Carol Gelbard, LCSW

SPECIALTIES Attachment-Focussed EMDR Therapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Psychodynamic Therapy Grief Specialist WELCOME Congratulations on taking this first step toward meaningful change. Choosing to work with a therapist is a hopeful decision—one that signals you’re ready for life to look or feel different. Whether you're managing distress, navigating painful emotions, working through loss, or seeking support during a transition, I’m here to help. Together, we can focus on your growth, support your healing, and move toward a place that feels right for you. BACKGROUND With over 20 years of experience, I’ve had the privilege of providing therapy across diverse settings, including hospitals, schools, community mental-health programs, day-treatment and residential facilities, and private practice. APPROACH In my practice, I support teens, adults, and families moving through a wide range of challenges. My work includes helping clients with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, family conflict, life transitions, pregnancy loss, infertility, third-party reproduction, parenting stress, and relationship issues. A core part of my work focuses on how the nervous system adapts to stress over time. Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, reactive, shut down, or stuck in patterns that feel difficult to interrupt. These reactions often reflect conditioned survival responses within the nervous system. Together, we work to regulate these patterns, reduce chronic stress, and build lasting emotional resilience so you can navigate life with greater clarity and steadiness. In our sessions, we’ll explore how past experiences shape your current thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Therapy becomes a space for reflection, healing, and developing new ways of approaching the challenges you face. I’ll offer steady guidance as you uncover strengths you may not yet recognize and support you in creating meaningful, lasting changes aligned with the life you want to live. My style is down-to-earth, compassionate, and direct. I aim to create a space where you feel truly seen and understood, while also gently challenging the patterns that no longer serve you. Therapy with me is collaborative, creative, and grounded in the belief that growth happens when safety and honesty are both present. I use an integrative, trauma-informed approach drawing from psychodynamic therapy, attachment-based EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), somatic therapy, and mindfulness-based practices. This allows me to tailor our work to your needs—whether we’re uncovering the deeper origins of a pattern or focusing on practical strategies you can use right away. I tend to work well with clients who feel overwhelmed by the emotional demands of their lives—whether they’re navigating complex family dynamics, experiencing chronic stress, or carrying more responsibility than feels sustainable. Many describe themselves as thoughtful, sensitive, or self-aware, yet still find themselves stuck in patterns of over-functioning, people-pleasing, or feeling responsible for others’ needs. Others come in feeling flooded, shut down, or unable to interrupt long-standing cycles. If these experiences resonate, you may benefit from an approach that blends nervous-system regulation, trauma-informed care, and relational insight to help you move toward a more grounded and balanced way of living. Clients often find that as we work together, they begin to experience a calmer internal world, with fewer spikes of overwhelm or emotional reactivity. Over time, therapy can help you develop clearer boundaries, greater emotional flexibility, and a deeper sense of self-trust. Many people notice improvements in how they navigate relationships, respond to stress, and stay connected to themselves during challenging moments. Our work is not only about insight but about helping your mind, body, and emotions work together in a more regulated and supportive way, creating changes that feel both meaningful and lasting. NEXT STEPS If you’re considering therapy, I invite you to reach out for a complimentary phone consultation. Finding the right therapist is an important decision, and a brief conversation can help you feel more confident about taking the next step.