Emotion Regulation Therapy · New York
Emotion Regulation Therapy in New York City
I help adults in New York who feel everything intensely — whose emotions arrive fast and hard — build the skills to steady them, using the dialectical (DBT) tools of emotion regulation.
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) offering private, in-person therapy on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and online across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) · New York
At a Glance
Emotion regulation therapy — scope at a glance
Who it's for
Adults (18+) with intense or fast-moving emotions
What it helps with
Emotional intensity · reactivity · mood swings
How I work
DBT skills · dialectical & values-based
Where I'm licensed
New York (in person + online)
Format
Private, by referral & inquiry
i. · What This Really Is
Feeling things intensely isn't a flaw. It's a nervous system that needs better tools.
Emotional dysregulation isn’t about being ‘too sensitive’ or ‘too much.’ It’s what happens when emotions arrive faster and land harder than you can manage in the moment — and take longer to come back down. Emotions come and go like waves; the work is learning to ride them rather than be pulled under.
You don’t need a diagnosis to benefit. These are skills for anyone whose feelings sometimes run the show.
ii. · How It Shows Up
When emotions move faster than you can.
Emotional dysregulation looks different for everyone. Some of the patterns this work addresses:
Zero to sixty
Emotions escalate fast and feel bigger than the moment seems to call for.
Slow to settle
Once you’re upset, it takes a long time to come back down — the feeling lingers and loops.
Reactions you regret
Saying or doing things in the heat of a feeling that don’t match your values once it passes.
Mood that swings
Feelings that shift quickly and intensely, leaving you and the people close to you off-balance.
Strain on relationships
Conflict, withdrawal, or reassurance-seeking driven by emotions you can’t yet steady.
Bottling, then bursting
Holding everything in to stay composed — until it overflows in ways that don’t feel like you.
iii. · The Skills You'll Build
Practical, learnable tools — not just talking about feelings.
Emotion regulation is a core module of DBT. Together we build concrete skills you can use in the moment:
Name it to tame it
Learning to identify and understand emotions as they arise, so they’re less overwhelming and more workable.
Reduce vulnerability
Lowering the everyday factors — sleep, stress, self-talk — that leave you more prone to being hijacked by emotion.
Opposite action
Acting counter to an emotion’s urge when that urge doesn’t serve you, to change the feeling rather than obey it.
Ride the wave
Learning that even the most intense emotion peaks and passes — so you can stay steady without reacting or numbing.
Check the facts
Testing whether the intensity fits the situation, and adjusting the response to match reality rather than alarm.
Act on your values
Choosing responses that align with who you want to be, rather than being driven by the feeling of the moment.
iv. · How I Work
Dialectical, practical, and honest.
My approach is grounded in DBT and a dialectical understanding of emotion — the idea that two things can be true at once: your feelings are completely valid, and they don’t have to run your life. Through psychoeducation and skills practice, we build your capacity to observe the duality of what you’re feeling and to reframe your actions around your values rather than your impulses. And, as always, I’ll reflect back honestly what I’m noticing, so the patterns become visible enough to change.
v. · Is This For You?
Who this work is for.
This work is for adults who feel their emotions intensely and want practical tools to steady them — including high-functioning, composed people whose inner emotional world runs far hotter than anyone would guess. You don’t need a diagnosis or a crisis; you just need to be ready to build skills. Much of my practice is visible, high-profile people who need discretion while they do this work. If that’s where you are, we’ll likely be a good fit.
vi. · In Their Words
From people I've worked with.
Anonymized and shared with permission, out of respect for privacy.
Your Therapist
Nicole Trister, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) · New York
I’m a New York psychotherapist offering concierge individual and couples therapy for high-functioning, high-profile clients. My work is grounded in DBT and a dialectical, values-based approach, alongside CBT and the Gottman Method. As a former competitive gymnast and a lifelong runner, I understand first-hand that having it together doesn’t mean not needing help — and I’m willing to hold up an honest mirror, which is why my clients tend to stay with me for years.
My credentials & focus: LCSW (New York) · Emotion regulation · anxiety, perfectionism & burnout · individual & couples therapy · DBT · CBT · Gottman Method · In person at 276 Fifth Avenue, New York, and online across NY, NJ & CT.
Connect
vii. · Questions
Emotion regulation therapy in New York — FAQ
If your emotions have been running the show, they don't have to. Let's talk.
Consultations are held privately and by inquiry. There is no waiting room, and no obligation.