Dr. Emily H. Brackman
About
Dr. Emily H. Brackman, PhD
Founder & Director of Sidewalk Psychology
Dr. Emily H. Brackman is a Brooklyn-based clinical psychologist with expertise in trauma therapy, difficult relationships, and recovery from burnout and existential collapse.
As the Owner and Director of Sidewalk Psychology, Dr. Brackman provides trauma-informed therapy to adults and couples navigating anxiety, depression, complex PTSD, and relationship challenges.
In addition to her clinical practice at Sidewalk Psychology, Dr. Brackman teaches in doctoral psychology programs, consults with mission-driven organizations on wellness and resilience, and writes about trauma, grief, identity, and the emotional landscape of modern life.
Dr. Brackman holds active clinical licenses in New York and New Jersey
Clinical Approach
Dr. Brackman tailors treatment to each individual client, drawing most often from cognitive-behavioral approaches (including CBT, CPT, and PE), psychodynamic and relational frameworks, attachment theory, and existential psychotherapy. Her work attends to the full complexity of a person’s internal world, lived behavior, and the psychological and practical barriers that interfere with meaningful, sustained change. Therapy is active and collaborative, focused on identifying long-standing patterns, understanding how they developed, and building the internal flexibility and skills needed to respond differently over time. Dr. Brackman specializes in working with individuals who have previously engaged in insight-oriented or “talk” therapy yet continue to feel stuck — high-functioning adults who know why something is happening, but find themselves caught in cycles of burnout, emotional dysregulation, relational difficulty, or disconnection from their values.
Areas of Expertise
- Anxiety and depressive disorders, particularly when symptoms are chronic, treatment-resistant, or intertwined with trauma, grief, or identity stress. - Trauma and complex PTSD, with a specialization in adult survivors of childhood abuse, neglect, and attachment trauma. - Burnout and chronic exhaustion, including emotional burnout, nervous-system depletion, and identity collapse in high-achieving adults - Attachment and relational trauma, including difficulties with intimacy, trust, emotional regulation, and patterns shaped by early relationships - Identity transitions and existential distress, especially during periods of loss, disillusionment, or when life feels “successful on paper” but internally misaligned - Executive-function overwhelm and emotional dysregulation in high-functioning adults navigating chronic stress, over-responsibility, or perfectionism - Couples therapy for partners experiencing disconnection, conflict, or erosion of trust (EFT-informed, attachment-based)
Training and Experience
1 / Education
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Fordham University – PhD, Clinical Psychology (APA-Accredited)
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Fordham University – MA, Clinical Psychology
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Wesleyan University – BA, Psychology
2 / Clinical Training
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Military Family Center at NYU Langone
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VA NY Harbor Healthcare System – Manhattan Campus
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Mount Sinai – CBT Interventionist (NIH-funded)
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Harlem Hospital Center
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Fordham University Counseling and Psychological Services
Research, Writing, & Consulting
Dr. Brackman’s research and writing focus on trauma, burnout, emotional regulation, suicide risk, and the psychological impact of chronic stress and modern work culture. She consults with mission-driven organizations on mental health, resilience, and psychologically informed systems design.
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