Book a therapist or psychiatrist in Rome, NY covered by United Healthcare

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.

What inspired me to become a psychotherapist? Witnessing the challenges people face in life and being captivated by superheroes as a child. Helping others is my passion—it feels like I'm living my childhood dreams. My experience in state psychiatric centers, working with individuals dealing with severe and persistent mental health issues, solidified my desire to assist those with social and emotional needs. While working as a school counselor was rewarding, I felt compelled to offer more comprehensive services beyond psycho-educational workshops. Pursuing clinical therapy was a natural progression for me. I earned my mental health counseling degree at LIU Post and furthered my expertise with certifications and training in CBT, internal family systems, ACT, and logotherapy. These skills enable me to assist clients with reparenting, anxiety, depression, PTSD, stress management, co-parenting, couples counseling, family therapy, and emotional regulation. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), I bring an interactive and down-to-earth approach to therapy. My goal is to equip you with a practical skill set that promotes growth and fulfillment. I look forward to meeting you and helping you live the life you envision!

My motto is: "Helping People Help Themselves to a Better Life. I support people with a smile and a reassuring description of my skills and abilities. I reinforce my respect for their choices as we engage in therapy together. I work to create a safe space for clients to address their issues.

As the chief psychologist at Cornell and R.I.T. I had the privilege of working with young adults and professionals as they navigated challenging and transformative periods. Since then, I have been working in private practice, helping clients manage challenges related to anxiety, OCD, depression, life transitions, and relationship issues.