Elvira
Please read. Not a real organization. Just a front to receive public funding and milk the system and unsuspecting people. A wolf in sheep's clothing. Management never responded to or addressed my formal complaint in regard to my time with Shaina Bryski, a therapist at the 4111 18th Avenue, Brooklyn location. I came to Pesach Tikvah seeking spiritually integrated, culturally competent support. Instead, my experience was confusing, invalidating, and ultimately harmful. Concerns: Blurring of Professional Boundaries: From the beginning, Shaina Bryski engaged with me in ways that felt inappropriate for a therapeutic relationship. She laughed with coworkers loudly, referred to them as friends, and spoke to me as if we were also friends—saying she cared about me and would always be there. This blurred the essential boundaries required for effective therapy and made it difficult for me to trust the process. Inconsistent Presence and Communication: Shaina gave mixed signals throughout treatment—alternating between appearing engaged and being emotionally vague or distant. In our first session, she tried to label me as "suffering from trauma" and "having multiple parts." After I expressed concern about this, she said she didn't mean it. About SIX MONTHS into treatment she dismissed everything I shared as ‘just trauma’ and said she didn't want to hurt me by telling me. This was particularly distressing because I had made it clear that I was in a very real-life emergency situation (domestic violence fallout) and believed we were working toward resolution of a real and urgent matter. This "therapist" wasted 6 months of my time of an urgent situation by thinking I was "crazy" and not telling me so, which would've prompted me to find an actual therapist. Her inconsistency was deeply destabilizing in a time of great vulnerability. Use of Phone During Sessions: Throughout our sessions, Shaina frequently used her phone and appeared to take outside communications. This behavior was distracting, unprofessional, and contributed to the feeling that my concerns were not being treated with the seriousness they deserved. Failure to Consult or Escalate Despite Obvious Issues: Despite my repeated emphasis on the urgency of my situation and clear signs of distress, there is no indication that Shaina consulted with colleagues or supervisors. This lack of action significantly delayed appropriate intervention and suggests a lack of accountability or clinical support on her part as well as the organization's part. Dismissal of Spiritual Concerns: Although I requested a therapist who could integrate and respect my spiritual worldview, my spiritual experiences were repeatedly dismissed as trauma-related symptoms. At one point, Shaina said, “I don’t know if I’ll die tomorrow”—a statement I found deeply disturbing, especially in light of my attempt to find strength, grounding, and hope through Judaism. Her approach was not only invalidating but actively harmful to the spiritual healing I was seeking. Avoidance of Necessary Communication and Crisis Boundaries: In our final session, after six months of stalled progress, Shaina admitted that she avoided critical conversations because she “didn’t want to upset me” (i.e. thinking everything I said was "just trauma" but not telling me so) This avoidance left major gaps in our work and ultimately prevented any real resolution that might've resulted if I left this harmful relationship. Moreover, I was informed that I could not text her during emergencies because “that’s not what therapy is.” This effectively left me with no support during crucial moments when I needed immediate guidance or intervention.