Therapists for college students near New York University

If you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of yourself, you're not alone. As a psychodynamic psychotherapist, I offer a safe and confidential space to explore these challenges and uncover the underlying patterns that may be impacting your well-being. Together, we can delve into your past experiences, understand your current emotional landscape, and build the resilience needed to thrive during this pivotal time in your life.

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.

Psychotherapy is a co-created experience between the therapist and client. For over 20 years I have had the honor of working with people who feel stuck in their lives, whether it be their jobs, their relationships, or perhaps in some part of their identity. By bringing non-judgmental curiosity to our work together, it is my goal to create a safe and welcoming space within which we can explore the patterns of behavior that may not be serving their purpose anymore. I enjoy working with teens and adults, providing them with support to be their most authentic selves. My experience as a middle school counselor afforded me the opportunity to work with children and their families during an often very tumultuous time. It is there that I developed an interest in gender and sexuality development and I have worked with many families whose child has undergone a social transition regarding their gender identity. I consult with schools on how best to support children socially transitioning, and give workshops to teachers & professionals on how to create more inclusive classrooms. I also have extensive experience working with children with learning disabilities. In addition to my work as a clinical social worker, I am a sexuality educator and am pursuing a PhD.

Do you feel exhausted from trying to hold everything together? Maybe you have always been the responsible one or the person others rely on. You pushed through stress, anxiety, and family challenges because you felt like you had to. At first it seemed manageable, but now the pressure feels heavier and harder to carry. On the outside you appear confident and put together. Inside you might feel overwhelmed, burnt out, or worried that you cannot keep this up much longer. Wanting a break does not mean you are failing. It means you are human. I’m Sara, and I help students who are tired of perfectionism, constant pressure, and the weight of expectations. I work with people who want healthier relationships, better communication, and support as they process past experiences that still affect them today. My background includes ACT, CBT, TF-CBT, Brainspotting, and group therapy training, which allows me to tailor our work to what you need. In our sessions, you can expect a warm, honest, and real environment where you can finally let your guard down. I show up as myself so you can feel comfortable showing up as yourself too. You deserve a space where you can put down the pressure you have been carrying and focus on feeling grounded, supported, and hopeful. I am here to help you get there.

I work with a variety of people whose active, creative lives have been interrupted by depression, mania, anxiety, mourning, and trauma. Psychotherapy with me is a process of guided expression. Thoughts and feelings, dreams and fantasies, desires and fears are given voice – loud, clear, and without judgment. The experience of formulating authentic verbal and emotional expressions can be transformative in and of itself. Also, as patterns in your way of being become clear, you can begin to consider alternatives, find courage to change, and experience what is commonly known as freedom. I think mental health means developing a Full Self – a progressive version of you that can love hard and work hard, understand complex motivations, and experience feelings, including painful ones, without being overwhelmed. In this process, I draw from extensive, ongoing training in both psychodynamics and cognitive-behavioral work. My training began in 2005 at Bellevue’s Psychiatric Emergency Room and continued at renowned New York City hospitals and institutions. I’ve been in private practice in Brooklyn since 2011. Also, I was an adjunct professor in a clinical Ph.D. program for many years and supervised trainees at two college clinics and psychiatry residents at Mt. Sinai Hospital. My publications are in the areas of loneliness, personality disorders, and art.

I have experience supporting clients through anxiety, depression, life adjustments, and their interpersonal relationships. My background has equipped me to help individuals navigate these challenges and work towards meaningful change. Throughout our sessions, my goal is to help you feel comfortable being vulnerable and open. By fostering a compassionate and empathetic understanding of yourself, I aim to support you in taking control of your life and finding a path that feels right for you.

I strive to help people understand their emotional and behavioral patterns and work towards behaviors that can generate meaning and purpose. The evidence-based therapies that I use help treat OCD, trauma, anxiety, depression, phobias, eating disorders, and more. I utilize an empathic and nonjudgmental stance, and aim to compassionately recognize the function of behaviors, and why they might make sense in the past and present. The evidence-based practices I use will include learning skills to help foster more flexible and effective responses to painful and difficult thoughts and feelings. I firmly believe in tailoring treatment to meet your unique needs and goals, and believe our collaboration and therapeutic relationship is essential in this process. My hope is that together we can create a space where you can relate differently to painful thoughts and feelings and create change in their presence.

Heart Mind Soul Practice is a boutique psychotherapy practice. Founded on the idea of one person helping another to heal: heart, mind, and soul. Based on the belief that a therapeutic relationship built on a foundation of trust and non-judgmental understanding can foster empowerment and change. Our practice has therapists that specialize in anxiety, depression, eating disorders, grief, ADHD and life transitions.

Dr. Robert Reiner and the team at Behavioral Associates provide expert mental health care for patients of all ages. We specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alone or combined with technology to treat symptoms without depending on medication. Same and next day initial appointments available. Book online today.

At EveryBody Psychotherapy NYC, we believe everyone deserves a space where they feel seen, heard, and supported. Whether you’re navigating body image concerns, identity exploration, trauma, or the challenges of daily life, you don’t have to go through it alone. We offer compassionate, evidence-based therapy for individuals seeking healing, connection, and greater self-trust.

"Samantha Dorazio is a passionate LMHC who received her Master's in Mental Health Counseling at Fordham University. She has a wide array of experience in child welfare, college counseling, and private practice settings. Samantha empowers individuals with empathy, cultivates a safe therapeutic space, and guides clients toward meaningful growth."

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

While some clients enter therapy with specific goals and I am more than willing to be of assistance, I pride myself as a culturally competent and community values forward professional with an understanding that each client has a unique system of support and challenges. My experience has been rather eclectic in terms of population I have worked with, I have come to feel connected to adolescents and immigrants who require specific lens of care. As a bilingual therapist able to provide sessions in Mandarin and English, I am eager to be of support for fellow members of the community who struggle to assimilate or navigate in the metropolitan NYC area. I have more than 8 years of experience in outpatient mental health settings, half of which was spent as a case manager specialist and more than four years of experience as a clinician. I have worked closely and successfully with individuals, families, couples and groups across all ages and backgrounds. As an immigrant, queer woman of color, I find myself to be able to compassionately provide a mirroring comfort for clients of all identities but especially those who might share similar identities as me. I have found my clinical approach to blend from Gestalt, person-in-environment approach, and trauma informed lens. Throughout treatment, I also utilize a variety of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) interventions when skills training is in order and my style can be described as motivational but compassionate. My past clients know me well to be able to match their pace, using various analogies and references from books I am reading and humor to get to know them. I graduated from UGA with an undergrad Bachelor of Science from UGA in 2016 with two years of research experience during that time and received my master’s in social work from NYU Silver in 2020 with specialized training in community leadership. During my time as a mental health case manager, I have completed training in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) motivational interviewing. In my previous clinical position as a LMSW, I received my Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) training certificate in 2021, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills training in 2024, and my Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in 2025.

I enjoy working with college students. It is so much wiser to try and get hold of whatever issues you are struggling with earlier in life, rather than later, as problems can repeat themselves and really become entrenched, causing you pain and needless suffering. In addition, opening yourself to another person and focusing on what hurts often takes courage. My college age patients are often dealing with relationship changes, a changing sense of personal identity (sexual or in terms of sense of who I am or who I am becoming), concerns about study pressures or dynamics within friend groups or the dorm. Issues with your family at home can also be bothering you. Whatever your needs, I am comfortable defining exactly what they are, working with you to figure out what you need, and doing my best to get you on your way feeling that you've been helped and you possess the tools to keep going with confidence.

Making the choice to enter therapy is one that is unique to each person. You might be experiencing a moment of crisis or loss, or struggling with moving through a life transition or change. Perhaps you are seeking therapy to overcome a sense of feeling "stuck" in your career, location, relationship—or because you are interested in alleviating feelings of anxiety or depression. Regardless of the reasons that have brought you here, you will be beginning a journey in a warm, safe, and compassionate space that will allow you to make positive change, improve connections and regenerate a sense of contentment and access to joy. Therapy will create the opportunity to identify patterns and behaviors that serve as obstacles and overcome them in order to achieve goals and progress forward.

Dr. Erica Lee (she/her) is a board certified child and adult integrative psychiatrist and psychotherapist. She received her MD from Brown University in Providence, RI, completed her adult psychiatry residency at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School, and completed child psychiatry fellowship training at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. She has intensively trained in a variety of psychotherapies including DBT and psychodynamic therapy and her approach is warm, relational, and insight oriented. She specializes in work with teenagers and young adults in competitive school or work environments. She sees patients in person in Manhattan and virtually across NY. Dr. Lee enjoys helping students navigate life transitions, traumatic events, being neurodiverse in competitive academic environments, and integrate these experiences into their identity. She enjoys working with patients with a diverse range of identities and abilities and has worked closely with Asian and Asian American students. She also helps patients with symptoms of ADHD, PTSD, OCD, and anxiety disorders. She provides psychiatric sessions offering not only medication management but also collaboration on lifestyle interventions and supplementation as well as humanistic psychotherapy.

We believe in therapy that empowers individuals to make meaningful changes and lead fulfilling lives. City Center Psychotherapy is a group private practice in Midtown, New York City founded by Dr. Andrew B. Schmidt, PhD, LCSW-R , Professor and Director of New York University’s Post-Masters CBT Certificate Program. Dr. Schmidt leads a team of highly skilled clinicians who specialize in the treatment of OCD, Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma, in addition to their own unique areas of expertise. City Center Psychotherapy prioritizes collaborative treatment planning, active problem-solving, and a warm, supportive environment that facilitates change at a pace that feels right for you.

My work in counseling psychology emerged from being an artist. While earning my BFA at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, I was invited into my colleagues’ lives and learned to share their experiences through their lenses and perceptions. Graduate training at NYU sharpened this insight to bring a unique perspective to the therapeutic process. I provide feedback and reflection—infused with a dose of humor—in a warm, safe, and trusting atmosphere. My approach is both interactive and direct. I ask my clients to challenge themselves to be completely open and honest and share in a way that might feel like they’re ‘telling on themselves.’ Significant change and healing can only really begin with the whole truth. Believing strongly that the integration between mind and body leads to greater mental health, I encourage clients to incorporate physical activity and other treatment modalities: yoga, art, working out, running, massage, pets, acupuncture, meditation, medication, vacation, etc.

I am a psychologist licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Michigan providing individual and couples therapy to adults, in-person and via tele-health. I have experience working with clients with a wide variety of presenting concerns, including depression, anxiety, concerns related to gender/sexuality, substance use/addiction, trauma/PTSD, relationship difficulties, and major life transitions. I particularly enjoy working with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, young professionals, and artists. My approach to therapy is warm and active, prioritizing curiosity, care, and collaboration. Together, we'll tailor a treatment to meet your unique needs. I work primarily from a relational psychodynamic perspective. I also integrate from my extensive training in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, trauma-focused approaches, and integrative harm reduction psychotherapy for individuals who are interested in better understanding or moderating their relationship with alcohol or substances. I'm aware that reaching out for help can be difficult. My goal is to ease this transition. I'll strive to meet you where you are without judgment, balancing deep listening with interactive engagement. Ultimately, I hope therapy can be practical and provide you with some relief. To see if we might be a good match, please reach out for a brief consultation.

Michael is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over five years of experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds in New York. He is especially passionate about supporting clients navigating stress, anxiety, relationships, identity, and major life transitions—common during college and early adulthood. As a Latino clinician who is fluent in Spanish, he understands how stigma around mental health can make it difficult to take that first step. Michael focuses on creating a comfortable, nonjudgmental space where you can be yourself. He takes a warm, collaborative approach, helping clients gain clarity, build insight, and work through challenges at their own pace. His approach is flexible and tailored to each individual, drawing from person-centered and cognitive-behavioral therapy. If you’ve been unsure about starting therapy, it can help to begin with just one session and see how it feels.