Find a Therapist in Hicksville, NY

My approach in therapy is collaborative, supportive, and goal oriented.

As a Rapid Transformational Therapist , I'm passionate about helping individuals rewire their brains to project positive images and words. I believe in the power of beliefs—first you make your beliefs, and then your beliefs make you. My mission is to empower others to break free from limiting beliefs and unlock their true potential. I chose to become an RTT therapist because I find the approach both creative and innovative, and I'm excited to work with clients to help them improve their lives. I can help you identify and overcome negative thought patterns that may be holding you back. By becoming more attuned to your beliefs, you can create a brighter, more positive future for yourself. Let's work together to unleash the best version of you!

I commend you on taking the first step, but anxiety, depression, feeling lost and out of control are not states you need to endure. I am passionate about helping others build tools and develop the skills they need to find relief and gain the confidence to navigate through life's rough times. Using evidence-based therapeutic approaches, the goal is to achieve empowerment to work through any current issues while gaining the ability to handle future ones. It is not about controlling the waves, it's about learning to surf them.

We tend to withdraw and silence ourselves when we actually should talk and discuss our concerns and issues... Our lives are so complicated by ourselves and by others surrounding us and we often are lost in the dynamics of past or present fears, sadness, dependence and co-dependence...It is extremely difficult to gain full awareness of such dynamics and integrate it on our own - while fighting feelings of inadequacy, fear of rejection and sense of abandonment...Very often a warm and understanding psychotherapist becomes the only point of emotional anchorage in the fight for one's integration necessary on the path to one's peace of mind, self-realization, and happiness.

I’m a mental health therapist specializing in anxiety treatment and life transitions, offering in-person. Something isn't working anymore. Maybe it’s the anxiety that hits at 3 a.m. and won’t let you sleep. Maybe it’s the way certain memories still hijack your body, even though your mind says you should be over them. Maybe it’s a transition that looked like progress on paper but feels like freefall in real life. Or maybe you feel exhausted from holding it all together, and you’re not sure how much longer you can keep performing okay. You might be here because you’re done pretending. Done reassuring everyone that you’re fine when you’re not. Done managing symptoms instead of actually changing what’s underneath them. Whatever brought you here, you’re looking for something real. Here’s what I bring: a direct, warm, occasionally funny presence who won’t let you off the hook but also won’t shame you. I use evidence-based approaches like anxiety treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). I’m interested in you: the patterns that keep you stuck, the beliefs about yourself you’ve never questioned, and the specific tools that will actually move the needle. I work well with people at different points in their healing journey, from those still learning to name what they feel to those who understand their patterns but can’t seem to change them. My approach combines insight with frameworks. We understand why this keeps happening. Then we build something that actually interrupts it. Our collaborative, goal-oriented counseling helps identify what’s keeping you trapped, whether it’s a nervous system stuck in overdrive, old survival strategies that no longer fit your life, or the gap between the person you present and the person you actually are. Then we build skills you can use in real life, not just in my office. I believe therapy should have a point. We’ll know we’re done when you’re living the life you actually want, not just managing the one you settled for. If you’re tired of performing wellness and ready to do the real work, let’s talk.

I honor each individual's unique characteristics and strengths. In that spirit, I tailor my methods to the unique needs of the client - utilizing cognitive behavior therapy, psychodynamic, and humanistic modes. I am warm, encouraging and a strong motivator. My extensive background as a psychiatric social worker helps me to advocate for my clients and has provided me with special skills and life experiences that I bring to my psychotherapy practice.

Hi I’m Elsa (she, they), a NYC clinical psychologist specializing in life transitions, identity, and spirituality (meaning, purpose, and connection). I’m also passionate about serving communities that have historically experienced barriers to whole-person care including LGBTQ+, BIPOC, Asian American, and neurodivergent (gifted, 2e, autistic, highly sensitive) teens, adults, partners, and families of all kinds. My practice integrates cultural diversity, health psychology, and identity development in exploring meaning, skills enhancement, and values based living. I also believe that healing must be contextualized by systemic factors that impact each person’s unique struggles and strengths. For more info on therapy or assessment services, consultation for therapists, or research collaborations, let’s connect at contact@elsalau.com

I am committed to providing empathetic treatment that progresses at your pace. We will work together collaboratively to identify goals and make a plan to achieve them. It is important for me to provide you with a warm and genuine experience in therapy in order to feel comfortable and not judged. My passion as a therapist is to help facilitate your healing and personal growth.

Have you found yourself stuck in a cycle of anxiety, overthinking, or feeling down? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but change is possible, and you don’t have to do it alone. I believe in the power of collaboration and tailoring therapy to meet your unique needs and goals. Together, we’ll explore the best therapeutic approach for you—whether it’s exposure and response prevention (ERP), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), trauma-focused therapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—to help you reclaim your life and your happiness. I specialize in treating OCD, anxiety-related conditions, trauma, and mood conditions. Beyond these areas, I also have extensive experience helping people work through relationship challenges, chronic pain, and insomnia. My approach is individualized because no two lives or goals are the same. Taking that first step toward change can feel daunting, but you don’t have to do it alone. I strive to make therapy a space where you feel supported and understood. With compassion, humor, and authenticity, I aim to guide you toward meaningful, lasting changes. I’m licensed in New York and New Jersey and I’m authorized to provide Telehealth in 41 states through PSYPACT. If you’re ready to take the first step, I’d be happy to discuss your questions in a consultation and help you get started on your path to a better life.

I have been working with individuals and couples for over 25 years in a private practice setting based in New York City and New Jersey. It is my hope and intent to foster a working therapeutic environment in which people can feel free to express themselves in ways that will open up new ways of thinking, being and relating. .The most rewarding, yet, challenging aspect to living is being in relationship with ourselves and with another. How to navigate and sustain feelings of connectedness while maintaining a sense of authenticity is part of what I find people to be struggling with, especially in our culture of high demand and expectation. My experience in working with trauma, addictive disorders, abuse issues, life-transitions, as well as general anxiety and depression, has led me to believe that people are seeking ways towards achieving some sense of worth, meaning and well being. Over time, we will find ways together to speak to those parts of the self that have been in need of attention and support, making room for new experiences to emerge.

Bridging the worlds of psychology and creativity, I provide compassionate and effective psychotherapy for you, utilizing special techniques of mindfulness and imagery developed over 40 years that connect you to your creative, spiritual self. Reducing anxiety and alleviating depression requires accurate identification of issues, seamlessly integrated with an analytic understanding, in order to find inner control of the root emotions that cause moods and behaviors. Understanding you fully, I will help you identify the forces creating conflict and help you resolve them and find peace.  Are you struggling with anxiety or depression? You know something's wrong but don't know what it is...I can help....I have over 40 years of experience passionately helping people understand their emotions and thoughts, with tried and true techniques that have been proven successful! I provide psychotherapy for adults, children, and individuals with special needs, trauma, and autism (ASD), with a specialty working with children experiencing challenges to their mental health, such as adoption, divorce, and grief. My unique approach utilizes both verbal and creative imaging techniques. This combination is particularly effective with both adults and children of all ages struggling with anxiety, depression, self-esteem, socialization, focus, and concentration. For children and individuals with ASD and any intellectual disability (ID), I help release pent-up frustrations while teaching the language of emotions, leading to self-control and self-regulation. This opens the door to modeling appropriate interpersonal communication skills, which can then be utilized in the larger environment of everyday life.

If you are seeking a compassionate, highly trained psychotherapist, you have found the right person. I enjoy a full-time private practice and offer convenient daytime and evening appointments, designed to meet your needs. Through mutually defined goals and a trusting therapeutic relationship, I will help you relieve your suffering. I have successfully helped clients heal from anxiety issues, panic attacks, phobias, intense grief, behavioral challenges, dysfunctional relationships, posttraumatic stress (PTSD), addictions, depression, and eating issues. I have 28 years of clinical experience and was the director of a licensed outpatient clinic for 10 years. I use a variety of clinical techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, self-psychology, mindfulness, hypnotherapy, and psychoanalytic therapy based on your specific and individual needs.