About Dr. Shaina Bernardi
Clientele seen
Young adults (18-24)
Couples
Adults (25-64)
Individuals
Treatment approaches
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Exposure Response Prevention
Dialectical (DBT)
Family Systems
Emotionally Focused
Feminist
Identity
Gender
FemaleLanguages spoken
English
Getting to know Dr. Shaina Bernardi
Welcome! I am a New York State licensed clinical psychologist helping individuals overcome emotional distress and and increase overall well-being. Throughout life, most of us encounter obstacles that undermine growth and contribute to stress and unhappiness. I work with people who want to understand the connection between past experiences and patterns in their current lives to find greater fulfillment in their relationships, careers, or personal endeavors. My work focuses on unhelpful habits, building new coping skills, emotion regulation techniques, and facilitating new thought patterns. My approach is collaborative, warm, engaging, and goal-oriented. I use an integrative approach to tailor treatment to meet individual needs. My approach uses the frameworks of dialectical behavioral therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic and family systems perspectives.
For more than a decade, I’ve worked in a variety of clinical settings that include hospital outpatient departments, university student health centers, college counseling campuses, and mental health clinics. I have experience treating individuals and couples with anxiety, depression, life transitions, eating recovery issues, intrusive and obsessive thoughts, phobias, relationship issues, pregnancy and post-partum mental health, and academic challenges for college, graduate, medical students and residents, and more. In the past I have also enjoyed running DBT groups, teaching graduate classes at University at Albany, conducting bariatric psych evals, and working on research projects with fellow colleagues.
What should a new client know about working with you?
My job as your therapist is to help you tell your story and find the meaning in its threads and connections that will help you know yourself more deeply. Whether you have a specific problem or simply want to make some life changes, we’ll carefully unravel what has led you to this place in your life, so that ultimately you can find the freedom to move forward in a different way. There is a tremendous benefit to your mental health and emotional well-being in understanding how old patterns may no longer be serving you well, and learning to find new ways to live, work, and love.
What is your typical process for working with clients?
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to help manage and improve mood challenges. CBT focuses on challenging negative self-talk and maladaptive patterns. Using CBT, I help my patients find effective ways to identify, recognize and challenge distortions and irrational thought patterns. DBT focuses on four major skills: mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation. I help my patients recognize how they are feeling, learn skills to reduce emotional reactivity, and learn adaptive coping strategies. Both CBT and DBT focus on behaviors that can be implemented to improve low mood and regulate emotions.
Education and background
Practice names
Education and training
- University at Albany, PhD in Counseling Psychology
NPI number
1265841910
How soon can I make an appointment with Dr. Shaina Bernardi?
Generally, Dr. Shaina Bernardi has appointments available on Zocdoc within 1 week. You can see Dr. Bernardi's earliest availability on Zocdoc and make an appointment online.
Is Dr. Shaina Bernardi accepting new patients?
Dr. Shaina Bernardi generally accepts new patients on Zocdoc. You can see Dr. Bernardi's earliest availability on Zocdoc and schedule an appointment online.
Does Dr. Shaina Bernardi accept my insurance?
Choose your insurance plan to verify if Dr. Bernardi is in-network.
Can I make an appointment with Dr. Shaina Bernardi online?
Yes, you can make an appointment online with Dr. Bernardi using Zocdoc. It’s simple, secure, and free.
What practice does Dr. Shaina Bernardi work with?
What are common reasons for patients to see Dr. Shaina Bernardi?
Dr. Shaina Bernardi frequently sees patients for Depression, New Patient Visit, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit, and Therapy. You can see other visit reasons for Dr. Shaina Bernardi on their profile.
What languages does Dr. Shaina Bernardi speak?
Dr. Shaina Bernardi speaks English.