About
Ivy Horan, MSW, DSW
licensed in NJ/PA/MA/VT/DE/DC/IL
I have an undergraduate degree in history. I have both a Master’s and a Doctorate in Social Work because one of social work’s core principles is that all of the environments, the finances, and the politics in which our stories are created are important.
I have a bag of techniques (Internal Family Systems, EMDR, somatic, trauma-informed, DBT, CBT, play) that help you to build the relationships you want, to manage your emotions, and improve your executive functioning.
I have a dog named Awesome and eight cats named after Marvel villains because we have abandonment issues, and if you offer my family and me more than one cat, we will say yes. So, let me know if you would like to be my client, and I can tell you how my animals all got their cool names and origin stories.
“A gem's beauty is no less real simply because it does not fit a single standard. Sapphires have a variety of deep colors that reveal themselves slowly, like you do when you are comfortable with your surroundings and people.
Emeralds with natural inclusions tell the story of their formation and their deep green color, derived from their reinventions and rebirths as you have sought to transform in new settings.
Rubies display vibrant reds that highlight your deep passions rather than rigidity.” — Ivy
I can’t wait to meet you.
I love getting to know you, but not in the “what do you think about the weather” type way.
Small talk makes me anxious; my muscles feel tight, and I start to worry about being clever and engaging.
I love people’s stories — how we love, how we survive, and how we connect — because those stories help us understand what shapes us.
Therapy allows us to uncover your deepest fears and wildest wishes. While that is the destination we will get to, I want to build your tolerance for being in the room with me and creating a relationship, because how we attach to each other and to ourselves is a guiding framework for me.
I utilize a relational cultural framework, which recognizes the power dynamic inherently in therapy, and so I seek to be collaborative with you. You are the expert in you.
I will start by asking about the songs you are listening to, the television shows/movies you are watching, the books you are reading, and the podcasts you are following. I am curious about you, so I am going to ask questions like “What were your grandparents like?” and “Who was your favorite elementary school teacher?”
