Dustin Rifkin, LCSW
You are Worth it.
You’ve been trying for a long time, and it’s still not getting better.
You’ve done everything you’re supposed to. You kept pushing forward, showed up for others, kept your pain quiet, and hoped that time or effort would eventually make things feel lighter.
But instead, it’s like you’re stuck in the same loop: overwhelmed, exhausted, and wondering why nothing seems to change. You might feel frustrated with yourself, confused about why you can’t “just push through,” and even ashamed for still struggling after all this time.
On the outside, things may look okay, but inside, there’s a deep weight, a sense that something’s off, and a growing fear that this might be as good as it gets. And yet, there’s still a small part of you that wants something more. Maybe it’s a shift, a break in the cycle, a way through.
It feels like it’s out of your control
There’s a point where it just starts to feel pointless. Like no matter what you do, nothing actually changes. You might feel like life is happening to you, not with you. Maybe you’ve stopped setting goals or imagining anything different because deep down, it feels like what’s the use? The weight of old patterns, past pain, or just the constant stress of surviving has dulled your sense of agency.
You don’t feel in control of your emotions, your choices, or even your future. And when you’ve felt that way for a long time, it’s hard to believe anything could be different. But even in that stuckness, the desire for something more shows you haven’t given up. You just need the right space to find your way back to yourself.
When Love Isn’t Enough
As a parent, it can feel heartbreaking and exhausting when your child just won’t listen, no matter what you do. You try to stay calm, set boundaries, offer consequences and rewards. You have tried everything you’ve read or been told, but nothing seems to make a lasting difference.
Every day feels like a battle, and the constant stress wears you down. You start to question your parenting, wondering if you’re doing something wrong, or worse, if you’re failing them.
You want so badly to connect, to help them feel safe and understood, but their behavior leaves you feeling shut out and helpless. It’s painful to love someone so much and feeling like you can’t reach them. You keep trying, hoping the next approach will work, but deep down, you're overwhelmed and unsure where to turn.
You’re ready to take back your life. Let’s do this together.
If you’re tired of feeling powerless, if you’ve tried to change but keep ending up in the same place—you're not alone.
I’m Dustin Rifkin, founder of Elevate Mental Health LLC and I help people who feel stuck rediscover what it means to have choice, voice, and direction again. Therapy isn’t about fixing you. It’s about helping you uncover the real you, hidden beneath the weight of everything you’ve been through.
Together, we’ll create space for you to be real, to feel seen, and to begin building a life that actually feels like yours. You’re not broken. You’re just ready for something different.
Schedule a free consultation.
We can take some time to see if we’re a good match for the kind of work you want to do.