It's Really Not About Us

Maria was born in Poland and migrated to NYC at the age of 3.  She was raised in Brooklyn and carries that as a badge of honor.

Maria attended Hunter College where she graduated with a degree in Sociology.  She then attended LIU Brooklyn and obtained her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling in 2017.  During her time at LIU Brooklyn, she was the campus representative for the American Psychology Association Division 35 Society for the Psychology of Women. Maria was involved in hosting events that help spread awareness for feminist research, theory and education to understand and improve the lives of girls and women in all their diversities. This helped Maria develop her passion towards working with women and women’s issues.

After graduation, Maria was hired as a full time substance abuse counselor at Outreach, where she completed her internship for graduate school. She worked with adults to help them reach their goals in recovery. Maria implemented harm reduction techniques to help promote a more inclusive and realistic approach for treating substance use disorders.  She is determined to approach all her clients by meeting them where they are and empowering them to meet their treatment and therapy goals.

After 3 years, Maria was promoted to Program Coordinator where she was responsible for running Restart Academy, a Department of Education alternative high school for students with substance use and behavioral issues and an after school program for outpatient services for adolescents. Maria enjoyed working and advocating for adolescents and young people. She guided them through different life transitions like: finishing high school, coping with peer pressure and preparing for the next chapters of their lives like college or full time employment.

Maria also supervised new counselors and her approach was always to empower counselors and teach them listen to their “clinical gut”.

Maria is driven by social justice and participated in movements for Black Lives Matter, women’s rights and animal rights. Her approaches in therapy display her commitment to provide an empathic, compassionate and judgement-free space where people from all walks of life can address their emotional issues, life transitions and meet their therapy goals.

When she is not in session, Maria teaches as an adjunct lecturer at Hunger College. She teaches courses like Drugs and Society and the Sociology of Mental Health.  In her free time, Maria loves to re-watch “The Office”, spend time with her two cats Rajah and Stella and try new vegan recipes.

Samuel Gilbert is a licensed psychotherapist based in New York City, earning his Master of Social Work degree magna cum laude from Columbia University. His award-winning scholarship, published in the Columbia University School of Social Work Review, focuses on LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual violence. He has extensive experience working with individuals with a variety of mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, substance use disorder (SUD), addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He also has experience—and specific training—to work with individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.

Samuel takes a holistic approach with his clients. In addition to utilizing evidence-based mental health interventions (e.g. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, etc.), he believes quality sleep, a well-balanced diet, consistent exercise, and one’s spirituality are paramount to the therapeutic process. He is steadfast in working alongside his clients to help each individual, couple, and group develop tools and strategies to achieve their specific goals.

Elizabeth is a licensed psychotherapist working with adolescents and young adults providing both short and long-term therapy. Her goal is to help clients heal, grow, and aim to be the best versions of themselves. She believes that no one has the same story, therefore she meets clients where they are by cultivating a supportive, empathic, and non-judgmental space to listen and then determine what unique steps need to be taken in therapy. Elizabeth prefers to use a strengths-based and humanistic approach in her work and incorporates CBT and DBT techniques as needed.

Her background is in working with children and young adults who have struggled with a variety of difficulties. She offers knowledge and coping skills in anxiety, depression, grief, stress, life transitions, interpersonal relationships, self-esteem, school difficulties, insomnia, attachment, behavioral issues, domestic violence, and more. She earned her master’s degree in social work at NYU and her undergraduate degree at Manhattan College.

Elizabeth values connection, kindness, love, and strength. She believes that everyone has the ability to become the best versions of themselves and that there is always room for growth. Outside of her practice, she enjoys spending time outdoors, pilates, meditation, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Emma Harger is a licensed psychotherapist in New York City. She has extensive experience working with teens and young adults, and greatly enjoys helping them grow and achieve their full potential. Her client-centered approach focuses on meeting individuals where they are and working together to discover clients’ needs and goals. Emma firmly believes that each individual is unique and uses a blend of techniques (cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, narrative therapy, and talk therapy) to tailor her therapeutic approach to each client. She is passionate about human connection and relationships to promote individual understanding, growth, and change.

Outside of work, Emma enjoys being active through cycling, running, and doing yoga. She also enjoys playing classical piano and singing in choirs.

She holds a masters in social work from Columbia University and a bachelors in psychology and German from Carnegie Mellon University.

I am a Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of experience working with adults with a broad range of mental health difficulties, including posttraumatic stress, loss and grief, depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties and more. My area of research and practice expertise has broadly focused on the field of trauma, which often entails working through associated grief, anxiety, mood, identity, and relationship difficulties concurrently.

I bring a down-to-earth, warm, and genuine approach to therapy. My style is open and supportive, committed to providing individuals with a safe space that honors their unique goals and expectations. Through a relationship built on trust, we’ll work together in a space where you feel comfortable to be who you are, helping you find ways to better understand, manage, or move forward from what challenges brought you to therapy. My hope is to make a difference in the life of every individual I work with, and I believe that therapy should not be a one-size-fits-all approach.

I use techniques from cognitive-behavioral, narrative, and relational models of intervention, including mindfulness, and while always incorporating a trauma-informed lens as I tailor the work to meet your unique needs. My clinical style is not to give advice but to support and empower individuals towards their goals with honesty and transparency. This can include developing healthy coping skills, processing grief or trauma from the past or present, exploring what you want in life both professionally and in relationships, and ultimately supporting you to reclaim your power and self-worth.

Artur has been working in the mental health field for several years and holds a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. He has worked with various populations such as those struggling with COVID-19 stress, personality disorders, adjustment disorder, anxiety, depression, body image, relationship issues, and more.

In practice, Artur considers personality, historical context, and the complexities of distress tolerance. His personal experience growing up in several countries has shaped his unbiased views and recognition of alternative perspectives. Everyone is different, and each client deserves the utmost level of attention, responsiveness, and uniquely personalized approach when engaged in treatment.

Artur believes in each person’s unique ability and capacity to overcome their challenges. He uses a person-centered and evidence-based approach to foster curiosity, safety, and openness to growth.

He enjoys spending time with friends, playing video games, basketball, cooking, hiking, and fishing. Artur is proficient at providing psychotherapy in English and Polish.