The Loneliness Paradox
Book in Progress
An exploration of why connection feels harder than ever, and what psychology, technology, and culture can teach us about building a less lonely world.
Grace Berman is a psychotherapist, writer, and thought leader exploring the intersection of mental health, technology, and cultural narrative.
As a licensed clinical social worker in New York, Grace maintains a private practice working with individuals navigating the complexities of modern life: identity formation, relationship challenges, career transitions, and the search for meaning and connection in an increasingly digital world.
Her work as a public intellectual focuses on the psychological and ethical implications of technology, particularly how digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and media shape human experience, identity, and well-being. She brings a clinician's lens to questions that are often framed as purely technical or philosophical, asking what our relationship with technology reveals about deeper human needs, fears, and desires.
Grace's writing and commentary have appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, WIRED, and NPR, among others. She is a sought-after speaker at conferences including SXSW, the Aspen Ideas Festival, and TED, and has been a guest on podcasts including The Ezra Klein Show, On Being, and Hidden Brain.
Her current projects include a book on loneliness and connection in the digital age, an AI ethics curriculum for schools, and ongoing research on the psychological impact of social media on identity formation in young adults.
Grace lives in Brooklyn, where she can often be found at the farmers market, in the therapy room, or thinking too much about what a particular piece of technology says about what we've lost and what we're still looking for.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), New York State
National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Member
Master of Social Work (MSW), Columbia University School of Social Work
B.A. in Psychology and Media Studies, Vassar College
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy
Narrative Therapy, Dulwich Centre
Technology and Mental Health, Stanford University
American Psychological Association (APA), Affiliate
Society for Humanistic Psychology, Member
Center for Humane Technology, Advisory Council
Grace's therapeutic approach is integrative, drawing on psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and narrative therapy traditions. She believes therapy is both a science and an art, a space where insight, emotion, and relationship come together to create the possibility of change.
Understanding how past experiences, relationships, and unconscious patterns shape present behavior and emotional life.
Exploring the stories we tell about ourselves, where they come from, and how changing the story can change the life.
Recognizing how culture, identity, and social context influence mental health, relationships, and the therapeutic process itself.
Using the therapeutic relationship as a space to understand patterns, practice new ways of being, and experience authentic connection.
Book in Progress
An exploration of why connection feels harder than ever, and what psychology, technology, and culture can teach us about building a less lonely world.
Curriculum Development
A psychologically informed curriculum helping schools navigate AI, digital citizenship, and ethical technology use.
Ongoing Study
Longitudinal research on the impact of social media on identity formation, self-esteem, and relational capacity in young adults.
Workshop Series
Training for clinicians on using narrative approaches to work with clients navigating identity, culture, and change.
For speaking inquiries, media requests, or professional consultation:
[email protected]Grace is currently accepting new clients for individual therapy on a limited basis. Please inquire for availability.