Donniel Weiss

I work relationally and moment to moment, tracking not just what a client says but what they carry underneath. Even the briefest work can then become a way of staying with a client, creating a space safe enough for them to reconnect with both their core self and their horizon. My approach is relational, attachment-based, and trauma-informed, integrating experiential, somatic, and psychodynamic work.

My film and narrative background helps me support each client as they discover where and how the most resonant moments of their story live within their body. With individuals and groups, I have found that expressive arts and somatic work often reach people in ways that words cannot. Through the Trauma Institute and Child Trauma Institute (TICTI), I have completed the EMDRIA-approved eight-phase EMDR Basic Training with consultation hours, as well as their Creative Arts and EMDR certificate.

I remain a steady presence for people experiencing intense affect, whether they are reliving past traumas, facing present challenges, or feeling anxious about the future.

Psychotherapist at Steps and Stages, PLLC (2025-02 – Present)

• Conduct assessments, develop treatment plans, and provide ongoing psychotherapy for adults facing relational stress, relational loss, trauma, anxiety, and depression.
• Process trauma through AEDP, narrative, and EMDR preparation and resourcing.
• Help clients access core affect while staying in their window of tolerance through breathwork, mindfulness, and grounding.

Postgraduate Clinical Counseling Intern at The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC (2022 – 2024)

• Led therapy groups using drama, writing, visual arts, and music with adults of all ages navigating major life transitions.
• Conducted individual therapy and led process and support groups for a range of adult populations, including survivors of stroke, TBI, and other neurological conditions.
• Facilitated intergenerational connection between middle and high school students and Holocaust survivors, supporting survivors in sharing their testimony and legacy.

Supportive Counselor at AZ House, Jerusalem (2012 – 2013)

Provided individual and group counseling as part of an addiction recovery team in a residential setting.

Crisis Counselor, Lower East Side at Project Liberty (2002 – 2003)

• Provided post-9/11 crisis counseling for multicultural high school students as part of Project Liberty's FEMA-funded disaster mental health response.
• Worked under the clinical supervision of an LCSW.
• The program was administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health.

Director, Vocational and Day Habilitation Services at National Jewish Council for Disabilities (2007 – 2011)

• Directed vocational and day habilitation programming for individuals with developmental disabilities; provided and oversaw vocational counseling for participants and supportive counseling for participants and their families.
• Hired, supervised, and trained a program staff of over 20, including supervisory staff.

Assistant Administrator at Park Inn Home for Adults (1998 – 2000)

• Oversaw coordination of benefits and care for 180 residents with long-term psychiatric disabilities.
• Designed and implemented a comprehensive case management system that remained in use for years after my departure.
• Park Inn was an adult home for residents with serious mental illness, licensed by the New York State Department of Health.

Adjunct Instructor at Touro College (2004 – 2011)

Taught undergraduate courses in counseling and psychology, including Theories of Counseling, Developmental Psychology, Advanced Topics in Psychology, Psychology of Eating Disorders, and Theories of Addiction.

Advanced Certificate in Mental Health Counseling (CAS) – Alfred University (2024)

M.A. in Applied Psychology, Counseling and Guidance – New York University, Steinhardt (2004)

B.F.A. in Film and Television – New York University, Tisch School of the Arts (2000)