The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change -C.R
Welcome.
My name is Meir and I'm a Licensed Masters Social Worker (U.S. & Israel) offering somatic, trauma-informed counseling for adults experiencing complex trauma, grief, anxiety, and disconnection.
I work relationally and experientially. This means our work is centered around what is helpful for you and what supports you to feel connected with yourself and me, and to explore from there.
For example, some people need warm steady attunement, which allows them to feel, understand, and initiate change. Other people may benefit from a more active engaging relationship, one that gently challenges patterns that no longer serve them. We maintain an active discussion about what is helpful and what isn’t. Therapy is a collaborative and creative process.
This takes place in the setting of two views:
Firstly, I see you as fundamentally good and healthy even if you are experiencing suffering and challenges in your life. Sometimes that basic goodness and healthiness can be buried, like the sun under clouds, but it is still there.
Secondly, that you have basic wisdom as to what you are needing. Your feelings and reactions are not obstacles. They are meaningful signals that point towards what you need.
What does somatic, relational, and existential therapy look like?
Somatic, means that we use your direct physical experience of bodily sensations as an anchor into safety and as an access point to your emotions. We build the capacity for self-regulation, the ability to soothe and calm yourself, through bodily awareness. This is like a muscle, which when we haven’t used it for a long time, needs delicate training. We do this together.
Relational, means that we use our relationship as a space in which to explore yourself. When invited, therapy becomes a microcosm of one’s life, and a safe, supportive space in which to learn and experiment. For example, what happens when you feel anxious, ashamed, or angry, in the presence of another? How do you (or don’t) communicate?
Existential, means you are finding your sense of agency in your life, situation by situation. Even when we experience our challenges as beyond our control or our reactions as automatic, there is a place where we can find more choice and agency. Arriving at this understanding naturally moves one to generate change in their life.
Research consistently shows that the therapist–client relationship is one of the strongest predictors of effective therapy. Even a skilled therapist may not be the right fit for every person.
For this reason, I offer a free 20 minute phone consultation, giving us space to connect, ask questions, and sense whether working together feels like a good fit before beginning therapy.
I offer 60-minute sessions in person in Jerusalem or via Zoom. I work on a sliding scale and ask clients to choose an amount within that range that feels genuinely sustainable for them.
The freedom of finding a choice is at the heart of therapy and in seeking out a therapist, you are exercising that capacity at this moment.
Contact Me
Meir Steinmetz Counseling, L.M.S.W.
Social Work License # Israel- 48603; U.S.-127371
12 Mordechai Caspi Street, Jerusalem, Israel 050-376-1393 meirsteinmetz@gmail.com