Limor Weinstein of BeSpoke Changing The Way We Look at Mental Illness

Limor is a Licensed Psychotherapist and an Eating Disorder Specialist practicing in New York City. Limor received her first Masters in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and her second Masters in Mental Health Counseling from the City University of New York.

She also obtained advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing, all of which are evidence-based techniques used to help individuals overcome various psychological disorders.

Limor Weinstein of BeSpoke Changing The Way We Look at Mental Illness

Through her personal and professional experiences, Limor developed the KARMA Method, a structured five-step program that serves as the signature coaching method of Bespoke Wellness Partners. Limor’s extreme passion for the prevention of mental illness and the promotion of wellness led her on her journey to found and direct Bespoke Wellness Partners.

​As a mother of three and a psychotherapist, Limor has dedicated her life to helping others navigate their way through the personal challenges and behaviors that inhibit happiness and harmony in their lives.

Originally from Israel, Limor credits her strong sense of purpose, discipline, and values to her experience living on a Kibbutz as an adolescent during her own family struggles, along with her service as a commander in the Israeli military.

Twenty years of experience in childcare fueled her desire to promote healthy, collaborative care for individuals and families in need of guidance. Limor’s approach has a strong focus on openness, communication, and positive feedback. She is committed to cultivating happier, healthier lifestyles and stronger, more productive relationships between family members. 

Can you share with our readers how you started your company and the mission behind it?

I started my company two years ago but I had been dreaming and developing the concept for several years. I knew that in order to help individuals and families who are struggling with various mental illnesses, specifically teenagers dealing with eating disorders, there was a need for a collaborative team that shares the same mission and passion. The mission of my company is the prevention of mental illness and the promotion of wellness in teenagers and families.

Back in 2015, I started my first company called LW Wellness, which was a family concierge agency. The concept was a little different in that I included an extensive range of professionals such as therapists, dietitians, sleep specialists, tutors, and a lot of other providers that supported the family in various ways. While I enjoyed building the company, I learned it was too broad of a focus.

I’ve always known that working with teenagers was my true passion because it takes a very specific attitude and personality as well as a specialized skill set to be able to connect with, and ultimately help, this age group.

I also experienced great frustration as a teenager not being able to find a good therapist that I was able to connect with, and then again when I was seeking a therapist for my own teen daughter, I had a very difficult time finding one that she felt comfortable seeing. I realized that this is a challenge for many parents and there was a big need for a practice that focused specifically on the teen population.

The first thing I did was come up with a streamlined, written-down version of the concept and then I shared it with three people who I trust and value their opinion. It took me a while to find the right space because I wanted an environment that was similar to home—one that was designed specifically to be a warm and welcoming environment.

It was also very challenging to find the right people to work with, especially because this was all happening during Covid. I faced a lot of setbacks, like my two full-time employees moving shortly after we opened.

One of the key people who help me tremendously with the business and financial side of things, in addition to always supporting me with positive feedback, is my CFO, Matt Perry. Building both of my companies wouldn’t have been possible without his expertise and support and I’m extremely grateful to have him as my trusted person.

 What makes your company stand out from others that are in your space?

Several things make my company stand out. First, Bespoke Wellness Partners is the first teen and family wellness practice that includes several types of key professionals who can help the family in various ways.

Second, all of our clinicians use a unique therapeutics method that I have developed and researched for the past 10 years. The method is called Karma Coaching, and in essence, it’s a process for therapy that includes evidence-based skills that can help clients not just express their thoughts and feelings but also develop concrete tools that can help them put these skills into practice in everyday life.

The process is made of five steps: Knowledge/Awareness, Acceptance, Releasing the Past, Meaning, and Authenticity. The process is not linear, but these steps are all vital. Another thing that is extremely unique is that we personalize or tailor the therapy to each individual. If for example, we have a client who expresses herself using writing or music, our therapist will utilize those client’s specific strengths in therapy.

Most of the techniques that are used at Bespoke are evidence-based and proven to help individuals overcome challenges. Our team as a whole is very collaborative. It includes a medical doctor and we communicate on a regular basis to help ensure that the clients’ needs are being met in a timely manner.

At Bespoke, we look at the individual in a very holistic way and try to get to the bottom of what is happening by addressing wide-ranging issues and collaborating with multiple professionals who specialize in eating disorders.

Finally, we are motivated by love and the power of the community. Bespoke Wellness is a safe space to deal with mental illness, one that is free of judgment and focuses on growth and progress with positive energy.

We focus more on quality versus quantity. We have a way to quantify the progress of our clients by measuring the starting point and checking in regularly to evaluate negative behaviors and identify where/how they present themselves in an individual’s life.

During the pandemic many people lost their jobs and livelihood, how did your company adapt and pivot during this time to be what it is today? 

I opened the door to Bespoke Wellness Partners on March 14, which was the day before everything shut down in NYC. While initially, I was in a very difficult situation, I also became extremely busy quite quickly as people were dealing with more and more psychological issues related to the pandemic.

While I believe that therapy is best done in person, Zoom provided an excellent alternative to those who were struggling and needed immediate attention. For so many people, meeting virtually became super-efficient and that’s not just because they had direct access to therapy but also because of how convenient it is.

The pandemic changed the way that therapy is done, and our practice was able to pivot to provide therapy in whatever way made the most sense for the individual. However, since the majority of my practice and the focus is on teenagers, it was a challenge for a lot of clients to see our clinicians virtually because of privacy (it can be difficult to find a quiet space away from parents and family when you are a teen stuck at home).

Today, most of our clients come to the office. Still, the flexibility of seeing clients virtually allowed me to hire more clinicians and serve more individuals and families, based on the channel of therapy our clients preferred.

If you could go back and talk to your younger self what would you tell him and why?  

I would tell my younger self to believe in herself more. Don’t hold your dreams for anybody else and trust that you can achieve your goals without attaching yourself to anyone else.

Don’t compromise your values and don’t let fear keep you from moving forward. I would also tell my younger self to realize that she has full control over what she is telling herself, which in turn, will affect her feelings and reduce the negative behaviors. Don’t compare yourself to others and allow others to affect your decisions. Let passion serve as your guide. 

Most importantly, I would tell my younger self that she is loved and that she can love and accept herself and be her unique self.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? 

 One of the most exciting projects I am working on besides continuing to invest in Bespoke Wellness Partners is finalizing my memoir, titled Digesting Life, in which I detail how using the therapeutic method that I have developed and researched for the past 10 years helped me overcome eating disorders that I struggled with for more than a decade.

I have been writing and rewriting my memoir for the past 25 years and it has gone through so many revisions. I realized after reading a lot of other people’s memoirs that for me, what was often missing was a concrete guide that I could follow to achieve what the narrator achieved. It wasn’t clear to me what exactly they did and what skills helped them feel better or learn to think in a new way or get through whatever they were going through.

When I reflected back on my experiences and tried to think about what I went through in order to recover from my eating disorders, I realized that I went through five big steps that allowed me to get to a better place. I also realized a very important thing that is missing from therapy is having some sort of a process that individuals can go through in their own unique way to organize what is happening internally for them and have a better understanding.

As I progressed with my education and specialized training, I acquired a lot of different skills that helped in my own journey and with my own struggles. I ended up including a lot of these different skills within the five steps I identify in my memoir and created a 12-week program that is not linear but is personalized to each individual.

I piloted this program with 100 individuals, and because I included a wellness test at the beginning of the program and at the end, I was able to prove that people who went through therapy in a more organized way and were able to develop several concrete crucial life skills felt anywhere from 10-55% better by the end of the 12 weeks.

The final product of all of this was a workbook that has a printed version as well as an online version, and in the near future, it will become a coaching method that individuals will be able to buy and work on independently.

Another related exciting project that I’ve been working on is incorporating my therapeutic method in schools. A lot of the skills that helped me and many individuals I’ve worked with are basic life skills that I know can help younger kids, which will help prevent mental illnesses in the first place.

While I love and enjoy working with individuals who are experiencing mental illness, I realized that by incorporating skills in schools and making them simple to understand and use, I will be able to help prevent mental illness and promote wellness on a much larger scale, which is my biggest mission and passion. 

Where do you see your company going in this new year and in the future? 

 This year, I see my company growing with more groups and mentoring programs. Specifically, I want the teenagers we work with to learn how to use the skills we promote, with the goal being to have them become ambassadors in their own schools and help spread Bespoke’s passion and mission.

I know that when teenagers view mental illness in a less negative way and participate in a mental health practice they have the power to help destigmatize mental illness and share that important message with other teens. My goal is to open a couple of more branches of Bespoke in New York and then continue to other locations. 

How can our readers connect with you on social media?  

@bespokewellnesspartners

@limorweinstein

Facebook Bespoke Wellness Partners 

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