harlan matusow, psychoanalyst, psychologist, psychotherapist, addiction researcher, couples therapy, flatiron, nyc

Harlan Matusow, PhD, LP

  • New York State Licensed Psychoanalyst
  • Offices in NYC and Bronxville, NY

About My Practice

I work with individuals, couples, and families who are trying to cope with anxiety, relationship challenges, work issues, their own or a loved one’s behavioral or chemical addiction, or major life decisions. I also speak with people who aren’t currently enduring any of those challenges but who want to speak on a regular basis to address small issues before they become big ones.

I have an analytical background – on Wall St. and in scientific (addiction) research – and my approach to therapy is most definitely informed by those pursuits. I am dedicated to getting to the heart of the problem using both reason and instinct. Mental anguish – and the therapy that can help alleviate it – occupies the space between reality and our wishes. But the causes of our pain, and the path to its eradication, needn’t remain mysterious. My responsibility is to work with you to shine a light on the events, circumstances, and choices that have compromised your ability to embrace your life, your work, and your relationships. Once demystified, their ability to negatively affect your life is diminished.

If you have never been to therapy, rest assured: It’s not awful. It’s not pressured. It is an opportunity, not an obligation, to say things you’ve always wanted to say without fear of judgment; to put words to feelings without fear of reprisal; to work through difficult conversations with someone who is trained to listen carefully and who will provide support, objectivity, and guidance. If you have some experience in therapy, then you have some idea of what it’s like. But if your past experiences in therapy have not been positive, I ask you to have faith that a new experience can be better. It just requires the right chemistry.

I am easy to reach and easy to talk to, so please don’t hesitate to contact me at (914) 320-0350 or harlan@harlanmatusow.com. My offices are located at 928 Broadway (at 21st Street) in the Flatiron area of NYC and 7 Pondfield in Bronxville, NY.

-Harlan

Affiliations

  • Present 2007

    Principal Investigator

    National Development & Research Institutes, Inc.

  • Present 2014

    Faculty

    The Center for Human Development

Education & Training

  • LP

    New York State Licensed Psychoanalyst

  • PhD

    PhD in Psychoanalysis

    Heed University

  • MA

    Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology

    Columbia University

Research

In my capacity as both clinician and researcher, I have a special interest in implementation science – research to practice – and the challenges associated with bringing evidence-based practices into therapeutic settings.

Projects

  • Facilitating Medication Assisted Treatment Adoption and Implementation in Problem Solving and Felony Courts

    Despite the high prevalence of opioid addiction among persons under criminal justice supervision there has been very limited penetration of medication assisted treatment (MAT; methadone, buprenorphine, and extended-release naltrexone); an intervention that has a very strong evidence base. To spur implementation of MAT, we propose a Stage I study to develop and assess the feasibility, acceptability, utility and sustainability of an interactive eLearning modality and an eLearning + an organizational approach (Technology Transfer [TT] model) to advance knowledge and facilitate inclusion of MAT in drug and felony courts. We expect this development/pilot project to lead to a protocol that will be tested in a larger-scale efficacy trial to implement evidenced-based therapy for opioid-addicted criminal justice clients.

  • Challenges to Opioid Treatment Programs after Hurricane Sandy: Preparation, Impact, and Recovery

    There are more than 300,000 opioid-addicted patients who are receiving methadone maintenance therapy from opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in the United States. Large numbers of these attend OTPs located in areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Disruption of methadone dispensing and other services can have severe consequences to patients (and treatment seekers) such as relapse, dropping out of treatment and resumption or increase in HIV/HCV injection risk behaviors. The goal of this study is to develop recommendations for OTPs in their recovery efforts from Hurricane Sandy and their planning for future emergencies by obtaining data from OTPs (directors, staff, de-identified records, and patients), out of treatment persons who subsequently sought addiction treatment, and New Jersey and New York SOTA Directors about Sandy preparedness and response.

  • Prescription Data Monitoring Programs: Usage by OTPs

    Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) provide both supply and demand data to those in the opioid treatment and criminal justice communities. In order to assess the ways in which opioid treatment programs access and utilize PDMPs, we undertook a mixed-methods study to collect and report: 1) De- identified baseline and quarterly PDMP data and, 2) Staff and administrative interventions with patients who provided information that was not concordant with PDMP data from 15 PDMPs in 11 states. All programs found, to varying degrees, discrepant information when comparing self-reports of new patients with PDMP data. Virtually all patients who misreported prescription information received one-on-one counseling. To the degree that programs 1) consistently and systematically compare patient reports with PDMP data and, 2) use the occasion of discrepant reports to comprehensively educate misreporting patients about the treatment benefits of providing accurate information, the potential of PDMPs will be fully realized, and outcomes will be improved for a burgeoning opioid treatment population.

Selected Publications

If you would like a complete list of publications, please go to Google Scholar.

The most critical unresolved issue associated with psychoanalytic theories of addiction: Can the talking cure tell us anything about substance use and misuse?

H Matusow, A Rosenblum
2013 Substance Use & Misuse, 48 (3), 239-247.

Description

The most critical unresolved issue associated with psychoanalysis is whether its core precepts belong in today's substance use armamentarium. Psychoanalytic theories have resisted the criterion of falsifiability, putting them at odds with the current paradigm for treating addiction. However, Freud's earliest pronouncement on the subject,“making the patient a collaborator in his own treatment”(ie, therapeutic alliance) not only holds up to scientific scrutiny, but is a robust determinant in improving treatment outcomes.

Medication assisted treatment in US drug courts: Results from a nationwide survey of availability, barriers and attitudes

H Matusow, SL Dickman, JD Rich, C Fong, DM Dumont, C Hardin, ...
2013 Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 44 (5), 473-480.

Abstract

Drug treatment courts are an increasingly important tool in reducing the census of those incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses; medication assisted treatment (MAT) is proven to be an effective treatment for opioid addiction. However, little is known about the availability of and barriers to MAT provision for opioid-addicted people under drug court jurisdiction. Using an online survey, we assessed availability, barriers, and need for MAT (especially agonist medication) for opioid addiction in drug courts. Ninety-eight percent reported opioid-addicted participants, and 47% offered agonist medication (56% for all MAT including naltrexone). Barriers included cost and court policy. Responses revealed significant uncertainty, especially among non-MAT providing courts. Political, judicial and administrative opposition appear to affect MAT's inconsistent use and availability in drug court settings. These data suggest that a substantial, targeted educational initiative is needed to increase awareness of the treatment and criminal justice benefits of MAT in the drug courts.

Factors Associated with Mental Health Clinicians' Referrals to 12-Step Groups

H Matusow, A Rosenblum, C Fong, A Laudet, T Uttaro, S Magura
2012 Journal of Addictive Diseases, 31 (3), 303-312.

Abstract

As substance use and mental illness services are increasingly integrated, mental health professionals are presented with opportunities to refer greater numbers of dually diagnosed clients to 12-Step groups. This study examined the relationships among clinicians’ 12-Step experiences, attitudes, and referral practices in 6 mental health clinics in New York, New York. A path analysis model showed that greater interest in learning about 12-Step groups directly predicted 12-Step referral practices and that 12-Step interest was predicted by clinicians’ perception of the helpfulness of 12-Step groups and the severity of their patients’ problems with substance abuse. Clinicians’ responses to open-ended questions supported this model. Didactic and experiential education for clinicians in substance abuse and mutual aid would likely increase patient referrals to 12-Step groups.

Contact Me

My offices are located at 928 Broadway, Suite 804, New York 10010 and 7 Pondfield Road, Suite 205, Bronxville, NY 10708. Feel free to call, email, or text to make an appointment.

  •    914.320.0350
  •    harlan@harlanmatusow.com