Clinical Psychologist Specializing in Psychotherapy in Huntington
Dr. Joel Kuppersmith is a licensed psychologist who has been in private practice for the past 30 years. His office is conveniently located at 177 Main Street in Huntington
Education:
He is also a psychoanalyst, having received his post-doctoral certificate in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis at the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University. He earned his doctoral degree in Psychology at the University of Mississippi, which was followed by a post-doctoral internship offered jointly by Downstate Medical Center and South Beach Psychiatric in Brooklyn and Staten Island.
Early Career:
Following the completion of his academic and licensing credentials, Dr. Kuppersmith began an 11-year career working for the New York State Department of Mental Health at Kings Park Psychiatric Center. As a staff psychologist, he worked in both inpatient and outpatient services. He worked closely with psychiatrists in coordinating psychological treatment and formulating individual treatment plans.
Teaching Experience:
Dr. Kuppersmith served as chairperson of the ethics committee for the Psychology Department at Kings Park Psychiatric Center. He is currently an adjunct professor of Psychology in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Adelphi University. He was also an adjunct professor at Hofstra University.
Private Practice:
For the past 30 years, Dr. Kuppersmith has treated a variety of psychological problems including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, adult children of alcoholics, insomnia, and marital/couple and family conflict. Recent developments in the theory and treatment applications in these areas have shown clinically improved outcomes.
Featured Service: Psychotherapy in Huntington
Psychotherapy involves the treatment of psychological conflict within an individual and in relationships. The goal of counseling is to develop the capacity to regulate emotions through the examination and reframing of feelings and mood states. Dr. Kuppersmith also specializes in post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from physical or emotional injury or abuse.
Benefits of Psychotherapy in Huntington
Despite popular belief, the majority of us feature plenty of similarities that we all share, including the inevitable need to sleep. However, this action can be easier said than done, as some patients increasingly struggle with insomnia. If you have insomnia, or just have trouble falling asleep in general, consider seeking assistance and reaping the benefits of psychotherapy in Huntington. Psychotherapy may initially sound intimidating, but before you go dismissing this blog, remember that assistance can occasionally develop from the most unlucky of sources. If you have exhausted almost every solution to get rest, why not give psychotherapy a try?
Causes:
There are numerous argumentations as to why your sleep cycle may be out of sync. These catalysts can range from what you ingest, irregular schedule, what troubles you, etc. Here are a few reasons in further detail:
- Medical Conditions – There are quite a bit of medical conditions that could potentially lead to the development of insomnia. These can include the following:
- Sinus allergies.
- Gastrointestinal problems.
- Arthritis.
- Asthma.
- Chronic pain.
- Low back pain.
- Depression – Insomnia has been shown to lead to depression and is also a symptom of depression too. Unfortunately, both are not an ideal combination, which can lead to this vicious cycle that feeds off of each other. Insomnia does not help with your mental state which can have a negative effect on an individual.
- Alcohol – Alcohol serves as a depressant, contributing to insomnia and making ordinary sleeping routines an arduous task.
Symptoms:
Diagnosing insomnia can be easily identified, even without the assistance of physicians. At some point in your life, you have probably experienced a prolonged period of time in which you were unable to sleep. For resolution, consider consulting with a trained specialist who utilizes psychotherapy in Huntington, such as Dr. Joel Kuppersmith. Symptoms can include the following conditions:
- Drowsiness throughout the day.
- Weariness and an achy feeling.
- Anger stemming from nowhere.
- Experiencing trouble with memory & focusing.
Treatment:
There is no overnight fix for insomnia, it takes time and effort to correct the complication. Fortunately, there are various medical and holistic solutions that can be employed to help treat insomnia. These solutions may help you but if your efforts are futile, consider contacting Dr. Joel Kuppersmith for psychotherapy in Huntington. Treatment options, as opposed to psychotherapy in Huntington, can include the following:
- Relaxation Techniques – These techniques focus on your mind, body, and breath. Breathing techniques and meditation exercises go hand and hand, incorporating methods that help calm your mind and body. This allows you to eventually relax and go to sleep.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – There are multiple ways to undertake CBT either with a trained professional face to face or with someone online. CBT helps “reprogram” your brain and how you feel about sleep. How long this therapy takes varies from person to person.
- Stimulus Control – Essentially this technique focuses on having the patient get out of bed and move around a bit before going back to sleep. Typically, this method only works if you have been lying down for longer than twenty minutes and are still unable to sleep.
If you’re struggling with insomnia, consider the benefits that psychotherapy in Huntington can provide. Contact Dr. Joel Kuppersmith and schedule an appointment today!
If you are experiencing trouble with anxiety, depression, addiction, or other emotional disturbances, psychotherapy in Huntington can help you. Emotional challenges are difficult to handle on your own. A psychologist like Dr. Joel Kuppersmith understands the complexities of coping with difficult emotional situations. With psychotherapy in Huntington, it can treat not only a range of psychological problems but can help improve your overall health in the long-term.
What is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is often referred to as talk therapy because communication is a key factor during therapy sessions. This therapeutic communication helps your psychotherapist to understand and work through your issues, whether it’s a longstanding complex issue or an immediate issue. A psychologist in Huntington, like Dr. Kuppersmith, can help you by providing psychotherapy. Our goal is to make sure that you understand your emotions at a deeper level in order to promote long-term healing. A better understanding of yourself and your specific situation will also help you to improve your interpersonal skills, relationships, and lifestyle. For many, psychotherapy is sufficient in treating a wide variety of emotional issues. In more severe cases, medication may be prescribed in conjunction with psychotherapy for optimal results. At Joel Kuppersmith PHD, after careful evaluation and treatment, it will be determined if the addition of medication will be helpful for you.
So why is Medicated Used?
Medication for those dealing with emotional issues is a superficial fix for a deep-rooted issue; helpful for some, but ultimately not healing the issues at their source. There is an epidemic of overprescription so it is important to seek psychotherapy first. Medication is helpful for those living with neurological disturbances in conjunction with psychotherapy. Our psychologist in Huntington, Dr. Kuppersmith, is here to make sure that you get the help you need to lead a better life in the long-term.
There are many psychotherapy techniques which include:
Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapies – This therapy focuses on finding out the unconscious meanings and motivations behind certain problematic behaviors, feelings, and thoughts.
Behavior Therapy – This therapy utilizes learning to develop normal and abnormal behavioral practices. Common practices include desensitizing or creating exposure to what is causing anxiety. This is usually practiced with people suffering from phobias.
Cognitive Therapy – This therapy focuses more on what people think. It focuses on changing or redirecting one’s thoughts to influence what they do.
Integrative or Holistic Therapy – This therapy seeks to combine several different approaches like the ones listed above to tailor the treatment to the client’s need.
Dr. Joel Kuppersmith offers a variety of treatments to help you. If you need assistance, contact our office today!
What is PTSD?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is generally defined as a disorder originating from experiencing a dangerous or shocking event. Sometimes immediately and sometimes months later, a person will still experience trauma from the experience. What is most important to note is that Joel Kuppersmith Ph.D., our psychologist in Huntington, can help manage and potentially put an end to your PTSD.
What Are The Symptoms?
If you believe you or a loved one may be experiencing PTSD, some symptoms may include:
- Re-Experiencing Symptoms (at least 1)
- Flashbacks – This includes having flashbacks to the event that may include symptoms such as sweating or a racing heart.
- Bad dreams – You may experience nightmares that repeat back to the event.
- Frightening thoughts – Constantly or occasionally thinking back about the details of your trauma.
- Avoidance Symptoms (at least 1)
- Avoiding places that may remind you or take you back to the event.
- Avoiding feelings that may trigger you and take you back to the traumatic event(s).
- Arousal Symptoms (at least 2)
- Getting scared easily.
- Constantly feeling on edge.
- Having a hard time sleeping at night.
- Experiencing angry outbursts.
- Cognition and Mood Symptoms (at least 2)
- Trouble recalling key factors of the event.
- Negative thoughts about the world.
- Feelings of guilt.
- Loss of interest in fun events.
In order to be diagnosed, you must experience these symptoms for at least one month.
Treatment:
After a full evaluation, our psychologist in Huntington will decide what he thinks the best treatment plan is for you. Psychotherapy, also known as “talk” therapy, is usually a good treatment option for those who are suffering from PTSD. This form of treatment can help you rationalize what happened and help you have closure with the event. If you or a loved one are experiencing PTSD, do not hesitate to contact our psychologist for psychotherapy in Huntington today!
It is incredibly difficult to grow up in a household with an alcoholic parent. As a child, seeing your parent struggle is both heartbreaking and frightening. Unfortunately, these feelings may carry into your adult life and have long-term effects on your well-being. If you are the child of a parent who is or was an alcoholic and are experiencing any sort of psychological distress in your adult life, please seek help from our psychologist for psychotherapy in Huntington today.
Chaos & Inconsistency
As a child, having stability and structure is so important for healthy development. Children of alcoholics are often the most vulnerable to their parent’s poor habits. Instead of having a parent they can look up to for guidance, children of alcoholics must get used to their parent being unpredictable, unreliable, or selfish. An unstable home environment due to a parent’s poor behavior inevitably sets up a child for traumatic distress later in life.
There are plenty of effects that being a child of an alcoholic may have, but some common ones are:
- Isolation and fear of authority figures
- A constant seeking for approval
- Being an alcoholic yourself/marrying one
- Living from the perspective of a victim
- An overdeveloped sense of responsibility
How Psychotherapy in Huntington Can Help
If you are suffering from the effects of growing up with a parent with substance abuse issues, we can help. Symptoms usually include depression, guilt, anxiety, insecurity, and conflicted relationships. Dr. Joel Kuppersmith, our psychologist in Huntington, offers a comprehensive range of psychotherapy services for his patients. His services specifically include treatment of adult children of alcoholics, therefore, he is well experienced in this field.
With psychoanalytic therapy, you are given the opportunity to be a part of a helpful intervention. Depending on your situation, Dr. Kuppersmith will be able to provide you with psychoanalysis, a psychological consultation, or psychotherapy. The goal of each of these treatment options is to teach you how to regulate your emotions as well as help you understand why you may behaving and feeling the way you do. Stop letting your past affect your future and contact our psychologist for psychotherapy in Huntington today!
Request An Appointment For Psychotherapy in Huntington
Are you interested in learning more about how Dr. Kuppersmith can help you? Please, contact us through the form below. Please be sure to include your name, email, and a phone. You will receive a confirmation after submitting the form, and we will respond as quickly as possible for your satisfaction.
Hours of Operation:
Monday–Saturday, By Appointment
631-595-0754
177 Main Street, Suite 203
Huntington, NY 11743
