Dr. Beth Hollander, Licensed Psychologist

Dr. Beth Hollander, Licensed Psychologist I'm a psychologist who specializes in anxiety disorders and emotion regulation.

Friends and followers - please take the time to read the statement below and to sign the petition. Thank you.~~~~~~~~~~~...
07/07/2025

Friends and followers - please take the time to read the statement below and to sign the petition. Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like many combat veterans, I struggled to access mental health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). And when I finally did, the VA put me into a treatment that not only failed to help — it made my PTSD symptoms worse.

Within two sessions, my assigned therapist pushed me to relive my traumatic experiences in a way that brought me back to the Gulf War. The treatment essentially retraumatized me.

At first, I thought psychotherapy wasn’t the answer to my condition. But later, I discovered that therapy is one of the most powerful tools for healing from PTSD — when it’s the right kind for the patient.

Everything changed once my therapist gave me the space and time that I needed to open up. After building trust with him, I’ve been able to foster new relationships and stay present. My PTSD improved.

But my therapy was cut short. After a few months of care, the VA told me that I had reached a session limit and therapy had to end. I later learned that veterans nationwide are experiencing the same thing – therapy ending prematurely.

The truth is the VA has a hidden policy: It denies veterans’ access to psychotherapy that exceeds 20 sessions. Ask other veterans — the VA rarely allows us to see the same therapist consistently and on an ongoing basis, the way civilians can.

I’m sorry, but I find this policy to be useless and offensive. After serving in the Army for 14 years, including 11 months in the Gulf War, how is it fair — or effective — to force me to treat my PTSD under a mandated deadline? Veterans should be allowed to build a strong relationship with their therapist, and yes, that will likely take longer than 20 sessions.

That’s why I’m asking for your support. Join me in urging the federal government to end the 20 session limit for psychotherapy.

Sign the petition today and help veterans get the mental health care they need and deserve.

The VA’s focus on limiting sessions is part of the reason why it favors treatments such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), which aims to treat PTSD in 12 sessions. Of course, “completing” a therapy protocol is not the same as healing, but that matters less to government officials who are more interested in checking boxes than helping people.

In fact, my initial experience with VA therapy, where I was retraumatized, was actually CPT. To be clear, CPT may be helpful for some of my fellow veterans. It just didn’t work for me — and I’m not alone. Others often report similar negative experiences, reliving their post-traumatic events, leading them to drop out of treatment and deal with their trauma on their own.

But this petition isn’t about comparing different practices of psychotherapy. It’s about recognizing that veterans’ needs and preferences are different, and the VA should adapt to providing the treatment that veterans want and need.

The VA’s one-size-fits-all approach to psychotherapy isn’t just unscientific, it’s harmful. Research consistently demonstrates that a patient's relationship with their therapist is the strongest treatment-related predictor of positive outcomes. And positive outcomes are essential for veterans. For many of us, therapy is a lifeline that prevents addiction, which in turn can lead to homelessness, or worst of all, su***de.

Tell the federal government: End the VA’s 20 session limit on psychotherapy. Give veterans a real choice over their care and a chance at healing. Sign the petition below.

Thank you,

John Diaz (aka Cpt D)
Former U.S. Army Reserve Captain
14 years of service, including 11 months in the Gulf War

Favorite quote: "It matters less that you can fight, but what you fight for is the real task." — John McCain

Give Veterans a Real Choice in Their Mental Health Care

06/23/2025

With the heat advisory over the next few days and the temperature expected to exceed 100° on Tuesday 🥵, here is a gentle reminder, specifically to those who take SSRIs, to make sure to remain hydrated and cool.

Stay safe!

I'm moving! As of March 9, 2025, you can find me at 366 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 6, Commack, NY 11725. As always...
03/07/2025

I'm moving! As of March 9, 2025, you can find me at 366 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 6, Commack, NY 11725. As always, please visit my website www.drbethhollander.com or call me at (516) 336-8149 to schedule an appointment.

Licensed Psychologist

01/01/2025
Merry Christmas to all! 🎄🎅
12/25/2024

Merry Christmas to all! 🎄🎅

Try practicing gratitude today. Happy Thanksgiving to all! 🦃
11/28/2024

Try practicing gratitude today. Happy Thanksgiving to all! 🦃

Written by my friend and colleague Annie Wright. Take care of yourselves today.
11/06/2024

Written by my friend and colleague Annie Wright.

Take care of yourselves today.

The weight of this morning feels unbearable.

For so many of us, waking up to these election results isn't just disappointing - it's devastating. That familiar gut punch, that same crushing realization we felt in 2016: that progress is not linear, that justice and safety remain frighteningly uncertain.

I'm sitting with this heaviness, feeling it in my own body: the heat of anxiety in my stomach, the emotional heaviness, the fearful cloud of what's coming. And I know I'm not alone, am I?

Our bodies remember. They remember what this felt like before. In 2016 but also, for those of us who carry complex trauma histories, we remember earlier moments, too. Those times when the ground beneath us felt just as unstable, just as threatening.

For those of us who grew up in environments marked by unpredictability or harm, this kind of collective upheaval does more than unsettle - it reawakens.

Our nervous systems don't distinguish between past and present threats when the patterns feel so familiar. The need to keep refreshing NYT, to Google what Canada requires for immigration, to anticipate every possible outcome - these aren't random reactions... They're survival responses, deeply wired patterns that once helped keep us safe.

But here's what I want you to know: what you're feeling right now - the fear, the rage, the numbness, whatever is moving through you - is NORMAL to an abnormal situation.

Collective trauma happens when events disrupt our shared sense of safety. It ripples through our communities, amplifying our personal histories of vulnerability. Your responses are part of this collective experience, this shared rupture of safety we're all navigating.

As both a trauma therapist and someone who lived through 2016 with my own relational trauma history, I know something about how we hold moments like this. When our nervous systems feel overwhelmed (right now), we ground ourselves:

We anchor in the present moment. Feel our feet on the floor. Notice the temperature of the air. Name five things we can see.

We move the energy that trauma stores in our bodies. I'll be logging miles on my Peloton Tread today. Maybe you'll walk or stretch or dance - anything that helps release the activation.

We reach toward connection, even when trauma tells us to isolate. Because healing happens in relationship, in being witnessed without being fixed.

We honor what our systems tell us they need: stepping away from the news, taking a mental health day, channeling feelings into action.

Remember: we've been here before. The devastation is real. The fear is valid.

And somehow, we keep going. Not because we're unbreakable, but because we're infinitely able to put ourselves back together again - especially when we do it together.

You're not alone in this. What we're experiencing isn't just personal grief - it's collective trauma. And while that makes it more complicated, it also means we don't have to hold it alone.

I'm here with you in this heavy moment.

Annie

Dr. Judson Brewer, director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center at the Brown University School of Publi...
11/01/2024

Dr. Judson Brewer, director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center at the Brown University School of Public Health, shares strategies for staying calm during contentious times.

“People can benefit from recognizing the anxiety habit loop: identify the trigger, such as hearing polarizing news; the behavior, such as worrying, scrolling or debating online; and the result, such as feeling more anxious. Once individuals are aware of this loop, they can replace these behaviors with more constructive habits.”

“By tuning into the present moment, individuals can avoid spiraling into future-oriented worry. Practices like taking a few deep breaths or even brief moments of awareness allow people to remain grounded and engage thoughtfully, rather than reactively.”

Read more from Dr. Brewer by clicking on the link below.

Dr. Judson Brewer, director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center at the Brown University School of Public Health, shares strategies for staying calm during contentious times.

Happy Halloween! 🎃👻🧙‍♀️🦇🧛‍♀️
10/31/2024

Happy Halloween! 🎃👻🧙‍♀️🦇🧛‍♀️

10/01/2024

Proud to join my fellow psychologists in the Suffolk County Psychological Association at the East End "Out of the Darkne...
09/22/2024

Proud to join my fellow psychologists in the Suffolk County Psychological Association at the East End "Out of the Darkness" walk for su***de awareness and prevention.

Happy new year to my followers! Don’t forget: just because the start of a new year is the typical time when people make ...
01/01/2024

Happy new year to my followers!

Don’t forget: just because the start of a new year is the typical time when people make resolutions, you can make changes at any time during the year. Start small… even the tiniest steps add up to a big impact.

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366 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 6
Commack, NY
11725

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

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