Dr. Stella B. Keitel is a licensed clinical psychologist based out of New York City. Before becoming a psychologist, Dr. Keitel worked as a volunteer with victims of domestic violence and incarcerated women in a maximum security prison. Through these experiences, she became inspired to look more closely at the mental health care system and how mental health care services are delivered, especially to underserved and marginalized people.
Dr. Keitel is well versed in clinical and assessment forensic psychology. She was an acute care treatment team leader and provided direct care to people struggling with severe and persistent mental illness and violent behaviors. She conducted forensic evaluations to determine competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, malingering, psychopathy, dangerousness and other relevant issues.
Since founding her own practice in 2020, Dr. Keitel has become well-known for her direct and supportive approach when it comes to treatment. Dr. Keitel believes the best therapy outcomes are from treatments that don’t necessarily look and feel like “treatment.” Dr. Keitel works from several therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and a multitude of Trauma modalities.
In 2022 Dr. Keitel co-founded Breaktide Coaching, a holistic recovery, wellness, and executive functioning coaching company for adolescents and adults. Dr. Keitel’s creative approach to integrating different modalities in the treatment world caters to the uniqueness of her patients and, ultimately, allows for therapy to be effective and safe for all.