Meet Ivy.
A little bit about what you can expect working with me as your therapist:
I strive to bring compassion, empathy, and authenticity to our sessions and create a safe, non-judgmental environment for you to be heard. I try to be as human as possible, and will often bring humor into the room. Clients I work with describe me as warm and engaged, yet assertive and challenging when it’s needed. I believe in strong boundaries, and as your therapist, I will put a high priority on yours. That being said, I definitely will bring personality into the room, but in a way that respects the work we are doing. Our work will be an active collaboration since I believe that you are the expert of your own lived experience. No power dynamics here.
While I will strive to deeply understand your inner experience, I will also help bring awareness to unhelpful behavioral tendencies or thinking patterns that you may not be aware of. I will offer potential explanations of your challenges as well as practical skills and action-oriented approaches to help you in achieving your goals.
My background:
I am a licensed Mental Health Counselor with Diagnostic Privilege who earned my Bachelor’s in Psychology from Northeastern University and my Master’s in Mental Health Counseling from Baruch College. I have experience working in various therapeutic settings, including the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital and private practices specializing in addiction, anxiety, depression, trauma, and LGBTQ issues. I have worked with adults from wide and diverse backgrounds. I have completed specialized training in Trauma and am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, allowing me to effectively assess for and treat traumatic stress.
Preferred modalities:
For all clients, I focus on understanding your unique perspective and history to meet you where you are, tailoring a plan to you and your needs. I use an integrative approach mainly rooted in a psychodynamic framework and frequently draw from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal, and mindfulness-based practices. For clients struggling with OCD, I specialize in an ACT/ERP approach. I view mental health from an integrated, holistic lens and recognize the relationship between mind and body so I am a big believer in breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness to assist us while we do this challenging work. If you aren’t a believer, give me a chance to sway you as I was once a skeptic myself!
Clients that are likely a good fit for me:
Even though there has been tremendous diversity among my clients—and I welcome all—I have a special interest in working with adults ranging from 25–50 who struggle with anxiety, may be labeled as "Type A," have perfectionistic tendencies, and find themselves stuck in cycles of overthinking, rumination, or difficulty self-regulating despite appearing high-functioning —or even excelling—to those around them. I also enjoy helping clients heal from trauma, navigate relationship challenges, and build healthier patterns of communication and connection. Additionally, I work with many adult children of parents with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), helping them untangle long-standing relational patterns, strengthen boundaries, and develop a more secure sense of self. Lastly, I enjoy treating individuals with OCD, especially those who have always assumed they "just have anxiety" or are new to understanding OCD, helping them recognize these patterns and break free from cycles of intrusive thoughts, rumination, and compulsive behaviors.