About Me


drellenluborskyI was born in Kansas. I spent my early years wandering outside under blue sky, stopping to find a friend or pick a dandelion. I bring that open vision to my work.

Fast forward to adulthood – I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from NYU, while I also delved into understanding life’s beginnings. I did play therapy at a day care center & was involved with research projects on early life. Each of these sources is with me still, since we all bring our early experiences along for the ride into adulthood. I have been working with adults and with children ever since.

While working with young children, I developed special approaches that you can read about when my book (The View from the Sandbox) comes out. It is a series of short-but-true stories of my discoveries with children. Two of them were given the top prizes in a writing contest by The New York Psychological Association in 2012.

I worked with my father, Lester Luborsky, on psychotherapy research. That allowed me to bring his discoveries about what matters in psychotherapy to my work. I coauthored a book with him too, Research & Psychotherapy: The Vital Link.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from New York University
  • MA in Psychology (developmental & clinical) from NYU
  • BA from Sarah Lawrence College

Advanced Training

  • Steven Mitchell Center for Relational Studies
  • NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis
  • New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center
  • Life Purpose Institute
  • Parent-Infant Institute
  • Child Development Center
  • Desert Writing Workshop
  • Writing from the Heart Workshops

Professional Experience

  • Over 25 years of experience doing psychotherapy at all ages & stages of life
  • Helping with the varied problems in living that emerge, including anxiety, depression, relationship problems, stress & postraumatic stress, identity & career issues, creative & personal blocks
  • Over 25 years of experience working in early childhood settings, helping parents, teachers, and children in varied ways
  • Consultant to The Riverdale Neighborhood House early childhood programs since 1987
  • Supervision of professionals in training
  • Workshops & educating about the art of play therapy