Attending to Soul
Depth Therapy in Brooklyn, NY
Depth counseling for people who want therapy to reach the whole of a life, with a therapist informed by depth psychology.
- Free 15-minute consultation
- Online anywhere in New York State
- Over 20 years of clinical experience
Depth Counseling With a Therapist Informed by Depth Psychology
You may have done good work in therapy already, and the worst of what brought you there has eased. Something else is asking for attention now: a dream that keeps coming back, or a sense that the life you built fits less well than it used to. Depth counseling gives that a weekly hour and the patience it asks for.
I work as a therapist informed by depth psychology. We pay attention to what moves underneath: images, dreams, repeating patterns, and the parts of you that rarely get a hearing.
Who Depth Counseling Is For
- A sense that symptom relief is only part of what you want
- Recurring dreams, images, or patterns that seem to be asking for something
- Midlife, an existential crisis, or a slower loss of direction
- Curiosity about Jungian psychology, archetypes, or the work of James Hillman
- Shorter-term therapy behind you, and a wish for long-term, insight-oriented therapy
- A creative life whose inner material deserves real attention
If one of these is yours, the first conversation is free. Request a consultation
Man is a mystery. It must be unraveled, and if you spend your whole life unraveling it, do not say you have wasted your time. I occupy myself with this mystery because I want to be a human being.Fyodor Dostoevsky, in a letter to his brother, 1839
From the Greek
What Is Depth Therapy?
James Hillman, the thinker who became my north star, went back to the roots of the word psychotherapy. Read this way, it means attending to soul, whether you think of that as the soul of a person or the soulful quality of a life.
Depth therapy, also called depth psychotherapy or depth-oriented therapy, grows out of depth psychology, the lineage of Freud, Jung, and those who followed them. It brings curiosity to what we experience, without assuming that everything uncomfortable has to be eradicated in the interest of more efficient functioning. We still use what helps to reduce unnecessary suffering, and we stay interested in the deepest pursuits of what a life can be.
What Depth Therapy Attends To
Archetypal Psychology and the Old Stories We Live
Most of us live the same old stories again and again. Archetypal psychology, which Hillman founded out of Jungian psychology, turns to the gods and figures of myth to describe them: forces that live through us, read as images rather than beliefs. Hillman also saw the soul as plural, many images and many voices, long before Internal Family Systems (IFS) arrived. I use IFS techniques at times, and find them far richer resting on this tradition.
Dreams in Depth Therapy
Dreams are always welcome here, and never required. Hillman's book The Dream and the Underworld (1979), often described as the first new view of dreams since Freud and Jung, shapes how I work with them, alongside the Gestalt dream work I trained in. Dream therapy, as I practice it, takes its time with a dream before reaching for its meaning. Some dreams ask to stay a mystery.
Shadow Work in Therapy
In depth psychology, the shadow is the unexplored side of a person. For someone deeply charitable, it might be a streak of selfishness. For someone devoted only to career and acquisition, it might be an artist. Shadow work is the slow reach toward wholeness: meeting the parts of ourselves we have rejected or never recognized. Jung is often quoted as saying he would rather be whole than good.
A Long-Term, Insight-Oriented Commitment
Depth therapy asks for commitment and an open mind. The path tends to wind, and it widens as it goes; remarkably rich possibilities can grow out of it. Sessions are weekly and open-ended, and we revisit the frame together as the work unfolds.
The Reason You Came Still Matters
If you arrive because you want to feel less anxious, we work on that directly, and I bring in practical tools, including elements of CBT, when they help. We do not let anxiety or personal suffering persist in the name of soulfulness. The symptom gets addressed, and it also becomes a doorway into the larger question of how you want to live.
How to Begin
- Request a consultationChoose a time that suits you, online.
- A free 15-minute conversationWe talk about what brings you here and whether this work feels right.
- Weekly sessions, onlineFrom anywhere in New York State, at a regular hour that becomes yours.
In Their Words
When I speak with Avi, I feel more than heard. His patience has allowed that enlightenment to occur organically, and though the positive impact on my life has been nothing short of massive, the process has always felt simple, human, and caring.
My Approach: Gestalt Roots and Depth Psychology
I am Avi Steinhardt, a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of clinical experience. I trained in Gestalt therapy and kept widening the ways I practice, through relational psychodynamic work and the depth tradition of Jung and Hillman. Hillman served as director of studies at the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich before founding archetypal psychology.
I wrote about Hillman and the soul in the first post on my blog. You can also read more about Avi and this practice.
Depth Therapy FAQs
What is depth counseling?
Do you offer Jungian therapy?
Do I need to bring dreams to depth therapy?
Can depth therapy help with anxiety?
How long does depth therapy take?
Is depth therapy available online?
Do you take insurance?
Begin Depth Therapy
Curiosity about what lives underneath is reason enough. I begin with a free 15-minute consultation - a conversation to understand what brings you here and whether this work feels right.
Limited availability. Online, anywhere in New York State.
Request a Private ConsultationRequest a Private Consultation
You don't need the words ready. Share a little about what's bringing you here, and I'll be in touch personally.
In Their Words
My husband and I found Avi when we were in a dark place. Avi was thoughtful, patient with us - and funny!
My husband and I found Avi when we were in a dark place. Avi was thoughtful, patient with us - and funny! We didn't know what we were looking for, but we found a fellow artist. He's so soulful, and he has this magical ability to help you unwind yourself. For that, we're grateful. We've asked him to work with our teenagers, family members, even friends. He's truly singular.
Since working with Avi, I've grown into the person I want to be - more self-aware, confident, and in touch with my needs.
Since working with Avi, I've grown into the person I want to be - more self-aware, confident, and in touch with my needs. He's truly exceptional, and working with him has been a gift!
Avi Steinhardt was an amazing counselor for myself and my family. His kind understanding, and knowledge helped me.
Avi Steinhardt was an amazing counselor for myself and my family. His kind understanding, and knowledge helped me get through a very stressful part of my life, being a single mom.
When I speak with Avi, I feel more than heard. His patience has allowed that enlightenment to occur organically.
When I speak with Avi, I feel more than heard. His patience has allowed that enlightenment to occur organically, and though the positive impact on my life has been nothing short of massive, the process has always felt simple, human, and caring.
Avi has helped us better understand ourselves and each other, which has had a meaningful impact on our relationship.
We came to Avi because we felt trapped in arguments that would end with neither of us feeling understood. Avi has helped us better understand ourselves and each other, which has had a meaningful impact on the quality of our relationship. We feel more trusting and appreciative of one another and experience less escalation during times of conflict.