Book a therapist or psychiatrist in Commack, NY covered by Aetna

I know well that starting therapy can feel formidable and thoroughly overwhelming, and on occasion, the absolute hardest step of all is merely beginning. In spite of that, you are here, and you are actively setting out on your personal journey to heal and reconstruct. I warmly invite the opportunity to communicate with you and learn how I might best help you. My professional style is kind, deeply empathetic, and shared.

Hello! My name is Peter Curkendall.

As a Board Certified licensed professional counselor and certified integrative life coach, my focus is on integrating mind/body modalities to help individuals, couples, and groups reach their full potential. My counseling style is inviting and interactive and is grounded in wellness, humor, and pragmatism with a client-focused, strength-based approach. I employ an empathetic, direct, and practical counseling style, using a wide range of evidenced based tools to make our time most meaningful and enhance your everyday life concerns.

I view clients through a developmental lens and use an eclectic approach, from an evidenced based perspective, and meet people where they are. This includes skillful and strategic use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Existential, family systems, Rogerian, Narrative therapies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Behavioral approaches. I seek to collaboratively develop an individualized, person-centered focus and existential theoretical framework. I have worked extensively with individuals, groups, and families around trauma and sexual abuse. While helping people develop tools and skills to empower them and help them achieve their goals, I support people through their process and share their journey. Empathy, compassion, trust, and respect are cornerstones of my approach.

I provide a holistic, eclectic, flexible approach. Interventions are customized for the individual and believe a good relationship between therapist and client is key to the process of counseling. Please let me know what you want to achieve through the counseling experience and I will assist you with creating a more dynamic environment to achieve your goals. I bring scholarship and academic knowledge to the practice of psychotherapy and seek to build a collaborative bond with clients in order to work together to achieve better mental health.

I have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and 22 years experience treating a range of difficulties with clients from all walks of life. I've narrowed my practice over the years to working strictly with adults and couples. While my postdoctoral work was focused on mood and anxiety issues, I have both training and experience with relationship issues, binge eating conditions, work/school stress, grief, and Ketamine Assisted Therapy (KAT).

Anxiety and depression can make everyday life feel exhausting — and finding the right support shouldn't add to that. I'm a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner practicing via telehealth across New York State, and I genuinely love what I do. My style is collaborative: I'm not here to hand you a prescription and send you on your way. I want to understand your full picture — your history, your goals, what you've tried before — and build a plan that actually fits your life. Care works best when it feels like a partnership, and that's exactly what I aim for. There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to mental health, and I'll never treat it that way. If you're ready to take the next step — or even just curious about what that might look like — I'd love to connect.

I have 25 yrs of experience in a variety of settings including emergency rooms, medical units, long-term care facilities & inpatient mental health units. I have provided hands-on case management, crisis intervention, discharge planning and end-of-life support as well as lead teams in those settings. My goal is to identify client's challenges that cause pain, sadness, frustration, anger and even confusion and help them move forward in living their lives to their fullest potential.

I am a member of a prestigious group of therapists at NY Mental Health Center. We understand that it takes courage to speak with a therapist, but the potential rewards outweigh the risks of opening up. I have experience helping clients with anxiety, mood disorders, relationship problems, addictions, trauma, and coping with disease, among other concerns. I work with each patient to create a strong relationship and I strive to create a safe and comfortable environment for open communication.