Doriel Jacov, JD, LCSW
Psychodynamic & Trauma-Informed Therapy
I’m a licensed psychotherapist (LCSW) offering psychodynamic, trauma-informed therapy for adults, couples, and teens in New York City and across New York. My work is depth-oriented and relational, where we focus not just on what you’re currently dealing with, but on the patterns and histories that shape how you experience it.
Many of the people I work with are outwardly capable in ways that make the internal struggles harder for others, and sometimes themselves, to see. They’ve been “managing” for a long time and they come to therapy because that’s just not enough anymore. Common threads include: trauma, anxiety, depression, recurring relationship patterns, and burnout in high-pressure environments.
I also support individuals navigating grief, loss, and major life transitions, offer LGBTQ+ affirming therapy, and work with first-generation individuals navigating identity, family expectations, and belonging.
A Unique Perspective on High-Pressure Lives
Before becoming a psychotherapist, I practiced corporate law. Over time, I realized that my professional path needed to align more fully with my interest in the emotional and interpersonal dimensions of human experience.
My background in high-stakes professional environments gives me an experiential understanding of burnout, performance pressure, and the particular strain that demanding careers can place on identity and relationships. It also allows me to hold both intellectual complexity and emotional depth in the therapy room. Because of this background, I also work with lawyers navigating the specific pressures of that profession.
My Clinical Approach
Therapy with me is a collaborative process, and I tailor my approach to your specific history and needs.
Rather than focusing solely on symptom reduction, we explore the underlying emotional and attachment patterns that shape how you experience yourself and others. I pay close attention to what unfolds both within you and between us in the therapy relationship, because these moments often illuminate the very dynamics you may want to change.
The goal is not to pathologize you, but to understand how your current patterns once helped you survive, and to create space for new ways of relating that feel more flexible and authentic.
My approach with individuals integrates relational psychodynamic therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, somatic therapy, and trauma-informed treatment. I also incorporate Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) in my work with couples.
I’ve described each of these approaches below, including what they look like in practice.
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My psychodynamic approach is contemporary and collaborative. We explore how early attachment experiences created templates for how you navigate intimacy, conflict, self-worth, and vulnerability today.
We focus not only on your history, but on the “here and now” of the therapy relationship. Feelings that arise in therapy often mirror feelings in the outside world. By working with these patterns in real time, we can shift unconscious dynamics that may be keeping you stuck.
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Many people experience internal conflict: a part that pushes to succeed, a part that fears failure, a part that carries shame, or a part that withdraws to stay safe.
IFS is a non-pathologizing, compassionate framework that helps identify and understand these parts. Together, we work toward helping you lead from a steadier, more grounded internal center.
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Trauma and chronic stress are not only psychological experiences. They are physiological ones. The nervous system often continues responding as if past danger is still present.
In addition to reflective dialogue, we integrate body-based awareness to help regulate the nervous system, reduce reactivity, and increase a felt sense of safety.
This work supports deeper integration of traumatic experiences and moves beyond solely trying to manage symptoms. It can also be helpful in managing burnout and chronic stress.
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EFT is an evidence-based, attachment-centered approach to couples therapy. We identify the negative interaction cycle: often a pattern of pursuit and withdrawal, that leaves both partners feeling misunderstood or alone.
By helping each partner access and express the deeper emotions beneath reactivity, we work toward building a more secure and emotionally responsive bond.
Education
Master of Social Work (MSW): Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College
Juris Doctor (JD): Columbia Law School
Undergraduate Degree: George Washington University
Training
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy training at the William Alanson White Institute
Training in Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)
Specialized training working with survivors of sexual abuse
Professional Memberships
Founding Member, Psychoanalytic Therapy Collective
Member, American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work
Member, New York State Society for Clinical Social Work
Volunteer Clinical Work
Grief Specialist / Volunteer Clinician, Experience Camps
Featured In
Newsweek — the desire for emotional connection and grounded living (link)
Daily Mail — common nightmares and what they might mean (link)
Real Simple — why people are psychologically drawn to tragic love stories (link)
Mashable — navigating conflict in relationships (link)
Prevention Magazine — ambiguous loss and the grieving process (link)
Tom’s Guide — navigating sleep habits (link)
Upworthy — overcoming imposter syndrome (link); the most important social skills in professional settings (link)
Nice News — the importance of compliments in relationships (link)
Queerty — how to politely set boundaries (link)
Her Campus — relationship dynamics and emotional patterns (link)
Choosing a therapist is a personal decision. If something here resonates, I’d welcome the chance to connect. Reach out for a brief, no-pressure consultation.