Greg Mendoza, LCSW-R
Integrative Psychotherapist
I'm an integrative psychotherapist and clinical social worker, passionate about helping people across the lifespan to untangle their confusion, expand their capacity to feel and bring them in touch with what brings them joy and excitement. I've been trained in a number of evidenced based approaches to treatment, including psychodynamic therapy, experiential dynamic therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. My approach to treatment is collaborative and flexible, based on the needs and and wants of the people I work with.
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I chose to pursue Social Work because of the profession's foundational belief in Social Justice. I’m LGBTQIA+ affirming, sex positive, sensitive to the complexities of trauma and physical touch, and continually strive to develop my cultural competence. Since you are the expert on your identity and experience, I try to ask about it and avoid assumptions. I also know sometimes I’ll make assumptions anyway, based on my own background and worldview: that’s why a collaborative process is so important, and why I’m committed to listening to you.
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Throughout my career I have held leadership positions in community-based organizations, schools and hospitals. At Lenox Hill Hospital I am the Senior Social Worker in the Department of Psychiatry and am responsible for supervising clinical staff and trainees. As the head of the Social Work Training program at the Outpatient Center for Mental Health of Lenox Hill Hospital, I have trained many cohorts of social work students and have held academic positions with NYU, Hunter College and Columbia University.
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I am also the co-founder of Lenox Hill Hospital's Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy program, which will offer cutting edge mental healthcare to marginalized communities at no additional cost to the patient. This program is the first of its kind and anticipated to open mid-2024.
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Individual Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is an opportunity to speak freely and learn how unconscious internal conflict contributes to one's feelings, thoughts and behavioral patterns. Special attention is given to in-the-moment experience as a way of learning about one's relationship patterns and behaviors.
Couples Therapy
Couples therapy can help partners understand each other more deeply and find compassion where there used to be conflict. By identifying relationship patterns and their origins, couple's can find increased patience and empathy for each other.
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Group Therapy
As social creatures we find ourselves in groups throughout our lives. From the family, to the classroom, friend groups and work groups, we often play similar roles which bring us enjoyment but can also be a source of suffering. Group therapy is a way of learning about how we function in a group and adopting new roles that feels more congruent with one's self.
Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy
Often what is needed to facilitate change is a radical change in perspective. Psychedelics are a wonderful tool for introducing people to new ways of seeing themselves and the world. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy can be a helpful adjunct to individual, couples and group therapy.
Psychedelic Preparation & Integration
Self-guided psychedelic exploration can also be an important part of some people's personal growth. Having a space to speak about the experience before and after can help focus one's intentions and help to make use of the experience after.
Clinical Supervision
I am passionate about doing highly effective clinical work, and I enjoy sharing that passion through clinical supervision and consultation with other therapists.
Fees, Insurance & Policies
Therapy is an investment into yourself that, if taken seriously, can yield amazing returns in the form of increased happiness, fulfillment in relationships, and clarity of purpose in one's life. While I am not In-Network with any insurance carriers, I want to make psychotherapy accessible to those who want to do the work. I can provide a "superbill" upon request which you can use to submit to your insurer and possibly get some or all of my fee reimbursed. How much you will get reimbursed is different based on every insurance plan, but if your plan has Out-Of-Network coverage for Outpatient Mental Health there is a good chance you will be eligible for reimbursement.
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Consistency is an important part of psychotherapy, and in order to maintain consistency for everyone I work with I ask that you provide at least 48 hours notice if you are going to miss a session. If you cancel with less than the agreed upon notice you will be responsible for the full fee of the session.
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In accordance with the No Surprises Act, a Good Faith Estimate of the cost of services is available upon request. The cost of psychotherapy sessions will be set in advance of our first appointment and is not subject to change without prior notice.
Useful Links and Resources
1 / The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy by Jonathan Schedler
Wonderful article explaining the under-representation of psychodynamic psychotherapy in research and comparing patient outcomes of CBT oriented treatment vs. Psychodynamic oriented treatment.
2 / Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Patient Demographics, Clinical Data and Outcomes in Three Large Practices Administering Ketamine with Psychotherapy by Jennifer Dore et al
This article provides a helpful history of Ketamine and overview of the different paradigms in the use of ketamine for psychiatric treatment as well as some patient outcome data.
3 / Psychological Measures
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PHQ-9 - a useful measure for depression
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HAM-A - standard measure for assessing symptoms of anxiety
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PCL-5 - short scale to help assess for symptoms of PTSD
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ACES - adverse childhood experiences correlated with increased likelihood of psychological and/or health challenges in adulthood
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PCES - list of positive experiences in childhood correlated with high self-esteem and increased resilience in adulthood
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ECR-RS - attachment assessment looking at attachment across different relationship contexts
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