values
  • Addressing unresolved wounds or grief in relation to self and others
Jerusalem Therapy with Gabrielle Thaler

Testimonials

"I am really happy that I chose to begin working with Gabrielle. It was very hard for me to decide but I am confident that I made the right choice. She really inspires me to work harder on myself. I suffer from depression and PTSD and it is not easy but she helps me feel more hopeful and is always encouraging me to be kind to myself. Meeting with her once a week for an hour has helped me come out of my shell more and I am beginning to feel that I can socialize more because of the work we do. I am learning so much about myself and how I can overcome my issues by using special techniques and tools. CBT is by far the best kind of therapy that I have done. It works on my trauma and my depression. I'm so grateful that I am finally getting better!" -Yehudit B-

"I started having one to one sessions with Gabi at a centre twice a week in North London. Quite quickly and for the first time in my life, I felt truly understood! Gabi is kind, understanding, patient, but most of all she believes in each person that she helps. Over the next few months we worked closely together and I started to see amazing results that I hadn't seen with anyone else before. Gabi taught me how to be kind to myself, to love myself, but most of all, she helped me believe in myself. The reason Gabi is such a good Social Worker is because she is really understanding and patient. The main difference between her and other mental health workers is that she doesn't set herself on a different level to her clients. She is not patronising in any way. Gabi loves helping people realise their potential. Now a days, I'm working full-time doing what I love and living life to the fullest." -Gila H-

"Gabi Thaler just gets it. With strong intuition, compassion, and sensitivity, Gabi really helped me see the greater picture when I couldn't do it on my own. I felt so understood and accepted during our sessions. This in itself was potent enough to heal some of my broken parts. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for humbly sharing her gifts with me." -Deena N-

"Gabrielle is so genuine in her approach in our sessions. I have been to a lot of therapists and I really feel a deep connection with her because she makes me not only feel understood on a very deep level but she also provides an education into my own issues; especially work related issues. I have never had a therapist do that before. She actually gives me reading materials to help me understand myself better and she is very goal-oriented in our work together. She is not one of these therapists who want you to be in the hot seat for too long. I feel like she really wants me to tap into my potential and move on...not just sit in therapy indefinitely. She actually inspires me to find work that is true to my neshama." -Yossi D-

Contact

Please contact me for free initial consultation. Sliding scale where applicable.
Also available via all online platforms (Zoom, Whatsapp, Skype, etc.).

Gabrielle Thaler, LMSW, Psychotherapist

052-732-9938

Message me on WhatsApp

Jerusalem, Israel.

Therapist in Jerusalem