Virginia Boga Psychotherapy, PhD

Since the age of 14, I aspired to become a psychologist. Throughout my educational years, I started to narrow down my interests. In clinical training, I received extensive experience in working with children and adolescents. I worked in various settings, including foster care, hospitals, substance abuse programs, and prisons with at-risk youth. These experiences helped me gain knowledge in working with children and teens with a variety of diagnoses, such as ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, autism, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Throughout my years of education, I received extensive training in working with adults through community mental health clinics and private practice. I have worked with a variety of diagnoses, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders. All the years of experience have led to the culmination of my own practice where I offer my skills to help individuals heal.

I am a psychodynamic clinician with an interest in relational theory. The initial process will involve completing intake forms prior to starting work. The first sessions will be dedicated to developing a therapeutic alliance that provides the client with the comfort needed to open up and explore their history/symptoms. As treatment progresses, the focus will be on understanding the underlying dynamics that have led to these symptoms and then developing healthier strategies to avoid falling into unhealthy patterns. I do not give clients assignments but the expectation is that they continue to think about and work on what was explored in session. I am flexible and understanding and will always do what I can to try and support my clients.

I attend conferences, such as those put on by the American Psychological Association or the New York State Psychological Association. I also attend lectures from smaller institutes, such as psychoanalytic programs. I constantly read articles and books to expand on the knowledge I learned throughout my educational years.

As a psychodynamic Latina clinician, I try to be mindful of the role our past as well as our culture have in the therapeutic room. I take into consideration the biases we bring into therapy due to our own upbringings and how this can play a role in treatment.

I conducted research on Ataque De Nervios, which is a culturally-bound syndrome. Studying this syndrome helped develop awareness into how different cultures view the world differently and may present their symptoms in a different manner. It helped me to be mindful in therapy and not judge only through my own cultural lens.