The Safran Psychotherapy, Assessment, and Research Service (SPARS) offers high-quality relational psychodynamic psychotherapy alongside other evidence-based interventions to adults in the community at an affordable rate. Treatment is provided by New School for Social Research Clinical Psychology doctoral students under the supervision and mentorship of highly trained licensed psychologists. Our model involves a comprehensive intake process that supports individualized treatment recommendations.
We strive to provide a productive, rigorous, and confidential treatment environment. In order to provide the highest-quality patient-centered care, and in keeping with professional standards, all treatment sessions are video-recorded. Recordings are stored in a HIPAA-compliant, de-identified manner, with strict security protocols.
In accordance with our clinic’s research mission, patients will be offered the opportunity to consent to have their session recordings and/or other information included in our data repository for research that advances psychotherapy technique, intervention, and training. The decision to contribute to this repository and the advancement of the field of psychotherapy is by signed consent, which can be revoked in writing at any time and has no impact on acceptance for therapy and/or treatment.
Our Patients
Our patients are adults from the greater New York area. Typical issues that bring people to relational psychodynamic therapy are interpersonal conflicts and tensions, self-esteem concerns, difficulty managing stress, life transitions, depression, anxiety, professional confusion, loss or grief, and a general sense of being unsatisfied and unfulfilled. We are not able to offer interventions for individuals in crisis situations, acute psychopathology, or those needing help with substance use disorders.
Therapy
"Authenticity is an important quality in the therapist, and the authentic encounter between that therapist and patient is an important dimension of therapeutic action."
—Jeremy Safran, The Unbearable Lightness of Being: Authenticity and the Search for the Real
Therapy sessions are 45 to 50 minutes long and are scheduled for the same time each week. Sessions are available on weekdays in the morning, daytime, and evening.
The SPARS clinic offers therapy both in person in our offices at 80 Fifth Avenue and by telehealth. We can help prospective patients think through which modality best suits their treatment needs. These are two different ways of engaging in psychotherapy that may be more or less suitable for individuals seeking services. Clinicians offering one or the other modality receive supervision specific to that treatment context.
In-person therapy is the preferred method for most individuals seeking psychotherapy at the SPARS clinic.
A handful of virtual psychotherapy spots are available for those whose circumstances prevent them from being able to access in-person services. People who benefit the most from virtual psychotherapy include those whose specific medical, social, environmental, and/or financial circumstances necessitate that they access services from home. Virtual psychotherapy sessions must be accessed from a private, secure location in New York State from a device with video and a reliable Internet connection. Individuals engaging in virtual therapy must be visible throughout their session; phone therapy is not available. We are unable to offer services to individuals who are located outside of New York State, even on a temporary basis.
Note: It is not possible to change from the in-person modality to the virtual psychotherapy modality during treatment. In other words, virtual sessions are not available for people engaging in in-person psychotherapy. Those receiving virtual psychotherapy may decide on occasional in-person meetings in collaboration with their therapist.
Fees
We are a low-fee clinic and work with a sliding scale based on family size, income, circumstances, and available resources. We can work with patients to ensure affordable access to high-quality therapy. We do not participate in insurance plans and do not complete insurance paperwork.
Assessment
SPARS offers comprehensive psychological, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological assessments. While most referrals come from students and related services within The New School, we also accept referrals from the community. Assessments are conducted by advanced Clinical Psychology doctoral students under the supervision of licensed psychologists with special expertise in assessment procedures. A standard battery, from intake through feedback, may take several months to complete.
Typical reasons for seeking assessment include questions about psychological functioning, neurodiversity, and strategies for coping with such issues as attention and behavior regulation and learning differences. People often come to us during periods of transition to a new learning environment or higher level of education or new professional or vocational responsibilities or in the context of significant life changes that result in challenges to existing coping and optimal functioning.
Assessment batteries include measures of cognition, reasoning, problem solving, intellectual and affective functioning, executive functioning, interpersonal experiences, and personality. Assessment results are shared with patients through comprehensive written reports that include diagnostic impressions, individualized recommendations, and referral information when indicated.
Note: We do not currently offer autism-specific evaluations. We are unable to provide court-ordered, employment disability, or return-to-work evaluations.
Assessment Fees
Because of our commitment to offering accessible and affordable comprehensive assessments, our fees are substantially lower than those of most other services while maintaining quality, comprehensiveness, and adherence to best practices. Our sliding scale reflects an intention to balance accessibility with the costs to the clinic of assessment-related time and materials. Prospective patients are encouraged to fully consider all available finances. We appreciate your awareness of the fact that even the higher end of our sliding scale reflects a significant discount for the services we provide.
The Next Step
If you are interested in finding out more about the Safran Center, please call us today at 212.229.5700 x2478 or email [email protected].