Therapists for college students near New York University

Alyssa utilizes a holistic approach to therapy by incorporating the mind-body connection in her work. She combines complementary methodologies and techniques that can be tailored to meet the needs and goals of each individual. Alyssa also draws upon her extensive training and experience in mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (MBCBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Having worked with a diverse clientele in a range of settings, including hospitals, substance-abuse treatment centers, and schools, she has honed these skills to help her clients manage anxiety, depression, self-esteem and body image issues as well as substance abuse concerns. Alyssa earned a Masters in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness from New York University and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of New York.

I've had meaningful experience working with patients struggling with substance use, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. These challenges often overlap and can show up as feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or not quite like yourself. I focus on helping patients understand what they're experiencing, such as differentiating intrusive thoughts from more severe conditions, which often reduces fear and improves engagement in treatment. I also work well with individuals who feel stuck in cycles of rumination, avoidance, or emotional dysregulation, helping them build insight and develop more effective ways to cope and function day to day. I’m most passionate about making mental healthcare more approachable, especially for LGBTQ+ individuals and underserved communities who often face added barriers, stigma, or lack of access to care. I find it meaningful to create a space that feels safe, affirming, and non-judgmental, where people can be fully themselves. My hope is that you feel comfortable being honest, even about things that are hard to say, and that over time you gain a clearer understanding of yourself, feel more in control of your thoughts and emotions, and build confidence in navigating your life.

The clients with whom I work tend to seek a better understanding of their coping mechanisms, relationship patterns, and self-limiting beliefs. I often work with college and graduate students that struggle with negative beliefs related to their capabilities and worthiness. I help clients to explore how past experiences have contributed to developing coping mechanisms, such as persistent worry, perfectionistic tendencies, and hypervigilance in social situations, that may have been helpful in the past but are no longer serving them in the present.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than ten years of experience, I work with adults navigating depression, anxiety, identity questions, attachment concerns, relationship challenges, and other personal and relational difficulties. My work is grounded in meeting you exactly where you are, honoring what you've lived through, and helping you move toward a greater sense of wholeness. Whatever brings you to therapy, you can expect a partner who is both competent and genuinely invested in your healing. I believe that when people feel truly accepted, they can begin to understand the challenges they face and find their way toward a greater inner healing. I look forward to walking that journey together with you. Healing the self so that you achieve a fuller and more realized life is what drives my work. That conviction is what draws me to psychodynamic therapy, which uses the relationship between therapist and patient as a meaningful vehicle for change. When the therapeutic relationship itself feels safe and honest, real transformation becomes possible. Within that relational foundation, I draw from a range of approaches to meet your individual needs, including person-centered therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and supportive therapy. The modalities that guide our sessions will always be chosen based on your unique story, family history, and cultural background. My style is open, honest, and respectful, and the environment I aim to create is one where you feel seen, not categorized. What you bring into the room shapes where we go together. My path to becoming a therapist began with a population I care about deeply: poor and marginalized immigrants who needed counseling in their own language, often Spanish, and who found it difficult to transition from speaking with a clergyman to speaking with a psychotherapist. As a Franciscan Priest, I recognized that I could bridge that gap, and so I pursued licensure as a clinical social worker specifically to serve that community. This experience deepened my commitment to culturally sensitive, person-centered care and instilled in me a profound respect for the role of spirituality and culture in a person's inner life. Every patient I work with today benefits from that awareness — an understanding that healing doesn't happen in isolation from who someone is, where they come from, or what gives their life meaning. Deepening my spiritual life is something I return to regularly, alongside time shared with friends over a good meal. Staying physically active each week is also important to me, a practice I find as grounding as it is energizing.

There are times when we ask ourselves questions we feel we have no answers to: "Why am I not happy?", "How do I improve my life?" and "Will I ever find a solution to this problem that is consistent and stressful?". Have hope! The answers are there inside of you, waiting to be discovered. I strive to support my clients without judgement, challenging those who are ready to explore themes of personal responsibility, meaning, and resolution. Through genuine client/therapist interactions, the emotional impact of trauma, loss, depression, and/or anxiety can be relieved, and answers found. I have a wide range of experience in helping those who may be suffering from anxiety, depression, trauma, or life transitions. Working with older adolescents to older adults, I find that combining a person-centered therapy model with CBT, Gestalt, and Mindfulness interventions can be especially helpful. It is my belief that therapy should be an experience of thoughtfulness, reflection and discovery. In-the-moment therapeutic experiments, music therapy, and artistic mindfulness are all tools that can be used to stir the creative process towards finding the answers one is looking for, and the journey thereafter.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Finding the right therapist matters, and starting therapy can feel vulnerable. I aim to create a warm, supportive space where you feel understood, respected, and empowered. My goal is for therapy to be both practical and reflective—a place for insight, growth, and genuine change. I’m a licensed clinical psychologist working with individuals navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, emotion dysregulation, increased stress, and life transitions. I work with individuals at different stages of life, including adults, adolescents, and children, and I also support parents as they navigate their own challenges and transitions. My approach to therapy is collaborative, flexible, and grounded in evidence-based practices, including CBT and DBT. I believe therapy should move at a pace that honors where you are and what you’re ready for. Together, we’ll explore how your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors connect, and work toward changes that feel both meaningful and sustainable. My background: I earned my doctorate degree (PsyD) in Combined School and Clinical Psychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University. My professional experiences include work in community mental health, college counseling, and private practice settings, where I’ve provided evidence-based treatment to individuals across the lifespan. I also have experience supervising PhD/PsyD students and post-doctoral fellows.

You may be seeking therapy to understand yourself better, express yourself more authentically, build stronger social connections, or get through a big life transition. As you navigate high-pressure challenges in school, work, or relationships, you want practical strategies to communicate and move ahead more confidently and authentically, and strengthen your sense of self. Our work - whether it's short-term or ongoing - will be collaborative and goal-oriented. I work across the lifespan, and have openings for therapy, parent support/consultation, and adult autism assessments. You'll find my approach to be strengths-focused, neuroaffirmative, and trauma-informed, and to involve a lot of self-compassion.

I work with clients feeling stuck in anxiety, depression, or self-doubt, especially during college life adjustments, life changes or relationship challenges. Many share feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure how to express their needs. I provide a supportive space to explore feelings, build clarity and confidence, and develop tools for emotional balance. I'd be honored to support your journey.

Are you or a loved one feeling stuck – uncertain about navigating changes in your life, how you see yourself, or how to reconnect with those close to you? When we feel stuck, taking steps forward can feel like a monumental task. We can work together to break down your thoughts and uncertainties, determine the best way forward, and put practical strategies into action, to empower you to create the life you want for yourself. In me, you’ll have a collaborator who will follow your lead and ensure you feel you heard but will be willing to challenge you and continue to motivate you towards achieving your goals. Therapy with me involves weaving together practical skill-building and evidence-based strategies to help you achieve your individualized goals. I work with individuals experiencing difficult life transitions at work, at home, or at school. Through individual, parent, or family sessions, we will untangle your thoughts, improve your self-esteem, and take tangible steps towards sustainable change. Neurodiversity (Autism & ADHD) affirming and LGBTQ+ friendly, I always take a person-centric approach. When you have a better understanding of who you are and what you want, your goals will feel attainable. Everyone has the ability to move past the struggles they’re experiencing, and together we can create solutions and develop skills to build long-term happiness. If you’re ready to learn how we can work together, email or call me for a 15-minute consultation.

During college, it's not unusual to feel overwhelmed. Perhaps you want closer friendships. Maybe you get anxious when you talk to new people, or you feel lonely or down. Maybe you're falling back into a familiar depression or returning to high levels of anxiety you hoped wouldn't follow you to college. It can be hard to think about going to therapy when you don't even know what you'd say. If you feel badly about yourself or you feel hopeless, it might be hard to think anything will help. You are not alone. You don't have to have the answers. Listening compassionately, I will invite you to bring your experience into the room. Together, we can collaborate to better understand you and the challenges you're confronting. We may discover unmourned losses or unhealed wounds. We may identify recurring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and interactions that may not be serving you anymore. Experiencing a greater emotional range, you can begin to heal. After working in university counseling centers for over 15 years, I now see many undergraduate and graduate students in private practice. I enjoy working both with students who are new to psychotherapy as well as those who have been in therapy previously. Many students I work with are LGBTQIA+/ queer students.

Finding the right therapist matters — and here's what sets my approach apart. I combine psychodynamic therapy, CBT, mindfulness, and self-compassion into a practical, personalized framework refined over more than 10 years of clinical experience working with high-achievers. I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach; you are the expert on your own life. I understand firsthand the pressure to perform, the fear of falling short, and the burnout that comes from relentlessly pushing yourself. I'm not just familiar with those experiences clinically; I've lived them. My clients tell me they appreciate that I'm direct, warm, and genuinely collaborative — that sessions feel both supportive and productive. All sessions are available online, so getting consistent support fits into even the most demanding schedule. If you're ready to stop white-knuckling your way through and start building something that actually feels sustainable, I'd love to connect. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation at susanpodbielski.com — no pressure, just a conversation.

Mind & Body Garden Psychology is one of the largest multilingual mental health clinics in the US, with 30+ psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, etc., and other satellite offices in New York and California. We provide a variety of services. We offer help to individuals, couples, and children for challenges such as insomnia, anxiety, school performance, depression, life transitions, traumatic stress, relationship challenges, sex therapy, sleep coaching, art therapy, etc. Our practice provides low-fee services to students, and some of our providers accept insurance. 我们是执照心理学家/心理医生团队，我们提供高质量的心理咨询服务，心理测评服务，和药物治疗服务。例如，失眠，焦虑，抑郁，学业压力，夫妻感情，亲密关系，家庭关系，注意力问题，性向困惑等等。欢迎来电垂询: (917) 730-1826。

As a social worker and psychotherapist with 8 years of experience, I offer collaborative, open, and nonjudgmental care for people interested in coming into deeper relationships with their full selves. I particularly enjoy working with caregivers, artists, neurodivergent individuals, LGBTQ+ folks, and creative people who are navigating questions about identity, relationships, and belonging. Many come to therapy burdened by beliefs that stem from systemic oppression, trauma, or early relational experiences. They may struggle with anxiety, self-doubt, dissociation, or the pressure to care for others at the expense of themselves. They’re looking for a space where they can slow down, tune-in, and make sense of their inner world. Their goals may include building more authentic relationships, developing greater self-compassion, and finding ways to live and create in a more full and embodied way. If this resonates with your search for greater mental wellness, please reach out today. I look forward to building a connection as your honest and participatory partner, embarking on this journey together through a systems-based and anti-oppressive lens tailored to your unique strengths and desires for change. I offer a therapeutic holding environment grounded in careful listening, curiosity, and the shared messiness and delight of being human. My work is relational and psychodynamic, meaning we explore how past and present relationships shape our emotional lives while working together toward deeper self-understanding, greater self-compassion, and more freedom in how you relate to yourself and others. Therapy with me makes room for opposites – we can acknowledge the patterns that helped you survive, and that they might be causing you difficulty right now. We can hold grief and hope in the same hour. And, we can move slowly and intentionally through these contradictions together. I am dedicated to bringing warmth, honesty, and a bit of humor into the room as we explore these patterns and emotions, including how they show up between us and in the words you choose. While we do this deeper work, I integrate Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to support you in concretely managing day-to-day challenges and holding the immense complexity this world has to offer us. My path to becoming a therapist began with providing home visits to LGBTQ+ older adults. In this work, I became familiar with the unique challenges and resiliencies that queer people and communities build over their lifespans. This experience deepened my commitment to providing open, nonjudgemental, and trauma-informed care. This is assured by listening with a careful presence that is affirming of kink, sex work, and polyamory in every session. In my free time, I love expressing my creative side through crafts like knitting and embroidery, reading, and cooking. I also enjoy spending time with my foster cats!

With warm greetings, I inform that as a Clinical Psychologist, my mission is to guide you towards identifying and achieving your highest standard of excellence, as you reach and learn to believe and come to love your best self along the way. With that will come the capacity to successfully negotiate interpersonal, work life and family relationships, affording you meaningful and enduring connections, novel inspirations, motivating aspirations and opportunities for enhanced happiness and fulfillment. Together we will walk paths as a confident, bold, yet gentle spirit within you cultivates loving words and acts, ambitions and realizations. It will be my honor and privilege to serve you. I am a North American born NYS Licensed Psychologist with an array of international education and work experiences. I hold a PhD in Clinical Psychology and a four year postdoctoral specialization in Frommian Psychoanalysis. I have lived and worked in both Europe and Mexico, as well as in the USA and have treated a wide variety of culturally, ethnically, racially, religiously and linguistically diverse populations, as well as in age and symptom particularities. I am happy to provide culturally competent services to racially, ethnically, religiously and linguistically diverse populations. Amongst these are Latino, African-American, African, Native American, Asian, Middle Eastern, European, Jewish and those of other racial or ethnic backgrounds. To that end, in addition to English, I speak Spanish, Italian and French. I treat mainly adult and geriatric populations representing both diversity in age and symptom/diagnostic presentation. In terms of hobbies and leanings, I enjoy cultural pursuits: art, music, literature, dance and multicultural settings. I have worked in psychiatric hospitals and hospitals dedicated to medical illnesses wherein psychological problems are etiologically related to the disease in question, or are secondary to them. I have also worked in private practice spanning my professional career and in the corporate sector. I am passionate about my profession and understanding the many routes to discover the unknown and the truth. My interest is mission driven relating to a drive to help by activating one’s finer qualities and inspiring clients to speak to life with a higher voice. Languages: English, Spanish, Italian and French

Times of transition are exciting and challenging. Starting something new, moving through inflection points in your education and career, preparing for completion and uncertainty while you figure out what's next, are all important processes everyone hopes will go smoothly - but sometimes they can feel rocky. Even good changes or subtle shifts can feel unsettling, especially for highly sensitive people. If social, academic or emotional / mental health issues are stressing you and making it hard to feel confident and supported in working towards your goals, therapy can be a great tool to help increase understanding about "how it all works" and get support in developing patience and progress towards deepening clarity and commitment to your goals. Anxieties, insecurity, depression, difficult patterns in relationships or work, and problems focusing can be understood and changed, so you have more energy and confidence to devote to living. Become more connected to yourself and others through a specialized process of exploration with a trained professional, and see a difference in your life. A therapist’s expertise and experience are very important, but the *key* ingredient of effective therapy is a “good fit” between you and your therapist. If you’d like to meet and see how it would be to work together, I would be pleased to hear from you. Beginning work as a psychotherapist in clinic settings in 1995, I opened my private practice in 2002. I received my Master’s Degree in Social Work from New York University, am a New York City based Licensed Clinical Social Worker (licensed in New York and New Jersey), and earned a certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the NYFS Institute.

Our group is somewhat unique in that we are experiential therapists. This means that in addition to addressing emotions, beliefs, and thoughts, we also incorporate the body, brain and nervous system into our therapy. We help people learn somatic techniques for settling anxiety and building more regulation. We are all trauma-trained, gentle, and nonjudgmental therapists who value the client-therapist relationship and can provide support for navigating early adulthood, independence/dependence, relationships, and adjustment to college.

I work with high-functioning accomplished adults and college students who suffer from anxiety, depression, and trauma-related discomfort. Although my clients have generally achieved success and stability through their careers and academic accomplishments, they have become alienated from their need for connectedness and authentic relationships. This alienation commonly expresses itself as free-floating anxiety, and/or troubling interpersonal relationships (such as unsatisfying romantic relationships, toxic friendships, or workplace conflict). The roots of these experiences are often found in maladaptive coping mechanisms that worked for my clients earlier in life but limit them in the present. I help my clients reflect on their interpersonal relationships, focusing on how clients unconsciously cultivate relationships into re-enactments of painful earlier experiences. I also guide clients through the exploration of their relationships with themselves, identifying negative self-talk and self-sabotaging behaviors that hold them back from achieving their goals and experiencing profound satisfaction. Further, I use my human resources experience to coach patients through workplace conflicts/conflict resolution, communication roadblocks, and time management challenges. Bringing these various elements together, I guide my patients to live a life that is more satisfying and meaningful. I also help clients who have suffered through trauma (including intergenerational trauma) process painful material using EMDR.

As a Licensed Master Social Worker, I’m drawn to working with thoughtful, self-aware individuals who are struggling internally, whether with overthinking, perfectionism, people-pleasing, loneliness, or a persistent sense of not fully belonging. You may feel overwhelmed or disconnected from yourself, or caught in patterns that no longer feel sustainable. You may be navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, identity exploration, or a major life transition. Whatever brings you here, our work together won't stop at symptom relief. My goal is to create an environment where you feel comfortable showing up as you are, without judgment, pressure, or the need to have everything figured out. This collaborative approach is designed to help you feel more grounded, more authentic, and safer within yourself, so you can engage with life in a fuller and more meaningful way. Beginning therapy takes real courage, and I don't take that lightly. My hope is that you leave each session feeling less alone in your experiences, and more able to approach yourself with curiosity, compassion, and honesty over time. Therapy, at its best, is a space not only for symptom relief but also for deeper self-understanding and more meaningful connection with yourself and others. My approach is relational and psychodynamic at its core, drawing on Mindfulness-based practices, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT)-informed methods when they're useful. What that looks like in practice is a conversation that moves at your pace, exploring both present-day concerns and the deeper relational history, patterns, and dynamics shaping the way you understand yourself and move through the world. Together, we may look at questions of identity and belonging, the parts of yourself that seek connection or protection, and the emotional themes running quietly beneath the surface. Working with me tends to feel collaborative, reflective, and warm. My style is curious rather than clinical: I pay close attention not just to what you're going through, but to the larger patterns that may exist underneath it. Informed by an interest in psychoanalysis, mindfulness, and the ways language and storytelling help us make sense of our lives, I approach every person through an intersectional and culturally aware lens, recognizing how identity, family systems, culture, and larger social forces shape how we relate and move through the world. Every approach is tailored to your unique needs and goals, balancing insight-oriented exploration with practical support wherever it's helpful. My path toward becoming a therapist grew out of a deep curiosity about people, relationships, and the ways we learn to adapt to difficult experiences. Over time, I became especially interested in the inner worlds people carry beneath the surface – the parts of ourselves that often remain unspoken, misunderstood, or difficult to put into words. Having lived between different cultures myself, I am especially curious about the ways people search for belonging and make sense of what it means to feel at home, whether that home is found in a place, a language, a relationship, a community, or within themselves. These experiences deepened my belief that healing often begins when we feel genuinely understood and less alone in the parts of ourselves we may have carried quietly for a long time. I believe there is something deeply healing about being able to explore your inner world in the presence of someone who is truly listening and trying to understand. In my free time, I enjoy running, yoga, meditation, strength training, hiking, reading, and traveling. I love long walks through New York City, discovering new coffee shops and restaurants, attending lectures and theater performances, and having thoughtful conversations with friends. I’m most drawn to spaces that feel thoughtful, creative, and intellectually alive.

If you have ever said, "I did everything right, how could this have happened?" I'm here for you. I help high achieving, successful people navigate the shock and struggle of major life transitions to regain joy, peace, insight and understanding. With you guiding, we work together to better relationships, improve communication, and heal traumas. Central to my work is for us to have "goodness of fit"; so you feel safe and manifest your best potential. I treat: high stress, loss, grief, transitioning to new situations, and trauma. I'm your GPS system to improved wellness.