The Deliberate Psychotherapy Collaborative Team
About Us
BROOKE DONATONE, LCSW, PhD
Queer, Genderqueer, they/any pronoun, third-generation New Yorker
I view therapy as a means to enhance the tools that people already have, instead of the therapist being the expert in treatment, and use a more relational, solution-focused approach to therapy with the goal of teaching people how to improve problem-solving on their own.
I have been working as a psychotherapist for about two decades. I received my Master of Social Work degree from SUNY Stony Brook, and my PhD in Social Work from NYU.
I have experience working with a wide variety of issues and people. I work with people who experience depression, stress, panic attacks, nightmares, anxiety, sleep problems, trauma, and many other issues. I also have experience working with people from many different cultures, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, abilities, and ages.
I was also the Team Leader of the Gender & Sexuality team at the NYU Student Health center. I have worked a lot with people in the queer community regarding coming out, gender spectrum-issues/gender affirming care and BDSM/consensual nonmonogamy/Kink relationships.
I have been trained in skills-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), as well as somatic-based treatments such as Clinical Hypnotherapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Mindfulness.
I also specialize in clinical hypnotherapy, and I am the current President of NYSEPH (NY Society for Ericksonian Psychotherapy and Hypnosis). I use hypnotherapy services to help a variety of issues, such as fear of flying, smoking cessation, and panic attacks. I have worked extensively using hypnotherapy for almost every type of pain, from post-injury to back pain, and tension headaches. I have focused on helping many people who are living with chronic conditions, including HIV, pain-related auto-immune disorders such as Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, and Lupus, in addition to IBD-spectrum illnesses such as Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. I find it helpful to teach people self-hypnosis so they are able to have ways of reducing their symptoms on their own.
LAUREN SHAH, LCSW-R
Cis gendered female, she/her pronouns, bi-racial, first generation American
I am a therapist with over a decade’s experience specializing in anxiety, trauma and eating disorders. I use a collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach to create a safe space for exploring and understanding who you are as an individual, the issues you are currently facing and the life you want to build for the future.
A good fit between the client and clinician is the essential factor in therapy and it is critical to foster a nonjudgmental and supportive space. I believe we are a team in exploring and addressing your problems and I always focus on your strengths. I take a 2 prong approach- providing you with concrete skills you can use to feel empowered to problem-solve on your own and exploring your past, identifying connections to your present situation so you can validate your narrative and build a new path forward.
I did a 2 year specialized training in the treatment of eating disorders. I am also trained in multiple modalities such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy, Hypnotherapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Hypnotherapy.
Diversity and respect are at the core of my practice. As a bi-racial clinician, I welcome and work effectively with anyone regardless of gender, ethnicity and sexuality. However, I never assume that I have had the same experiences as each of my patients. As a result, I believe in shaping our work together around your experience and your goals so that you can live your most authentic life.
Zohar Fuller
Jewish, Queer, she/they pronouns
Zohar is a queer Jewish therapist. Their specialties include gender, sexuality, sex therapy, non-monogamy/polyamory, and partner violence.
They use a blend of therapeutic modalities, often including psychodynamic and behavioral approaches. Zohar is trained in AEDP,
DBT, and EMDR. They have professional clinical experience working at Callen-Lorde, Kip Therapy, Golden Psychology, and Fenway Health in
Boston. Zohar received their Master’s of Social Work from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. They also hold an MFA in
Directing from Boston University and love working with artists.