About Madeline Rice, LCSW

Philosophy

I believe that we can change our own experience and overall fulfillment in life by developing a deeper understanding of ourselves and our behavior patterns.

When something painful happens leaving us feeling powerless and hurt we develop defenses to protect ourselves. When defenses become rigid patterns, what once protected us begins to work against us. Rigid defenses compromise our ability to love and be loved, to pursue our goals and to experience our self worth. The process of therapy is bringing these defenses into our conscious awareness so that we can let go of what is unhealthy and develop new ways of being so that we can experience fuller relationships with others and ourselves.

Education and Training

I received my Masters in Social Work in 1989 from New York University. I have experience working with adults and adolescents in school, psychiatric inpatient and outpatient settings. My clinical focus has been predominantly working with women with eating disorders and related issues of anxiety, depression, trauma, self esteem, identity and body image.

I trained in Family-Based Therapy (FBT) in 2003. FBT is based on the principle that families have inherent strength and wisdom to help their daughters to get well and stay well. This approach boasts significantly higher rates of recovery and relapse prevention. My approach involves creating an outpatient ‘team’ to support the client in recovery that can include any combination of professionals including a medical doctor, psychiatrist, nutritionist and school counselors.

I also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in 2011, I have incorporated this technique into my work with clients resulting in dramatic results. This approach is designed to release clients of the hold that old wounds/traumas have on their current functioning in a way that traditional ‘talk therapy’ often does not.

For the past few years I have training in a model called Internal Family Systems (IFS/Parts work). It is a beautiful, experiential, healing model that brings a deep understanding as well as healing to our internal systems. Just like in a family, we have parts within us that can fall into disharmony. Through this healing therapy we are able to heal old wounds (exhiles) so that the parts within us that came about to protect the wound can relax which allows us to be more in Self. In Self, we experience our true nature which is calm, courageous, creative and compassionate.

Therapeutic Approach

Each client receives a thorough psych-social assessment including detailed family and developmental history towards the goal of creating an individualized treatment plan. I do not use a one size fits all approach as no two people’s experiences are alike. My clients find my realness and emotional accessibility comforting.

I use a very interactive approach with clients. You will find me to be a very active and engaged part of the process. I strive to create a therapeutic environment in which each client feels supported, respected, and empowered.

My clients experience my office as a safe, compassionate place where they feel understood and supported. My approach is eclectic including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness-based meditation, neuroplasticity, EMDR, and Family-Based Therapy.

Professional Affiliations

Testimonials

Click here to read more about what my clients have to say.

I leave every session with Madeline with fresh new insights that allow me to effectively move forward in my personal and professional life. Madeline has the ability to quickly zero in on the essence of what the problem is in a caring and personal way while maintaining a professional relationship. Madeline also effectively links information from prior sessions to create a comprehensive understanding of whatever you present to her that day. I have learned so much about myself and others behavior, have a significantly lower anxiety level now, a gratefulness, sense of peace, fulfillment and enjoyment that eluded me for many years. Thank you, Madeline!

– Laura

Madeline has been my daughters therapist for many years. My daughter first went to Madeline at the age of 13 filled with anxiety & self esteem issues. Over the past 7 years Madeline has helped my daughter navigate through the very trying adolescent years & guided my husband & I as parents on how to deal with a very emotional child. Madeline has been instrumental in helping us as a family deal with loss, injury & abuse. I, as a parent, have spent time with Madeline one on one which has helped me to help my family have a better understanding of how we can learn to respect our differences and most importantly how to react to each other when emotions are high. Her unbiased counseling has made her office a safe place for us to speak freely & say the hard things that have needed to be said. I have referred friends and family members to Madeline over the years and will continue to do so. I highly recommend Madeline for her counseling services.

– Sue

Wow, how can I capture the three years of support I got from Madeline? I don’t even know if I can capture it in words. I came to Philly four years ago thinking that I was “done with that therapy stuff.” The move to a new city with a new job proved to be too much. All the anxiety, my depression, and disordered eating came flooding back. I was drinking a ton and I simply didn’t want to get going each morning. I found Madeline’s site and knew she could provide me something different, support really rooted in the issues I’ve had around disordered eating and how that manifested everywhere. Since we began our work together, I stopped drinking, I have a stronger hold on healthy eating habits, and I’m living much more consciously. I know there is always more work to be done and everyone needs help sometimes. I can’t imagine where my life would be without Madeline.

-“D”