Dawn of the New Therapist.
Hi, I’m Gretchen Winterkorn - Psychotherapist, Flower Farmer and Human in the Hudson Valley of New York. Join me as I share how I work with the same challenges I help my patients with: increasing my self-esteem, improving my personal relationships, and creating a fulfilling life.
I believe therapists need to open up more about how we struggle in an effort to reduce the shame and stigma against mental challenges. We are all on a continuum of mental health – sometimes even within one day moving between very disturbed and healthy parts of ourselves. Despite a lifetime of working on and studying myself, I still have trauma responses I carry and act out. It’s time for us to acknowledge that this is the story of our collective mental health - growth alongside challenges. It’s time for therapists to acknowledge that we became therapists out of our pain and trauma and lead by example. If you’ve ever wondered what’s behind the neutral mask your therapist wears in session – join me.
“Nurtured by Nature”
I am here because I was nurtured by Nature. A challenging childhood with a depressed father numbing pain with drugs who left our home while my mother battled breast cancer and cared for a newborn left me with little time, attention and care from those stewarding my childhood. I was the oldest of three and took on at 6 years old the responsibility of care and concern for my siblings and parents.
When there was no one to be with me, the crocuses, lilacs, and forsythia were with me. When there was no one to dance with, I danced with the trees, shaking the snow off of them to keep them warm in winter. Clover became my playmates at recess when I hunted and hunted for 4 leaf miracles.
While my pain led me to become a therapist and build a career out of my strong ability to care for others, my pleasure and connection to a divine mother led me back to nature, to be in a relationship in which I feel held by something much larger than me, my small life and wounds, and where I feel in beautiful communion with the pleasure and aches we all have while living.
How I work:
I am a depth-oriented relational therapist, which means that in session together, we not only work on your relationships - to yourself, your loved ones and the formative ones that shaped you growing up - but I also pay attention to and find great use in focusing on what may come up in our relationship. This type of work requires trust and regular connection, so it can take time - I work weekly at a minimum and often for years with clients who are engaged in this type of transformative work. I believe working in therapy in this way can be one of the best uses of your time, energy and money to increase your satisfaction with your life. It certainly has been that for me. My style is direct, honest, expressive and there is a lot of back in forth in sessions. I always share my thinking and experience that I believe would be useful to you. I enjoy laughing together when that’s appropriate. I often integrate my spiritual perspective alongside my psychological thinking.
Training & Experience:
I have spent over 20 years of my life in my own psychotherapy, including 8 years in psychoanalysis and believe this is as formative as my clinical training and experience on how I work and my ability to show up as a whole person therapist. I have spent the last 10 years in private practice, founded Winterkorn Counseling & Psychotherapy in Tribeca where I led a team of 7 therapists in my relational style for 4 years before moving to the Hudson Valley to refocus my energy and attention on integrating the land into my life and work. I trained analytically with a focus on feminist, anti-racist relational theories and thinking at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy in New York, first completing their two year program in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and then their 4 year intensive Psychoanalytic Program, holding certificates in both. I went to the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College to earn my Master’s in Social Work and spent 3 years post graduation in clinical supervision to gain my License in Clinical Social Work. Over 17 years I have worked clinically with clients in a number of settings, including founding and leading the H.E.L.P program at VillageCare Health Center in New York; leading a team of social workers serving clients with HIV & AIDS.
Areas of Focus/Specialties:
Integrating a spiritual perspective in one’s life, healing family relationships, especially mother/child conflict, self-actualization & empowerment, family planning, LGBQ +TI+ and in general other-ness, especially around identity, size, and sexuality, releasing the artist within, problems in partnership/marriage, new Moms/new baby/new life.
