The Soul-Deep Exhaustion: You aren't just tired; you are soul-weary. You feel guilty when you rest because an "Internal Boss" is constantly watching the clock.
The 3 AM Alarm: You jolt awake, not with a plan, but with a pounding heart. We don't just call this "anxiety"—we call it a biological alarm bell ringing in an empty building.
The "Patient" Trap: You have become a set of numbers—test scores, scan results, glucose levels. You feel your identity shrinking until only the "Sick Role" is left.
[SECTION 3: THE METHOD]
Headline: We Treat the Person, Not the Pathology.
My name is Stephen Wertheim. For 35 years—from the HIV crisis to modern oncology wards—I have sat with people in the "Red Zone" of life.
My approach is different because I refuse to label your survival strategies as "disorders." Instead, I use a "Vessel First" protocol:
Step 1: Stabilize the Vessel. Imagine trying to run complex new software on a computer with a dying battery. It doesn't work. Therapy is the same. Before we dive into your history, we stabilize your sleep, your blood sugar, and your safety.
Step 2: Heal the Story. Once you have the energy to process, we explore the narratives that shape your life. We help you reclaim your authorship from pain, trauma, or diagnosis.
[LINK: READ MORE ABOUT THE APPROACH]