Survey Response: Kirsten Fliegler, PsyD
This survey was last updated in October 2011.
Degrees/Licenses Held:
Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology), Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Internship at NYU Medical Center, NY State License
Contact Information:
925 Park Avenue, Suite 1-B
New York, NY 10028
Telephone: 212-327-1929
Email: drkfliegler@nyc.rr.com
Number of years in practice: 16
Number of years in practice with patients who have TMS: 16
Number of patients you have seen who have had TMS: 100’s
What is your association to the TMS community?
I have worked with Dr. John Sarno since my internship at NYU Medical Center which began in 1995. After my internship, I continued to work at NYU Medical Center until 2003, at which time I went into private practice on a full-time basis. During my internship year and over the course of my employment at NYU, I also worked with Dr. Arlene Feinblatt. I have both run and co-led many groups for Dr. Sarno’s patients and also see many of Dr. Sarno’s patients for individual psychotherapy. I continue to meet with Dr. Sarno on a regular basis to discuss treatment of his patients that I am currently seeing for psychotherapy.
Have you ever suffered from TMS? I believe that everyone has suffered from TMS at one time or another, to varying degrees, even if they are not initially aware that it is TMS.
Are you able to conduct therapy sessions over the phone? I am willing to conduct therapy sessions over the phone, or via Skype, only if I have first met with a patient for a consultation.
What insurance plans do you currently accept? I currently do not accept insurance.
Do you have a sliding scale of payment for people who are not covered by insurance? Yes, at times, I have a limited number of appointment spots with a sliding scale.
What have you done to educate yourself about TMS, and what plans do you have for further education about TMS?
In addition to meeting with Dr. Sarno and reading the literature that comes out on the subject of mind/body medicine, I also continue to learn by observing what strategies prove to be effective for my patients and by conferring with other professionals. I have also worked on cases with Dr. Schechter and Dr. Rashbaum.
As we are going to post your answers on the TMS Wiki, feel free to write some text to introduce yourself:
I have a particular interest in all aspects of health psychology and especially enjoy working with Dr. Sarno’s patients. I help patients identify the current and/or past events in their life that are generating negative emotions. I work with patients in reviewing their journal entries to ensure that they are writing in a manner that is most conducive to helping them reduce symptoms of TMS. One treatment goal is to help patients increase their awareness of the mechanisms by which they may distance themselves from their feelings, such as humor, minimization, rationalization, etc. Another goal of treatment is to work with patients so that they are able to tolerate a wider range of feelings. This is especially important, because often times when people suppress feelings of anger and/or sadness, it is also more difficult to experience happiness as well.
