Specialties are individual, couple and family therapy sessions informed by attachment theory and trauma.  The office is conveniently located at Columbus Circle. 

Click here to see the list of treatment methods I use.  Then click on the treatment method to learn more about it.

Our childhood impacts our adulthood

We all bring the conscious and unconscious adaptations of our childhood into our adult relationships.  When our childhood was less than optimal in terms of the “care” of our caretakers we learn to get what we need in ways that get us through our childhood.   I believe parents generally do the best they can as parents but there are times when the parent’s best is not “good enough.”  This doesn’t mean the parents were bad parents or bad people it just means that the child didn’t get what they needed at the time they needed it.  Maybe the parent was unavailable, exhausted from working, depressed or struggling with the relationship with their significant other.

Adaptations that help us in childhood often don’t work in adulthood

These childhood adaptations may get us through childhood but can wreak havoc on our adult relationships since those adaptation often get wired into our brain.  This can happen before we have memories. In addition to the challenges of childhood relationship disruptions we may have been subjected to physical or sexual abuse or traumatic life events like accidents, medical crisis or death in the family. These traumas create further disruptions in our ability to have a satisfying adult life.  Since childhood attachment challenges and early life trauma frequently come up in therapy I felt is was important to get trained in trauma and attachment treatment methods.

 

                                 

Important Trauma related resources

 

THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE

In 2015 Bessel van der Kolk, MD published his landmark work, “Body Keeps the Score” where he informs us about the state of the art scientific understanding of the impact of adverse childhood events on the child and how it often later disrupts the adult’s life. He provides an overview of seven recommended trauma treatment options.

The MYTH OF NORMAL

Almost 10 years later in 2024 Gabor Mate, MD provides a very user-friendly state of the art overview of where we are in the rapidly changing field of the study and treatment of the impact of childhood adverse events on adult life (developmental trauma).   Each chapter of the Myth of Normal can stand alone as insightful overviews of addiction, relationships and many related topics.

Podcast interview of Art McGrath
about his approach
and experience as a psychotherapist

Qualifications

Art is certified in EMDR and board certified in Neurofeedback and trained in  Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (attachment based) and a certified sex therapist.  EMDR and Neurofeedback are two of the key trauma treatment therapies recommended in the book; BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk, MD. Research demonstrates how the brain and our emotional lives interact and how with assistance we can change our brain and our lives.  The good news is that our brain is changeable.  This changeability in the brain is called neuroplasticity.

Click here to see the list of treatment methods I use.  Then click on the treatment method to learn more about it.