Therapy for Young Adults in Manhattan
Finding Your Way in a World That Moves Too Fast
Being a young adult today can feel like an ongoing balancing act you never quite prepared for. You’re expected to know not only who you are now, but also where you’re headed. How to build a career, how to form and maintain healthy relationships, how to take care of yourself, manage finances, and keep up with a culture that never stops moving. This is “adulting,” they say.
It’s a lot.
And for many people in their 20s and 30s, especially here in Manhattan, it’s overwhelming, isolating, and sometimes quietly heartbreaking. Even when things look great on the outside, it can feel like something inside isn’t lining up the way you hoped it would.
You might be juggling anxiety, perfectionism, loneliness, uncertainty about the future, complicated family expectations, or the continued impacts of past experiences.
Or maybe you simply feel stuck, unsure of why you feel the way you do - or even how you feel in general - but aware that something needs attention.
Therapy can be the place where you slow down enough to actually hear yourself. Where you can meet yourself with the compassion and care you likely only give to others. A place where you get to be vulnerable and real. A place of quiet amongst a chaotic world.
And a place where someone shows up with you - genuinely, fully, and humanly.
What Young Adults Want From Therapy Today
Gen Z paved the way for bringing mental health services more mainstream. Raising mental health awareness, advocacy power, and education throughout the younger generations. These generations care deeply and move through life with passion and a realness that we respect and admire, and see mirrored in the work that we do with this population. In order to do meaningful work with anyone - you have to meet them where they are.
Younger generations want therapy to feel like an authentic, meaningful relationship - not a one sided conversation with a stuffy professional. They want someone who can sit with them in the hard moments, ask meaningful questions, offer reflections, share thoughts when helpful, and actually take part in the therapeutic relationship.
This is where relational psychotherapy shines, and is the reason it is at the foundation of our work. At its core, relational psychotherapy is based on the idea that we grow and heal through relationships. The therapeutic relationship becomes a safe, authentic space where clients can explore old patterns, build new ways of relating, and experience a more supportive connection.
It’s not about having a therapist who stares back blankly while you dig through your past alone. It’s about having someone who is attuned, responsive, present, and engaged - someone who is willing to be a real human in the room with you.
I don’t sit back and quietly observe. As a therapist for young adults, I’m here with you - responsive, curious, and engaged. Our relationship becomes a part of the healing process, not something separate from it. That authenticity of connection is especially essential, and something that is most often sought often, for young adults seeking therapy.
My Approach: Relational Therapy, Informed by IFS
At the core of my work is the belief that healing happens in relationships - and that therapy is most effective when both people in the room can show up authentically.
In therapy with me, we explore:
The emotional patterns you’ve developed over time.
How past relationships shaped the way you experience the world now.
The parts of you that developed to keep you safe, protected, or successful.
Emotions you’ve learned to mute or push away.
The internal conflicts that make you feel pulled in different directions.
My goal is to create a therapeutic space where you feel seen, heard, and supported, and where growth isn’t just intellectual—it’s something you experience in your body, emotions, and relationships as you move through life. This includes not only your relationship with others, but your relationship with yourself - and all of the different parts of yourself.
This is where Internal Family Systems (IFS) comes in. IFS is a compassionate, parts-based approach that helps you notice, understand, and care for the different aspects of yourself - your ‘parts’ - so that each part can feel heard, supported, and integrated.
What is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?
You’ve probably noticed my use of the word “parts” - this is not in a literal sense, but as a way of understanding the different internal experiences you carry.
Think of it like this - you’re relaxing in the pool on a warm Saturday, and your friend asks if you want to go get ice cream. You’re torn, part of you does want to go - you love ice cream and it would taste great on such a hot day. But another part of you wants to stay - you’re comfortable and content in the pool. Both of these parts are carrying a valid emotion, and a valid reason for their perspective. In the same way, within all of us, there are many different parts that show up in daily life. You might notice a:
Perfectionistic part.
Protective part.
Fearful or anxious part.
Part that avoids conflict.
Overworking part.
Part that longs for connection.
Or a part wants rest but feels guilty taking it.
By working with these parts in the safe space of therapy, you can reduce inner conflict, access more of your own wisdom, and move toward greater balance and self-compassion.
Relational therapy, combined with the IFS framework, is ultimately about healing through connection. It’s not just about understanding why things feel the way they do - it’s about experiencing a safe, responsive, and authentic relationship in the present. This relationship becomes a space to explore, challenge, and transform old patterns, build trust with yourself, and strengthen your capacity for connection with others. Over time, this work helps you integrate all parts of yourself, soften inner conflicts, and cultivate a deeper sense of self-compassion, resilience, and freedom in how you relate to yourself and the world.
Integrating CBT & DBT Skills When You Need Them
While my foundation is relational and psychodynamic, many young adults also benefit from concrete skills to use in support of our work. When it’s helpful, I integrate tools from CBT and DBT to support:
Regulating big emotions.
Reducing anxiety.
Managing stress.
Navigating uncertainty.
Improving communication.
Building mindfulness.
Creating healthier habits.
Organizing yourself and your life.
Grounding yourself when you feel overwhelmed.
This is not a rigid, workbook-style approach. It’s a gentle weaving of skills into deeper relational work, so you’re also gaining tools you can use outside the therapy room. I approach therapy with young adults through this twofold lens: grounding our work in a strong relational foundation that allows for deeper exploration - gaining insights, making meaningful connections, and loosening patterns that no longer serve you - while also helping you build a toolbox to support you through life’s ups and downs. At Authentic Healing Psychotherapy, the goal is for you to develop internal resources you can rely on, no matter where the work takes you.
Common Reasons for Young Adults Coming to Therapy
Younger adulthood is full of transitions and identity-shaping moments. While everyone brings a unique set of experiences into the room, this work often centers around themes of:
Anxiety and Overthinking
Feeling constantly on edge, replaying conversations, second guessing choices, or living with a background hum of anxiety that never truly switches off. Sometimes in young adulthood we might find that we actually don’t agree much with our anxiety anymore - the core beleifs that may be fueling it don’t resonate with you anymore. And yet, the anxiety doesn’t magically disappear. This mismatch can create a painful sense of inner conflict, where your mind and body seem to be having two very different conversations.
Perfectionism
Perfectionism in young adulthood can show up in so many ways - career pressure, feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities of daily life. It can also look like holding yourself to impossible standards in how you show up in relationships. It’s the constant feeling of needing to “do adulting right”: managing a career, taking care of your body, staying on top of finances, nurturing friendships, maintaining routines… all without falling apart.
People-Pleasing
People-pleasing often develops as a way to keep the peace, maintain connection, or avoid conflict—but over time, it can leave you feeling drained, unseen, or disconnected from your own needs. You might say “yes” when you’re exhausted, downplay your feelings to avoid burdening others, or adjust yourself to fit what you think people want. Even when you recognize the pattern, breaking it can be hard, especially if it once kept you safe or supported. Young adulthood often brings this into focus: the desire to show up authentically, alongside the fear of disappointing others.
Self-Esteem and the Inner Critic
Many young adults carry a persistent inner voice that evaluates, judges, or questions every move. You might know, on some level, that you’re trying your best - and yet the self criticism keeps coming. Maybe it tells you you’re not doing enough, not doing it right, or not doing it fast enough. Even when you logically disagree with that voice, it can still feel powerful. This tug of war between what you know and what you feel often creates exhaustion, shame, and a sense of being at odds with yourself.
Identity Exploration
Young adulthood is full of transitions - new environments, shifting values, changing relationships - and all of that can stir up questions about who you are and who you want to be. You might find yourself outgrowing old identities or feeling disconnected from the roles you’ve always played. Sometimes it’s liberating; sometimes it’s disorienting. It can feel like you’re piecing together different parts of yourself, trying to make sense of what fits now and what no longer does. This exploration is deeply human, but it can also bring uncertainty, doubt, and a longing for clarity.
Relationship Patterns
Dating in Manhattan can be complicated. So can any long term relationships, attachment styles, conflict cycles, and the fear of vulnerability. In young adulthood, many people begin noticing the patterns that show up in their relationships - how they communicate, how they seek closeness, how they pull away, and what they expect from others. You might find yourself repeating dynamics you don’t want, struggling with intimacy, or feeling unsure of how to set boundaries. Even when you can see the pattern clearly, shifting it can be challenging. It’s very common to feel both the desire for deeper, healthier connections and the pull of old, familiar ways of relating.
Loneliness, Disconnection, or Numbness
Loneliness in young adulthood can show up even when you have friends, a partner, or a full social life. Sometimes it feels like a quiet ache for deeper connection; other times it feels like emotional numbness - going through the motions without really feeling present. You might struggle to connect with others, or you might feel disconnected from yourself, unsure of what you’re feeling or what you need. These experiences are far more common than they seem, especially during periods of transition or overwhelm. Therapy becomes a space to gently reconnect - with your emotions, with your needs, and with the parts of you that have learned to shut down to cope.
What Growth Looks Like Over Time
Therapy doesn’t magically erase problems. It can be frustrating when you’re looking for immediate results to be told that these things take time. That frustration is valid, and actually is a part of the work. We can’t erase life’s challenges, but overtime, therapy changes how you experience and move through them. You will find yourself handling moments of anxiety, frustration, interpersonal conflict differently - more authentically.
Over time, you might notice:
Stronger boundaries.
More inner calm.
Less fear around conflict.
More self-trust.
A softened internal critic.
Greater clarity around relationships.
Deeper emotional resilience.
The ability to rest without guilt.
A more authentic sense of self.
Growth is not about becoming a different person, or changing parts of who you are. It means becoming more you - with greater awareness, compassion, and internal steadiness.
Growth is not linear, but you don't have to navigate it alone.
FAQ: Therapy for Young Adults in NYC
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Let's start with the obvious, something brought you to this page. It is perfectly alright if you don’t fully have an idea of what that “something” is. If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, confused, anxious, disconnected, or simply curious about yourself, therapy can help. You don’t need to be in a crisis, or even understand exactly what you need out of therapy right now. If something in you is calling for attention, therapy can be a supportive place to explore it.
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Common themes that I see young adults bringing into the room are anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, relationship patterns, dating stress, family dynamics, identity exploration, career uncertainty, loneliness, and low self-esteem. I often notice that a common thread running through these themes is an inner self-critic that contributes to the distress being experienced.
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The first session is a conversation. It is a time and space to get to know each other and begin to build safety, trust, and direction in our work together. We’ll talk about what brought you in, what you’re hoping for, what things are most important to you, and what really makes you you. You don’t need to prepare or know exactly what to say.
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Finding the right therapist can feel like a daunting match-making game at points, but it is in the relationship between you and your therapist that the most growth can occur. Therapists come from all different backgrounds, experiences, ways of thinking. I always encourage people to “shop around,” as I like to call it, look at what's out there, pay attention to what catches your attention and resonates with you. Then set up phone consultations with anyone you’d like to hear more from, which gives you a space to ask questions and feel out how it is to connect with one another, before sitting together for that first session.
When it comes to picking a therapist, always advocate for yourself. If you don’t feel comfortable with a therapist, it’s okay to keep looking.
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Yes. I offer virtual therapy for clients throughout New York State, as well as in-person sessions in Manhattan. I also offer virtual therapy sessions for clients in Florida and Massachusetts.
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Absolutely, yes. These are some of the most common and meaningful areas we explore. It’s one of life's universal experiences - forming and having relationships with others. The innate need for connection. Relationships shape the way we see the world, the way we think, the way we feel and relate to others. Therapy can help you understand your relational patterns, emotional needs, communication styles, and the fears that shape how you show up in relationships.
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Yes. I regularly work with college students, graduate students, and young adults adjusting to post-college life, early career transitions, and independence. I also have experience working with emerging college students, supporting late teens in their transition to college, and that first step towards adulthood.
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Having a trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens is essential to all of the work that I do. I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which is an evidence based trauma therapy, and I am currently completing further training in Internal Family Systems (IFS). The IFS framework strongly informs my therapeutic approach and deepens the way I work with clients. While EMDR is a structured, evidence-based trauma therapy, IFS is a deeply supportive, parts-based approach that helps people understand and heal their inner world - work that often overlaps with trauma healing. Many clients find that a combination of relational work, parts work, and embodied emotional exploration supports deep healing.
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Yes. These topics come up with most young adults, and really in general across the life span, very commonly in therapy. If we look back on life, we can see that we really weren’t taught exactly how to navigate these themes in our life, so maybe we just tried to push them away. Therapy is a place to begin to bring these themes and their impact into our awareness. Together, we explore the roots of these patterns while building practical tools for managing stress, fear, and internal pressure.
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Not at all. There is no “rule book” or check list of criteria you need to meet in order to start therapy. You can begin simply because you want support, clarity, understanding, or growth.
A Closing Note: You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone
If you’re here, it likely means something in you is craving support, clarity, or simply a place to be seen. Young adulthood can feel messy, uncertain, and overwhelming - and despite what they tell you, you’re not supposed to have it all figured out. Therapy is a space where those pressures soften, where you don’t have to perform or pretend, and where every part of you is welcome.
My role is to walk alongside you as you make sense of your inner world, untangle old patterns, and build a life that feels more aligned with who you are becoming. Together, we create a space that is steady, relational, and deeply human - a place where real change can unfold over time.
If you’re curious about starting therapy or wondering whether we might be a good fit, I welcome you to reach out. You don’t need the perfect words or a clear plan. Just bring yourself, as you are.
You deserve support, connection, and a space to grow - at your own pace, and in your own way.
Whenever you’re ready, I’m here. You can reach out to schedule a free consultation, and we’ll take the first step together.
Find Support Through Therapy for Young Adults in Manhattan
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, anxious, uncertain about the future, or disconnected from yourself, you’re not alone. At Authentic Healing Psychotherapy, therapy for young adults in Manhattan offers a grounded, compassionate space to understand what you’re feeling and navigate the challenges of this stage of life.
Therapy for young adults can help you work through stress, relationship concerns, identity exploration, academic or career pressure, and the emotional shifts that come with growing into adulthood. Whatever you’re facing, support is here. You deserve care that meets you where you are.
Here’s how to begin:
Schedule a consultation to talk through your experiences and explore whether therapy for young adults in Manhattan is right for you.
Book your first therapy session to receive personalized support tailored to your needs, goals, and pace.
Take the initial step toward feeling more grounded, with tools and guidance that help you move through young adulthood with more clarity and confidence.
You don’t need to wait until things feel unmanageable. Reaching out is a powerful act of strength. By working with a compassionate therapist at Authentic Healing Psychotherapy, you can begin to find your footing again.