Dr. Jillian Kaufman, LCSW

about:

I Took an Indirect but Rewarding Path to Becoming a Therapist

As a young person, I set out to work in forensic psychology. The direct and indirect aspects of my professional experiences in social work have afforded me a happy medium between this and my current role. Over the last decade, I’ve been involved in the movement against sexual violence through coalition building, prevention education, community awareness, clinical practice, policy, and advocacy.

I’ve had the pleasure of facilitating professional and youth-oriented workshops on topics such as men and masculinity, somatic therapy, sexual violence, consent, human trafficking, and compassion fatigue with many schools, universities, and professional agencies across the tri-state area. I’m currently also an adjunct instructor at the Silver School of Social Work at New York University.

I See My Clients As People, Not Patients

As a relatable clinical social worker, advocate, and human being, I believe our clients heal most effectively when treated as whole people rather than as their diagnoses. Today’s psychotherapy students are exposed to too much emphasis on diagnosis. You are the expert when it comes to your lived experiences. Every individual is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing. 

My therapeutic style is directive but patient, honest, and kind, characterized by humor, sass, curiosity, and vivacity. My patients matter to me. My practice suits those looking to be supported as they deepen their understanding of themselves, each other, and their world. Collaboratively, we will build a safe, authentic, and restorative environment.

I Am Very Human

The life of a therapist is an odd thing. We meet people and hear their most intimate thoughts and feelings. One day, I'll write a book and share stories from my time in my therapy chair. Until then, my moments outside of the analytical space are best spent traveling with my husband in my Jeep and walking the aisles at Target. You can also find me drinking too much coffee, out in the sun, neurotically organizing things, and procrastinating grading my graduate students' papers.

experience:

My Research-Based Work Informs My Practice

After significant time in practice with survivors of sexual violence, I started to ask myself, “What are we going to do about men?” Many men live in a culture that denies them emotional freedom and labels them, from an early age, as the natural aggressors. Because of this, I took a deep dive into the research around masculinity, exploring how to be a man in the modern world and how being a man has evolved. 

Men tend to be at a disadvantage because they’re typically not raised to have a working knowledge of their internal worlds; it’s less socially acceptable for men to talk about their feelings. When men tell me how they feel in therapy, I’m almost always the first person they’ve said it to. 

Like my female patients, men struggle with anxiety, marriage, self-esteem, stress, identity, success, their parents, their childhoods, and being loved and understood. My practice is empathetic, inclusive, and adaptable to men’s mental health, whether it’s men who are survivors or those who want to do better and just don’t know how because they have never had the opportunity due to stagnant and outdated gender roles.

You Can Read More from Me and on Me Here:

I publish articles in our therapy blog, including the whole Story of Founding Wavelength Psychotherapy and my take on The Politics of Masculinity. 

I’m listed on Women’s Mental Health Consortium, Psychology Today, Alma, and Open Path Collective.

education:

New York University, Doctorate in Social Welfare, May 2022

Rutgers University, Master of Social Work, May 2015

• Certificate of Studies in Violence Against Women & Children

• Certificate of Studies in Nonprofit Management and Public Policy

Rutgers University, BA, Criminal Justice & Criminology, May 2011