10 Best Trauma Therapists in NYC
Specialized trauma therapy for individuals and families in New York
Living in New York City, life moves fast, but trauma can stop you in your tracks. You are jogging down the stairs to the subway, and suddenly, out of nowhere, your brain flashes to the traumatic memories of the worst experience of your life. Or you're walking down a crowded sidewalk and your chest gets tight and you start having a panic attack in public. Or you haven't been to what used to be your favorite neighborhood in months because of what happened there. Or maybe your trauma symptoms are more internalized - like avoiding thinking about it at all, feeling totally disconnected from the world around you, or trouble sleeping most nights.
Trauma can be caused by a number of shocking, scary, or dangerous events. These events could have occurred long ago, even back to childhood, or more recently, and can include childhood abuse, violence, abuse or loss, domestic violence, childhood trauma, a natural disaster, or even exposure to long-term stress. Symptoms of trauma can vary widely, but common ones include:
Flashbacks or intrusive memories
Nightmares or difficulty sleeping
Emotional numbness or detachment
Hypervigilance (being on constant alert)
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Anxiety, panic attacks, or overwhelming fear
Irritability or sudden outbursts of anger, or intense feelings
Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
Physical symptoms like headaches or stomach aches
Feelings of shame, guilt, or self-blame
Difficulty trusting others or forming relationships
Depression or persistent sadness
Painful feelings
Low self-esteem or feelings of hopelessness
Dissociation (feeling disconnected from yourself or surroundings)
These symptoms can range in intensity from mild to severe trauma symptoms, and may interfere with daily life, relationships, and overall well-being. However, therapy offers hope and healing. At the New York City Psychotherapy Collective, our trauma therapists are here to guide you through this process. By working with a trained mental health professional, you can start your journey to trauma recovery.
About the New York City Psychotherapy Collective
Trauma can be an overwhelming and isolating experience, but you don't have to face it alone. Our team specializes in treating trauma in New York for individuals and families, offering personalized care to address your unique needs. We use evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, and Somatic Therapy to help you process and overcome your past traumatic experiences.
At New York City Psychotherapy Collective, our goal is simple: to help you reclaim control of your life. Trauma doesn't define you, and together, we can create a future that isn’t dominated by it.
New York City Psychotherapy Collective is a boutique private therapy practice specializing in telehealth to support our clients at all stages of their healing journey. Our practice is grounded in empathy, understanding, and respect. We believe that every person deserves to be heard and supported, especially navigating the challenging conversations about and healing from trauma. Our therapists are trained in a range of therapeutic modalities to ensure you receive the care best suited to your needs and the most effective treatment for your specific symptoms. Our therapeutic approach is to prioritize the therapeutic relationship above all else, and match you with the right therapist for your specific life experiences.
10 highly recommended trauma & PTSD therapists in NYC
We’re proud to introduce our trauma therapists, each bringing unique skills and perspectives to help you on your healing journey. Our team is experienced in treating various forms of trauma, including PTSD, childhood abuse, and complex trauma. All of our therapists use evidence based treatment to build coping strategies in your healing process, and each therapist takes a holistic approach to your mental health counseling experience. Our extensively trained, expert therapists treat trauma by creating a safe environment, understanding your family dynamics, unpacking your traumatic experience, helping you learn strategies to increase your self compassion, teaching you relaxation methods, and providing you with evidence based approaches so that you can feel confident that the benefits of your trauma therapy will be safe, effective, and long-lasting.
1. Anjna Arun, MHC-LP
As a therapist, Anjna works with clients who are feeling lost, overwhelmed, or unsure whether they're living for themselves or just to meet the expectations of others. Their relationships are causing stress or leaving them feeling disconnected, and they're struggling to align where they are now with where they thought they'd be. Anjna uses psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and Gestalt modalities and utilize techniques from each to create a treatment plan that is individualized to your needs.
Credentials: Mental Health Counselor - Limited Permit (MHC-LP)
Education: MA, CUNY Brooklyn College
Specialties: Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression
Modalities Used: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Person-Centered Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy
2. Maggie McCarthy, LMSW
As a therapist, Maggie works with adults in their 20s and 30s dealing with a history of unresolved pain. With a keen awareness of both individual factors and the impacts of social injustice and intersectional oppression, Maggie supports her clients on their journeys of personal growth towards true healing. Maggie utilizes mindfulness practices, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), somatic therapy, and narrative therapy to help her clients understand and reimagine past experiences, challenge negative thinking, and promote holistic healing within their minds and bodies.
Credentials: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)
Education: MSW, Columbia School of Social Work
Specialties: Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression
Teletherapy Modalities Used: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Somatic Therapy, Narrative Therapy
https://newyorkcitypsychotherapists.com/maggie-mccarthy-lmsw
3. Julia Laplaza, LMHC
As a therapist, Julia works with college students and young adults just entering the workforce. Julia has been successful in helping clients find relief from painful past experiences and overcome barriers towards meeting their goals. In your work together, clients will be able to discover new insights about themselves and get to the root of their challenges. Julia's goal is to help clients regain control of their lives and see long term change.
Credentials: Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Education: MA, Baruch College
Specialties: Trauma, Anxiety, Relationships, Transitions, Boundaries
Teletherapy Modalities Used: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Person-Centered Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Psychodynamic
4. Angel Then, MHC-LP
As a therapist, Angel works with adults in their 20s and 30s who give so much of themselves to others yet find that their relationships lack reciprocity and feelings of shame or guilt interfere with setting healthy boundaries. Many of Angel's clients come to him because they have grown so tired of the mask that they wear day in and day out when they are showing up for others and wonder when others will show up for them. Their negative thoughts have become exhausting and they wonder if they'll ever be able to integrate the side of them that other people see with the one that is most authentic but that they are afraid to show for fear of rejection or shame.
Credentials: Mental Health Counselor - Limited Permit (MHC-LP)
Education: MA, Baruch College
Specialties: Trauma, Anxiety, Relationships, Transitions, Boundaries
Teletherapy Modalities Used: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Humanistic Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy
5. Laina Mason, LCSW
As a therapist, Laina brings over 15 years of counseling experience, specializing in helping clients navigate the challenges of both historical and recent traumas, including sexual violence, as well as major life transitions. Laina's clients are often dealing with varying levels of anxiety, sadness, and disconnection, which can hinder their ability to sustain relationships, feel successful in their endeavors, set boundaries, find joy, or revel in the fullness of a life that integrates their whole self. Laina's approach focuses on helping clients understand and process their experiences, empowering them to regain control over their lives.
Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Education: MSW, University of Albany
Specialties: Sexual Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression
Teletherapy Modalities Used: Internal Family Systems (IFS), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Polyvagal and Somatic Experiencing
6. Gabriella Giachin, LMSW
As a therapist, Gabby works with young adults to navigate life transitions, improve their relationship with their body and improve their body confidence, and support them in finding solace and peace of mind. In particular, Gabby works with young adults navigating life transitions, improving their relationship with themselves, and decreasing their relationship anxieties. Gabby's clients often come to her with traumatic friendships earlier in life that are impacting the way they perceive themselves and their relationships with romantic partners, colleagues, friends, and family. Gabby helps her clients break down the nuances of their adult relationships and tease out the contributing factors so that they can figure out the role they play in their own lives and decision-making, and begin to enact change in a way that brings them peace, joy, and self-assuredness.
Credentials: Licensed Master Social Work (LMSW)
Education: MA, Columbia University
Specialties: Trauma, Anxiety, Self-Esteem
Teletherapy Modalities Used: Somatic Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic, Motivational Interviewing
https://newyorkcitypsychotherapists.com/gabriella-giachin-lmsw
7. Allison Soss, LMHC
As a therapist, Allie helps clients overcome negative self-talk, life transitions, relationship issues, and imposter syndrome and achieve an increased understanding of feelings, emotions, relationships, communication, and self-worth. Allie works primarily with adults having difficulty managing the stress of their relationships, career, life transitions, self-esteem, communication, and boundaries. Allie works with her clients to create a safe space, empathetic self-perception, and an inviting environment to help clients achieve their goals and build long-lasting skills.
Credentials: Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Education: MA, Baruch College
Specialties: Trauma, Anxiety, Relationships, Transitions, Boundaries
Teletherapy Modalities Used: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Person-Centered Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Psychodynamic
8. Jenny Maenpaa, LCSW, EdM, Practice Owner:
As a therapist, Jenny helps stressed-out, overachieving women overcome impostor syndrome and dissatisfaction. As a result of working with Jenny, women go from just chasing the brass ring to achieving sustainable happiness in every aspect of their lives.
By bringing a scientific, evidence-based perspective to nebulous concepts like "burnout" and "boundaries" - words we hear a lot but don't always know much about - she helps break down the origins of these behaviors and create new ways of operating in the world that serve everyone better.
Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Master’s in Education (EdM), Founder of New York City Psychotherapy Collective
Education: MSW, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work
Specialties: High-Functioning Anxiety, Burnout, Imposter Syndrome
Teletherapy Modalities Used: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Feminist Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Psychodynamic
https://newyorkcitypsychotherapists.com/jenny-maenpaa-lcsw-edm
9. Kathryn werner, lcsw-r, pmh-c:
As the maternal mental health specialist at the practice, Kathryn works with women struggling with perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, including postpartum anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and depression. Kathryn creates a space where you can say things out loud that you haven’t been able to say anywhere else.
Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C)
Education: MSW, New York University School of Social Work
Specialties: Maternal Mental Health, Infertility, and Pregnancy Loss
Teletherapy Modalities Used: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy
https://newyorkcitypsychotherapists.com/kathryn-werner-lcsw
10. Janette Marsac, LMSW, RDN:
As a therapist, Janette works with anyone who struggles with food, dieting, and body image. Janette’s clients come to her when they recognize they have to stop sacrificing relationships, important events, their health, and their sanity to follow rigid, rule-based eating patterns and overly control their intake. Janette helps her clients rewrite their relationships with food and their bodies.
Credentials: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)
Education: MA, Fordham University School of Social Work, MA, Nutrition and Dietetics
Specialties: Nutrition, Diet, and Body Image
Teletherapy Modalities Used: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy
https://newyorkcitypsychotherapists.com/janette-marsac-lmsw-rdn
Success stories
Over the years, we’ve seen incredible transformations in our clients.
One of our clients came to us after experiencing significant childhood trauma, leading to trust issues and emotional numbing. They were diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and struggled with hypervigilance, intrusive memories, and difficulty forming close relationships due to a fear of being hurt or abandoned.
Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the client worked on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns that were reinforcing their emotional distress. Through techniques like cognitive restructuring and exposure therapy, they began to develop more balanced beliefs about themselves and others. They also re-engaged in meaningful activities, helping them reconnect with their emotions and form healthier relationships. As a result, CBT allowed them to overcome the emotional barriers created by their past, regaining a sense of self-worth and improving their quality of life.
Another client, after experiencing a traumatic accident, was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and struggled with physical tension, panic attacks, and intrusive flashbacks. Despite previous therapy, they continued to experience chronic muscle tightness and heightened anxiety.
Through Somatic Therapy, they learned to release the tension stored in their body and manage their stress responses. By incorporating body awareness exercises, breathing techniques, and gentle movement, the client experienced significant relief. Over time, they reduced their anxiety and developed a deeper connection between their mind and body, leading to improved emotional and physical well-being.
Finally, we have also successfully worked with clients experiencing CPTSD, or complex post traumatic stress disorder. Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) can develop from prolonged exposure to traumatic events, like chronic childhood abuse or domestic violence. While closely related to PTSD, CPTSD presents with distinct symptoms. The key differences between these two conditions lie in the duration of the trauma and the specific symptoms experienced.
In addition to the PTSD symptoms listed above, people with CPTSD typically experience ongoing issues with emotion regulation, identity/sense of self, and relationships. Sometimes, clients can self-medicate to numb the memories and pain, resulting in substance abuse, eating disorders, or other behavior that negatively impact their physical health. According to the ICD-11, complex PTSD include the core symptoms of PTSD, but also includes:
Intense emotional responses, like frequent outbursts of anger and aggression in response to negative experiences or emotions.
A persistent belief in one's own inadequacy and unworthiness, often accompanied by feelings of shame and guilt.
Significant challenges in forming and maintaining healthy, fulfilling relationships with others.
One of our clients came to us after learning about CPTSD in a professional development session at their workplace and recognized many of the symptoms in their own life, due to their prolonged childhood trauma and emotional neglect. The client identified that they often shoved their feelings deep down, especially negative feelings, and prioritized everyone else's needs above their own to try to prevent anyone from ever being mad at them or leaving them. This led to many unfulfilling relationships in the client's life where they were always giving to others but never asking for or accepting anything in return, yet resenting others for not seeing their deep rooted pain and desire for love. This dynamic had a deeply negative impact on their emotional wellbeing, preventing them from pursuing the fulfilling life they desired and deserved.
Through a combination of effective treatments like Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and inner child work, this client learned how their body responds to trauma and stress, how to manage those symptoms, and how to identify and reframe their problematic thinking patterns. Through body awareness exercises, breathing techniques, and gentle movement, they learned to release physical tension and manage stress. Once the client felt more in control of their body, they were able to address the distressing and problematic thoughts and feelings that had developed since the trauma, which led to a significant reduction in anxiety and a deeper mind-body connection, allowing the client to begin practicing setting boundaries in their life.
FAQs about trauma therapy
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A trauma therapist undergoes specialized training in handling trauma-specific cases, making them adept at using modalities like trauma-focused CBT. Our therapists are specifically trained to work with trauma survivors, offering you a safe and supportive space.
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While different approaches work for different people, EMDR, CBT, and Somatic Therapy have all been shown to be effective in treating trauma. At New York City Psychotherapy Collective, we work with you to find the right method that suits your needs.
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Trauma therapy can help reduce symptoms of PTSD, improve emotional regulation, and enhance your overall quality of life. While results may vary, starting the journey of healing is a brave and rewarding step toward reclaiming your life.
How to get started
Contact Us: Reach out to schedule an initial consultation.
Initial Assessment: During the first session, we’ll assess your needs and create a tailored treatment plan.
Begin Therapy: Start working with your therapist to achieve your goals.
You’re more than your trauma. Start healing today.
At New York City Psychotherapy Collective, we believe that your trauma does not define you. Take the first step toward healing by contacting us today. Together, we can help you build a brighter future, free from the burdens of the past.