My therapeutic work is deeply informed by psychoanalytic psychotherapy and its emphasis on not merely alleviating symptoms, but discovering the deeply rooted, often unconscious mechanisms at work that generate symptoms themselves.
By participating in talk therapy, together we may discover that the way you’ve been telling your story, both to yourself and others, is only one version. By listening closely not only to what you say, but also to what you resist, avoid, and minimize, we may hear something else entirely. Therapy can be a space where you become curious about these stories too, the way they coexist and even
conflict, allowing a more integrated experience to take hold. Change at this level can be profoundly long lasting and creatively fulfilling.
Melissa Daum
LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST
I’m a psychotherapist, supervisor, and founder of Atrium Psychotherapy, an incubator for psychodynamically oriented post-graduate therapists to train together as they work toward state licensure.
My path to becoming a therapist was born out of a genuine curiosity in human nature. This curiosity initially led me to study visual art at the Maryland Institute College of Art [MICA], yoga, and even my own dreams. I eventually went to the west coast to pursue graduate training in Jungian-oriented Counseling at Pacifica Graduate Institute, a retreat style program in the mountains of Santa Barbara. However NYC has my heart, and I’m delighted to practice in the West Village.
I have a special connection with artists, writers, and creatives, and I can help with navigating challenges such as creative blocks, resistance to starting a project, maintaining a balance between art and life, and the uncertainties that come with the creative process. I have periodically returned to MICA to teach undergraduate courses on psychopathology, dream analysis, and theories of inquiry and I continue to be intrigued by the creative process itself.
As a new mother, I have an interest in supporting individuals who are considering pregnancy and parenthood. This significant life transition can bring about complicated emotions. Many women especially grapple with indecision of whether or not to have children. Therapy can provide a safe space to explore and make sense of these conflicting feelings and pressures. My previous experience working at an eating disorder treatment program has provided me with a nuanced understanding of appetite in all its forms. What we crave, and what ultimately satisfies us, can sometimes seem enigmatic and contradictory.
Beyond my private practice and supervisory role at Atrium, I have the pleasure of teaching emerging counselors in NYU’s Mental Health Counseling Program. I’m also in my fifth year of the lengthy training to become a psychoanalyst at the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis (NPAP). I’m also vested in an ongoing writing project that involves an interdisciplinary approach to thinking about the body, appetite, and the feminine in myths and fairy tales.
Currently I’m available for supervision and case consultation, and some limited openings for new clients.
