Sean Bell-Thomson, PhD

Co-Founder and Senior Psychologist

Psychotherapy is hard work. It takes commitment, perseverance, and fortitude. My practice is run in an open, straightforward way. We begin with a comprehensive clinical assessment. I then provide diagnostic feedback and treatment recommendations. Once we are in agreement regarding treatment goals and expectations, we proceed with psychotherapy. My therapeutic stance is active, engaged, and empathically confrontational.

I work primarily with individuals and couples who are 18 and older. I specialize in the treatment of personality disorders, substance abuse, complex trauma, suicidality, high-risk behavior, and history of treatment failure. My theoretical orientation is psychodynamic, I have training and expertise in Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), as well as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I am able to provide services in Spanish, and am a native Spanish-speaker. I also provide treatment for couples using an Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT) approach.

I hold a Master of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Substance Abuse Counseling from the New School, a Master of Arts and a Doctorate in Psychology from Long Island University Brooklyn, and I completed my predoctoral internship at Columbia University Medical Center. I have supervised psychology trainees in hospital settings for over a decade, and am currently credentialed with Northwell Health as a member of the Volunteer Supervising Faculty for the Department of Psychiatry at Lenox Hill Hospital, where I was awarded the annual Teaching Award in 2024.