Hannah Bernstein, LMFT #139595
I specialize in short-term, high-impact interventions for clients in crisis. I have worked with individuals, couples, and families struggling with issues of suicidality, legal trouble, and public relations issues. I have experience working in both entertainment and law, and am qualified to assist in issues of court-appointed therapy.
For emergent crises, tools like nervous system regulation help to manage immediate symptoms of stress, insomnia, and panic, while my experience with depth psychology and narrative therapies can help a client to reauthor their story and contextualize the intensity of this experience as meaningful. Transforming pain into purpose is hard but necessary work.
I cap my caseload at twelve clients so as to give these cases the time and attention they deserve, and often work with clients more frequently than once a week. Occasionally I have space to support someone in a comprehensive care capacity and will make myself available on call as an additional professional service. I believe in wraparound care and will work with any other professionals and family members necessary to support a client in crisis, as well as provide referrals to psychiatrists, alternative medicine specialists, doctors, and body workers as needed.
Let’s Open Up Space For Your Healing
I have been surprised to witness how often individuals are willing to invest in legal costs when facing criminal accusations or complications of addiction, while keeping their mental health care minimal or non-existent. Trying circumstances require wise counsel, and I’m here to fill that gap in the market, then transition you to less-intensive, longer-term care when the intensity subsides.
I work with a few clients on a longer-term basis, generally, individuals who have lives of a degree of ambition and impact that large-scale unknowns come up on a regular basis. Generally, these clients have very high intelligence, some degree of neurodivergence, heavy-impact workloads, and are responsible for managing teams of people or doing jobs of such importance that mistakes have huge financial impacts. This level of ongoing pressure requires careful management of habits of self-care, boundaries, and emotional safety in one’s personal life, and a safety net in place for times of higher stress. Having someone to consistently track the ups and downs of a big life is something that my clients find useful, and it is helpful to have a therapist who understands that world on a personal level.
Suicidality
While the best place for a client who is an immediate risk to themselves or others is in a monitored facility, there is a large swath of suicidal ideation that does not meet the requirements for intervention at that level. If you or a loved one wakes up feeling like life is not worth living, or has passive or active thoughts of the harshness and unlivability of the world, a therapist with experience in this level of distress is necessary.
During the most active years of the pandemic, when hospitals were at maximum capacity, I ended up treating several actively suicidal clients by necessity—there simply were not enough beds to house everyone. I was surprised to learn that my method of working with suicidal ideation was effective almost immediately—and every client who I discussed the matter with had a change of heart within a month. It is possible that this is a matter of luck rather than skill, but as we need a reduction in suicidality, I’ll disclose the scaffolding of my method here: the question of whether to live or to die is the heart of existential philosophy. It is an important question and implies that the person with the query cares about having a life of meaning. If one is able to transition from thinking about life and death as a literal secession of life, and instead asks oneself which parts of one’s life should end, there is a possibility of necessary and important change that will induce a much higher standard of living, and give meaning to the client’s life. A job, a relationship, a living situation—all of these things that may feel like heavy responsibilities and too much pressure to cope with—any of them can end before one’s life ends, and it is necessary to begin to see the end of one’s life as the only choice that cannot be taken back. Most of the people who I’ve worked with with suicidal ideation have some degree of codependence, and a false belief that they cannot leave some aspect of their life they find unbearable. It might be the pressures of a prestigious university or academic appointment, it may be a high-pressure job, it may be a dependent partner. They seem to believe that they could not cope with the shame of leaving this bad-fit thing, and sort of need permission to let it go, to see their life and happiness as more important than the self-imposed responsibility. I am happy to help be an ally as that cognitive distortion shifts, and we build enough meaning into life that death is no longer appealing.
Psychedelic Psychosis
While some of the research on psychedelic psychotherapy has been promising, psychosis is a known and not uncommon risk. At present, the only legal form of psychedelic psychotherapy is ketamine therapy, and even this drug carries with it some risk of perceptual disturbances and psychotic symptoms. Other drugs like MDMA, psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline (found in the san pedro cactus or peyote), ayahuasca, and iboga are presently illegal in California, but more and more frequently administered in off-the-grid ceremonies intended to promote healing. While some cities have decriminalized these drugs, and religious organizations may have the right to administer shamanic medicines as sacraments, at present there is no authorized training program or barrier to entry for anyone to present themselves as a shaman or psychedelic guide. Retraumatization, psychological exploitation, coercion and sexual abuse are known occurrances at these ceremonies, and guides without training may not be prepared to handle psychiatric emergencies like psychedelic psychosis. Large-scale hallucinatory visions might instill false beliefs that promote reckless or unsafe behavior. Even clients with the best-case-scenario outcomes benefit from ongoing support and integration services. If you’re worried about yourself or a loved one, this is an arena in which I have extensive experience and a vast network of supportive referrals. My stance is firmly in the realm of harm reduction after a psychedelic journey. I do not provide referrals to ceremonies or providers of shamanic medicine. If you are interested in an experience of this nature, the safest thing is to find a legal clinical trial through the MAPS institute, where you’ll receive monitoring and conjoint psychological support from professionals.
Divorce Proceedings
Any high-conflict relationship can cause stress and trauma, but especially in legal matters that distort the truth and attempt to sully one’s reputation, serious repercussions can occur. The judicial system is one of the only things that we encounter in our adult life that has consequences so significant that participation is essentially compulsory. You may never want to see your former spouse again, but you have to show up to court. Your body and nervous system may want to cry or rage, but in order to get the outcome you desire you have to find a way to keep your composure. In cases such as these, it is useful to have a third party to whom you can vent, re-contextualize your thinking, and reframe ongoing problems in a way that it is possible to see a solution, or at least the light at the end of the tunnel. A therapist who merely listens is insufficient. Repeating the problem story is likely to keep you in a state of heightened nervous system arousal and distress. What you need are techniques for calming your body and your mind, so that you can proceed with as much dignity as possible.
In some cases, it is possible for me to provide my professional opinion to the court, but generally, I recommend keeping your primary therapist bound by confidentiality so as not to open your private thoughts and feelings for the record. We can discuss the pros and cons of breaking confidentiality and testifying.
Criminal Accusations & Public Disgrace
I spent a period of my twenties as the office manager for a law firm that specializes in defending sports celebrities in legal trouble. While that’s given me some understanding of the legal side of these matters, more importantly, I learned that I am good at, and even enjoy, providing a calming environment for people going through the intensity that few of us can even imagine. There are also impacts on the friends and family of the accused, and they are as deserving of psychological support as their loved ones.
I am prepared to interface with your legal team, friends and family, or provide updates to your employer if it would be of benefit to you to have someone both providing emotional support and acting as a liaison during this trying time.
The Psychological Impacts of Fame
Being in the public eye is a strange and stressful phenomenon. Millions of years of human evolution have contributed to the development of a nervous system and brain that recognizes an attentive crowd as a threat to one’s safety. Stepping onto a red carpet is akin to stepping into battle, and it is no surprise that so many actors, musicians, and other professionals in the public eye turn to drugs to cope with the cascade of stress hormones that ravage their system. As someone who grew up as a child of Hollywood, often on film sets or at promotional events, and later worked as a consultant for HBO, I have seen firsthand how overwhelming and debilitating life in entertainment can be, as well as how meaningful that platform and reach can be if it is transformed into something with a purpose beyond fame. I find that my friends and clients in the realm of entertainment often connect best with a form of therapy that includes meaning-making, purpose, and myth. To stop conceptualizing one’s reality as a moment-by-moment assault on the senses, and instead to see oneself as a character on a very important journey is not an act of narcissism, it is a way to make one’s life an epic rather than a tragedy. Having tools for self-calming and a self-sustaining routine of healthy habits are also necessary ingredients to transform one’s life. I’ll be clear—I am not a sycophant or a yes-man in this realm. It is often necessary for people of influence to have at least one person in their corner who is willing to point out their blind spots or confront them when they are being enabled. An ability to tolerate feedback and some capacity for pausing to listen are necessary ingredients in making the therapeutic process work. This may be somewhat confronting for clients who are used to the opposite—but my goal is to help you, not to cause confrontational distress.
Consent Work and Intimacy Coaching
I spent my first few years as a therapist helping people to recover from sexual abuse and other forms of consent ruptures, helping them to once again trust their own instincts, and speak up for their true needs. People with a history of consent violations often need help asserting boundaries and learning how to tune into their own sense of desire, in both an emotional and embodied sense. Through my workshop project with Philip Martin, Mindful Consent, I’ve also led workshops that teach people to approach consent as a state of presence and attunement. This work, becoming present first to your own needs and desires and then learning to tune into the needs of those around you can be a very strong re-learning experience.
Many of my clients are used to silencing their own wishes in the service of others, and as a result may find themselves feeling tense, insecure, avoidant of relationship, or resentful and angry when their partner seeks intimacy within a romantic relationship. Through slow embodied practice my clients eventually learn that they have a renewed interest in pleasure and intimacy, and are capable of true generosity when their own cup is full. Allowing space for rest, exploratory joy, and self-forgiveness is essential to being fully available to the people you choose to share your life with.
Many of us have been taught in school programs or through new media, that consent is a legal term that exists in a single moment of saying “yes” or “no,” but the real experience is contrary to that--an ever-unfolding present in which we can more closer or further away from being fully embodied and available. This work builds upon the expertise of Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consent, Harry Faddis’s 3 Minute game and draws from the work of psychologist and author of “Passionate Marriage” Dr. David Schnarch, and can also be a powerful way for couples to deepen intimacy with one another.
Body Image and Eating Disorders
In an increasingly image-focused world many of us lose touch with the body as a vessel for exploration, action, and expression and become entrenched in feelings of self-doubt when we believe we don’t measure up to externally imposed standards of beauty. There are powerful systems in place that profit from your sense of doubt, selling you commodities, dietary systems, surgeries, and pills with the promise of approaching perfection. It’s time to let go of the perfection game and focus instead on how to allow your unique personality and way of being in the world to be allowed freedom of expression. To be alive and at ease within your form is more beautiful than any strict regime or doctrine that comes through self-hatred. I have years of experience working with people who’ve suffered from various eating disorders and am happy to help you find a system that brings you increased peace. I’m 12-step friendly but not 12-step rigid, and we can find something that honors your unique needs.
Bio and Educational History
My name is Hannah Bernstein and I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who received my Masters Degree from Antioch University. I'm also a Reiki Master and have studied under world renowned therapists including Dr. Aline LaPierre of the NeuroAffective Touch Institute and Dr. Sergio De Oliviera of The Pineal Mind Institute in Sao Paulo Brazil. My associateship through Jeong Therapy gave me access to trainings in mindfulness modalities including EMDR and Polyvagal Theory.
I created the YouTube Channel "The Embodied Psyche" where I interview mind-body professionals weekly and am constantly learning how to hone my skills from some of the best minds working to bring an embodied perspective to trauma recovery using techniques including polyvagal theory, mindfulness meditation, and consent-based education.
Therapeutic Modalities & Influences
I believe in using a client-centered approach, following your pace and needs, and always trusting that the client is the expert of their own path towards healing. By centering your needs in the therapeutic relationship, in time we can create a reparative bond that will translate into being able to center your own needs in other relational dynamics in your life.
I’ve been strongly influenced by my mentor and friend Dr. Aline LaPierre who’s NeuroAffective Touch Institute is dedicated to helping people use somatic techniques to help re-regulate their nervous systems, using what we know about developmental trauma and its impacts on the brain and body. Generally, when someone experiences a specific trauma at an age where certain neurological processes are coming on board, they will not be able to develop those processes in a healthy way, but by returning to those memories and the feelings that arise in the body when those memories are triggered, one can heal that developmental trauma and experience a fuller and more functional existence. Aline is also the author of the book “Healing Developmental Trauma” which has influenced the way in which I work. You can see me in conversation with Dr. LaPierre discussing Somatic Psychotherapy here on my YouTube channel.
I’ve also spent time studying spiritual psychology under Dr. Sergio De Oliviera at the Pineal Mind Institute in Sao Paulo Brazil. Many of the concepts of “UniEspirito” map onto the work of Dr. Carl Jung and have taught me a lot about the power of ritual to shift psychological states. My own philosophy is to be open to the power of belief systems without being specifically rooted in any one spiritual doctrine--as we see even in the power of the placebo effect within scientific studies, faith is a very powerful thing, and by harnessing what you as a client already believe in, and designing rituals and habits together, we can powerfully change your state of mind from one of hopelessness to one of hope.
I provide individual therapy sessions for 50 minutes/ $150 per session and couples or family sessions for 50 minutes/ $170 per session. I would love to learn more about you and help support you on your journey to healing.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for a free 20 minute consultation.
Hannah’s article: