Serena Berne, LMSW

Serena Berne (she/her), LMSW, believes that the foundation of successful psychotherapy is trust. She fosters a safe, calm, and collaborative environment, recognizing that deep trust takes time to establish. Serena supports her clients in expressing themselves in session without fear of judgment, as well as in exploring thoughts and parts of themselves that may not feel safe to express in other areas of their lives. 

Serena approaches therapy with curiosity, respect, empathy, humor, and creativity and welcomes all lived identities. In addition, Serena works with anxiety, stress, depression, self-esteem issues, trauma, life and career transitions, feeling stuck, relationships, and menopause. 

She has experience working with adults of all ages, performing artists and those in other creative fields, along with working with individuals caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. 

Serena’s approach is psychodynamic (exploring your inner world and looking at how it impacts your daily life), relational, and trauma-informed. She uses a strength-based approach and a blend of mindfulness techniques, narrative therapy, and other methods. She places a focus on working together with her clients to tailor treatment to the client’s specific needs for growth and change. 

Serena holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Smith College, and her experience includes training and working at The Training Institute for Mental Health and the 92nd Street Y.

Before becoming a psychotherapist, Serena was a professional artist and teaching artist. She holds a BFA from Carnegie-Mellon University, and when she isn’t working, Serena loves being out in nature, meditation, and going to see art of all kinds.