Discover your creativity, stimulate Emotional expression and gain Personal Insight through Expressive Analysis in New York, NY

Professor Robert Wolf is a Licensed Psychoanalyst and Creative Art Therapist and offers a unique approach to therapy that allows patients to find creative pathways to emotional wellbeing. As a highly experienced practitioner of expressive analysis in New York, NY, Dr. Wolf combines traditional talk therapy with the nonverbal forms of creative expression as an added method of communication within the analytic process. This unique approach allows patients to communicate more holistically without the barriers that talking alone may sometimes impose, while inviting implicit expression of unconscious material. 

Through nonverbal forms of expression, patients explore memories, feelings, dreams, and experiences in productive ways. Schedule your consultation with Dr. Wolf today and find out how expressive analysis will engage your aesthetic sensibility to unlock new possibilities for deeper self awareness, healing and growth.

Clinical Professional

For over 45 years, Dr. Robert Irwin Wolf, based in New York, NY, has been prolific in the fields of fine art photography, sculpture, creative art therapy, phototherapy, expressive analysis, and psychoanalysis. Initially trained in the fine arts of photography and sculpture at Pratt Institute, he later went on to pursue clinical training in art therapy at Pratt, then further postgraduate training in psychoanalysis at The National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis, then onto the Parkmore Institute, where he earned his Doctorate in Psychoanalytic Studies.  He is a New York state-licensed psychoanalyst and licensed creative art therapist, currently in private practice in New York City, in Manhattan. He has taught courses, supervised clinicians and has published and presented internationally on the integration of creativity within psychoanalytic theory and practice. He earned the rank of Professor Emeritus at the College of New Rochelle and is currently on the faculty of the College of Mount St. Vincent.

Along with his training and clinical experiences over the past years, his unique focuses have been in the therapeutic uses of photography (or phototherapy), creative processing of dreams and countertransference, and the use of stone carving and other expressive artforms in training and within clinical supervision to help process countertransference. 

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Fine Art Sculpture

After receiving early training in stone carving at Pratt Institute, Wolf has continuously evolved as a stone sculpture artist of abstract form. His intense interest in both people and art are reflected in his contemporary sculptures. He believes forces that heal and promote emotional growth in people are related to those that influence our sense of aesthetic expression through the creation of  artwork and that the act of 'creating art' provides a personal space within which one may more easily access non-verbal, implicit thought/feeling processes, and safely explore unconscious material.

Wolf’s sculptures are a blend of figurative and abstract elements expressed through various types of stone and wood. Each piece suggests a unique gestural communication that is intrinsic to human experience and is often perceived on an unconscious, visceral level, and is reflected within  what is now referred to as 'implicit' memory and thought processes.

His sculptures, which have been influenced by Arp, Moore, and Brancusi, have been exhibited over the past 45 years in a variety of galleries and museums and private collections in the northeastern United States and Seoul, South Korea. 

Sculpture Photos also available on Instagram: @robertirwinwolf

Fine Art Travel and Portrait Photography

Born and raised in New York, Wolf is an internationally exhibited fine art photographer, and his work has been widely shown in San Jose, Costa Rica, South Korea. Most recently, he has won awards for his photography at the Camelback Online Gallery, where he has been selected as ‘Artist in Residence”, the Grey Cube Gallery the Artroom Gallery and the Blankwall Gallery in Athens, Greece. His work has been featured in Artweek Magazine and ArtBase Magazine.

His most recent work includes landscapes and portraits of indigenous people from his travels throughout Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America. Printed on canvas with pigmented, fade-resistant ink, many of these images have been exhibited in galleries throughout New York.

Wolf also specializes in commissioned creative portraiture. He believes that there is always a subliminal, non-verbal element of communication between the photographer and subject. His prior experience as a caricature artist, along with his clinical work with clients and research on sensory/motor communication, has informed this perspective and sharpened his ability to capture the unique essence of this moment within his subjects. 

Robert Wolf, Licensed Psychoanalyst and Creative Art Therapist, offers a unique approach to expressive psychotherapy that allows patients to find creative pathways to emotional healing. As a highly experienced practitioner of expressive analysis in New York, NY, Dr. Wolf combines traditional talk therapy with creative forms of nonverbal, sensory/motor communication. This unique approach allows patients to communicate more holistically without the barriers that talking alone may sometimes impose, while enabling them to communicate  unconscious content more deeply in the clinical/expressive process. 

Through a variety of expressive forms of communication, patients explore memories, feelings, dreams, and experiences in productive ways.  This deep psychoanalytic work focuses on understanding the origins of dysfunctional patterns and beyond simply reducing surface manifestation of symptoms, often leads to improvement in the overall quality of life of his patients. 

Provider of Expressive Art Therapy, PSYCHOANALYTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY and Psychoanalysis

Dr. Wolf holds New York State licenses in both psychoanalysis and creative art therapy, and is a Board Certified Creative Art Therapist. He holds a Doctorate in Psychoanalytic Studies and has, for over 40 years, helped patients achieve improved psychological well-being through the integration of expressive arts within the psychoanalytic frame of clinical treatment. He is a Fellow at the Parkmore Institute and was awarded the honorary degree of Professor Emeritus from the College of New Rochelle, before it closed its doors in 2019.

As a sub-specialty, he is a pioneer in the field of 'Phototherapy' and for over 40 years, has taught graduate level courses in this modality at the College of New Rochelle, and at the College of Mount St. Vincent, and has presented and published his work internationally. Photography is a powerful means of expressing one’s unconscious feelings, conflicts, beliefs, and forms of engagement with the world. By producing, processing and discussing photographs, patients gain deeper awareness of their connections with the people and objects around them while further developing their creativity.

Creative Approaches to Therapy

As an accomplished professional artist and Professor Emeritus of graduate art therapy, Dr. Wolf encourages students and patients to embrace and explore the therapeutic value of photography, stone sculpture, and other creative media. Through mindful creative forms of expression, he has provided patients and students an opportunity to identify their unconscious processes and integrate this understanding during both psychoanalytic treatment and post graduate level training.

In his clinical work, patients and supervisees will channel their creativity in a variety of creative forms of nonverbal expression, as an integrated feature of the psychoanalytic approach. Remote sessions are currently available and will continue to be available when necessary, through HIPPA compliant encrypted video chat platforms. With the combined benefits of artistic expression, creative dream processing, in-session discussions and the application of modern psychoanalytic theory and practice, patients can begin to experience a renewed sense of emotional balance and improvements in their interpersonal relationships and overall quality of life.

Clinical Professional, Sculptor, Photographer

In addition to his clinical practice, Robert has been prolific in the fields of fine art photography and sculpture, in addition to his distinguished career as a professor of art and art therapy. He has taught courses at several universities and Psychoanalytic Training institutes and also publishes and presents internationally on the integration of creativity into psychoanalytic therapy. His research and practice have focused on the uses of photography, sculpture, and the creative processing of dreams and has also been a pioneer in the application of creative processing of countertransference for graduate students and practicing psychotherapists. In 2019 he earned the rank of Professor Emeritus at the College of New Rochelle, after 39 years of service.

After receiving early training in stone carving and photography at the Pratt Institute, Dr. Wolf continued to evolve as a stone sculptor of abstract forms. He believes forces that heal and promote emotional growth in people are related to those that influence our sense of aesthetics in artwork. Wolf’s stone and wood sculptures are a blend of figurative and abstract gestural elements expressed through various types of stone and wood, each suggesting gestural communication that is intrinsic to human experience and perceived on an unconscious, visceral level. His sculptures, which have been influenced by Arp, Moore, and Brancusi, have been exhibited over the past four decades in numerous galleries in the northeastern United States as well as in Seoul, South Korea. He was recently gained further international recognition by being selected as “Artist in Residence” by the Camelback Gallery and has won awards for his work at the Artroom Gallery Greycube Gallery. He has been a featured artist in Artwook Magazine and ArtBase Magazine.

As an internationally exhibited fine art photographer, Wolf’s work has been widely shown in Miami, New York, San Jose, Costa Rica, and South Korea. His most recent work includes landscapes and portraits of indigenous people and wildlife from his travels throughout Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America. Printed on canvas with pigmented, fade-resistant ink, many of these images have been exhibited in galleries throughout New York.

His extensive experience as both a practicing clinician and artist makes him uniquely qualified to provide the highest standard of treatment to individuals interested in undergoing expressive analysis. To begin your process of positive and creative growth, reach out today to schedule your initial consultation.

Dr. Wolf is a licensed psychoanalyst and creative art therapist practicing for over 40 years in New York City. He is able to provide insurance reimbursement for clients who have ‘Out of Network’ insurance coverage.

Currently working in office, online and by phone, Dr.Wolf's office is located on West 43rd Street, in Manhattan, New York. He also continues to work remotely with New York State residents who prefer that modality.

contact: rwolfnyc@gmail.com

The above photos, taken by Professor Wolf, have won prizes in International Photography Competitions:

Grey Cube Gallery, January 2024;

Artroom Gallery, December, 2020;

Blank Wall Gallery, Athens Greece, 2017