All Therapists > Madeleine Elfenbein

I welcome the chance to work with people who are questioning the world and their place in it, those on the hunt for joy and freedom, and those looking to develop a deeper sense of belonging, intimacy, and trust to anchor their explorations. Many of us lead lives that are haunted by other versions of ourselves, by ideas and longings that live inside us and stay mostly hidden, even to ourselves–only to surface at awkward moments. With patience and warm interest, I invite you to bring your curiosity to bear on whatever lives inside you: guilt, rage, grief, numbness, despair, wild hope, and other inconvenient feelings.

I’m interested in helping you dig deep. When we unearth our longings, we can reckon with their powerful undertow and harness their energy to transform our lives for the better. Racial identity, gender, class and other social markers shape our experience, but they need not limit it. Starting with self-inquiry, we can make space for ourselves in the world.

I’m a psychoanalyst in formation at Pulsion: The International Institute of Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychosomatics. I earned my Ph.D. in Ottoman Studies at the University of Chicago. I’ve taught History, English, and related subjects at the middle school, high school, and college levels and previously worked as a journalist and political organizer.

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