Couples & individual therapy on the Upper West Side
In person near Lincoln Center, or online anywhere in New York.
Approach
Most of the people I work with are very good at what they do. They lead teams, build companies, trade markets, and make work people admire, and they have learned that effort and intelligence usually solve the problem in front of them. Then they come home to a relationship, a pattern, or a feeling that does not respond to either, and that is usually when they find me.
I’m Jenny Mahlum, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). I work with couples and individuals in my office near Lincoln Center and online throughout New York. I’m formally trained in six therapy approaches, from the Gottman Method to EMDR. I start with one approach as the foundation and bring in the others when they’ll help, so there’s a clear plan and room to adjust as things change.
Therapy with me is active. I'll tell you what I'm noticing, and I'll ask how our sessions are going for you, including when they aren't working. We'll check in regularly on whether things are actually changing, and adjust if they aren't.
How I can help
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For couples who are dating, engaged, or married and want things to feel better between them, whether you keep having the same fight, have drifted into running a household together, are deciding on a next step like moving in or having kids, or are working your way back after infidelity. Sessions typically run 90 minutes, so there's time to get somewhere, with 60-minute sessions also available.
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For couples who want focused work in a short time, or whose schedules make weekly sessions hard. An intensive typically means about six hours of therapy over a single weekend or two, scaled up or down to fit what you need. It starts with an assessment session beforehand, so our time together goes straight to the work, and a follow-up session afterward helps it hold.
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For people who are doing well on paper and still feel stuck: anxious, burned out, repeating the same pattern in relationships, or going through a big change, like a breakup, a divorce, or a new role. We work on what's actually in the way.
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For individuals and couples dealing with mismatched desire, sex that has become routine or painful, or a sex life that stalled after children, fertility treatment, or a long stretch apart. Conversations are frank and judgment-free, and that includes kink and non-monogamy.
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For individuals and couples going through egg freezing, IVF, or trying to conceive, including people choosing to become single parents. We work on the stress of treatment, the strain it can put on a relationship and on sex, and the decisions that come with it, like when, whether, and how to grow your family.
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For couples who aren't sure whether to keep going. Maybe one of you is ready to leave, maybe you're both unsure, or maybe you're dating and can't decide what comes next. Over a series of sessions, we work out together whether to continue or end the relationship, and leave with a clear plan for what happens next.
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For people who don't need therapy but want a sharp outside view on something specific, such as a career move, a new leadership role, or how they're showing up at work and at home. Sessions are practical andfocused on specific goals.
“We used to leave therapy feeling worse - like we had time to talk about our problems, but never solve them. With Jenny, we felt like we are on the same team, working through our issues together. And now we know how to work through them on our own. We’ve begged all our partnered friends to go see Jenny! ”
“I shared things with Jenny I never told anyone, even other therapists. Jenny is relentless in her desire to understand and help you. She helped me trust myself and my instincts.”
What clients say
Featured in
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Northwestern University | B.S. in Human Development & Psychological Services
Harvard University | Ed.M in Psychology & Human Development
New York University (NYU) | MSW in Clinical Social Work
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More than a decade designing wellbeing programs at universities, including establishing the first centralized office for sexual respect at Caltech. Behavior change and leadership development consultant for L’Oréal Group’s Kiehl’s, and co-author with Chris Voss of “Empathy and Understanding in Business” (2024).
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Jenny is formally trained in six approaches to therapy:
- TEAM-CBT (Feeling Good Institute)
- Attachment-focused EMDR (Parnell Institute)
- Psychodynamic therapy (two-year post-graduate certification)
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- The Gottman Method (Gottman Institute)
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP Institute) -
- Communication and recurring conflict
- Intimacy and sex
- Infidelity and rebuilding trust
- Couples intensives
- Discernment counseling and deciding on next steps
- Premarital counseling, including prenups
- Money, power, and career differences
- IVF, infertility, and family planning
- Mixed-faith relationships
- LGBTQ+ affirming, sex-positive, body-neutral, and kink-allied -
- Anxiety, stress, and burnout
- Perfectionism and self-esteem
- Depression
- Career pressure and stepping into leadership roles
- Pressure in competitive academic programs
- Relationship patterns, dating, and breakups
- Divorce and rebuilding afterward
- Egg freezing, IVF, and decisions about having children
- Life transitions
- Chronic pain
- Faith crisis and leaving religion -
Jenny enjoys reading, watching films, and writing poetry with her pink-nosed tabby cat curled up nearby. On weekends, she loves taking long walks, ideally near bodies of water, while listening to music and audiobooks.
About Jenny
More about each approach
Psychodynamic, or “talk therapy,” investigates the roots of problems. Together, we will seek to better understand your inner world and look beyond the surface for the deeper meaning in your thoughts and actions. “When psychoanalytic treatment is successful, it is not just the symptoms that change, the person changes” -Jonathan Shedler
TEAM-CBT is a framework of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) created by Dr. David Burns. TEAM is an acronym for Testing, Empathy, Agenda-Setting, and Methods, the four foundational components of this approach. We will work together to identify and set goals, identify patterns in your thoughts and feelings, and build tools to improve and reframe your negative self-talk.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an established therapy for the treatment of trauma. Using bilateral stimulation, we will process and release information trapped in your mind and body. Attachment-focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) is client-centered and uses a combination of “resource tapping,” EMDR, and talk therapy. We will incorporate an attachment-repair orientation to all phases of EMDR work.
The goals of the Gottman Method include increasing closeness and friendship behaviors, addressing conflict productively, and building a life of shared meaning together. The Gottman Method views conflict as inevitable and healthy. We will work to manage, not resolve, conflict. And we will customize principles from the research to meet the particular patterns and challenges in your relationship.
Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT) focuses on the importance of secure attachment and emotionally fulfilling relationships. We will identify the negative cycles in the relationship that interrupt lasting connection and explore the unmet needs underlying these cycles. EFT for Couples emphasizes breaking these cycles, cultivating responsiveness and support, and enhancing couple functioning.
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) uses the therapeutic relationship as a secure base to process difficult emotional and relational experiences, with the goal of creating new, corrective ones. AEDP builds on what's already working. Together, we strengthen qualities like self-compassion, wellbeing, and self-esteem.
The office
Sessions are held in a quiet, private office designed to feel calm rather than clinical. There's espresso and tea when you arrive, cold water in the fridge, and something to keep your hands busy if that helps you think. Discretion shapes how I schedule and how I stay in touch between sessions. If you'd rather meet online, all you need is a private room and a good connection.
In-person & remote options
My office is on the Upper West Side, a few minutes' walk from Lincoln Center. I also see clients online anywhere in New York State.
