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

I work with people who are thoughtful and self-aware, but feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward. You might find yourself caught between who you are and who you feel you’re “supposed” to be—driven more by pressure or anxiety than by a clear sense of what actually feels right. In our work together, the focus is on helping you understand yourself more deeply while also creating meaningful change. Sessions are active and collaborative, often incorporating humor and metaphor, with a balance of insight and practical movement forward. I draw from relational cultural theory, narrative therapy, and solution-focused approaches, adapting to what feels most helpful for you. My work is trauma-informed and identity-affirming, and I approach your story with curiosity, care, and respect. As a cis, queer man from the evangelical South, I bring lived insight into how power, privilege, and systems shape identity and mental health. I’m mindful of how these dynamics can show up both in your life and in the therapy room. Over time, clients often feel more grounded in who they are, more confident in their choices, and better able to move through uncertainty without losing themselves. If you’re considering therapy, I offer a free consultation to talk through what you’re looking for and see if we’re a good fit.

I believe that we are all meant to live happy lives, full of meaning. I feel strongly that the adversities we face in our lifetime can serve us well by providing us with the opportunity to gain a higher plain of purpose. My passion and excitement for providing psychotherapy stem from my desire to help individuals discover how they can use their negative experiences in a way that benefits their lives.

I believe that a successful path to achieving growth and change in therapy starts with feeling a comfortable and collaborative connection to your therapist. I strive to help my patients establish goals and feel a sense of progress in therapy. I meet my patients where they are emotionally and help guide them in the direction they hope to be. I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, and Interpersonal Therapy in my practice. I also use CBT-I for insomnia as well as EMDR for trauma work. I provide a relaxed, judgement-free environment. In today's world, the level of anxiety and depression has been on the rise, especially in the younger generations. I strive to remove the stigma of mental health treatment for my patients. I also utilize teletherapy to assist patients who cannot get to the office regularly. My practice also provides parent training to assist parents with their child's symptoms or diagnosis. I conduct neuropsychological, psychoeducational, and psychological evaluations to examine symptoms, diagnose, and provide thorough and detailed recommendations. I work with children ages 6-12, adolescents ages 13-17 and adults ages 18 and up.

You may be entering a new stage in your life, whether it is heading to college and moving out of your childhood home, starting your career, choosing to seek graduate or advanced training, or becoming serious in a committed relationship and starting your own family. You know what you want to achieve, but need additional support in navigating the stresses of setting off on this new path. Or maybe you want help in redefining the roles your family members and loved ones have in your life as you walk towards adulthood in a chaotic world. Maybe you have started your own family and made the decision to become a parent. You may want to parent differently than your parents, but are unsure how. You might be experiencing anxiety around being responsible for a vulnerable new human being. Children can be mirrors, reflecting our own experiences of childhood back onto us. Perhaps past painful experiences of not having your own needs met in childhood are bubbling up and you want to have a safe space to process and explore those experiences. Perhaps you are noticing that your child is experiencing challenges. They may have learning or attentional difficulties, are struggling to navigate difficult life transitions, or are acting out and appear to be overwhelmed with big emotions they don't know how to manage. Whatever issue is bringing either you or your child to therapy, I believe you also bring with your own unique strengths and abilities. My approach as a therapist is to first focus on developing a relationship built upon mutual respect that allows you to feel safe, supported, and heard. In sessions, my goal is to empower you to take the lead and choose the direction therapy will take. Therapy is a place where you can explore both your strengths and challenges, ask questions, and take risks. My therapy approach is client-centered, trauma informed, and strengths based. Most importantly, my approach is tailored to your unique strengths, needs, and goals.

Frequently, people who have experienced trauma, develop extraordinary survival skills. Often the strategies that were critical for survival when you were a child, thwart the ability to develop satisfying work, family or romantic relationships in adulthood. Psychotherapy provides an opportunity to transcend patterns that are holding you back from achieving your goals, and realizing your potential. This often includes addressing family, career, and relationship issues within the treatment as well as recognizing thinking or behavior which may be harmful or holding you back. I specialize in the treatment of PTSD, anxiety and depression, and am certified in EMDR, CPT and MI. Additionally I am trained in Internal Family Systems. My practice is influenced by CBT, psychodynamic, Schema and mindfulness-based therapies. We will spend our first sessions exploring important historical information, assessing your needs, and setting goals. I strive to nurture relationships with clients that are compassionate, kind, and non-judgmental, and safe enough to tolerate direct but gentle confrontation. Together we will determine the approach and pace that will work best for you.

I take it that you are searching for a psychologist, or an effective mental health professional to assist you with some psychological issues that are keeping you from becoming as successful as you want to be. If so, look no further! I can help! I can hep you, if you are looking for assistance to cope with irritating thoughts and feelings, or with behaviors that are now interfering with your daily functioning! I specialize in couple, family, and relationship issues, using the dynamic Emotionally Focused Therapy {EFT} skills and techniques that espouse a theory of close adult relationships in a way that no other theory does. I can help you also if you are looking for help with depressions, anxiety, anger management, family conflict, parenting skill, teenage, career, education, and school related issues. My commitment to the helping profession obliges me to see your goal as my primary focus, and work using a wide ranging experience and expertise to help you achieve your goals.

I'm an emotionally focused, relational therapist, which is a fancy way of saying I pay close attention to what's happening between us in the room and between you and the people in your life. I pull from a bunch of modalities, including internal family systems (IFS), brainspotting, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), attachment work, and psychodynamic therapy, depending on what fits, because no two people need the same thing. I've spent 15+ years as a member, mentor, and educator in New York City's sex-positive and BDSM communities. That means I'm not going to blink when you bring up your kink, your polycule, your sex work, or whatever else you've been told is "the problem." I already know it's not. We can skip the explaining and get into what's going on. A lot of my clients come in carrying years of shame, rejection, or trauma that can come with being part of communities the mainstream still doesn't get. I've lived alongside people in these communities for a long time, and that shapes how I work. We look at how the ways you've learned to think, relate, and protect yourself are serving you now and where they've stopped working. Then we figure out what to do about it. You don't need to have your life figured out before you walk in. Most people are closer to the life they want than they think. Sometimes it just takes someone who's been in your world to help you see it.

Life often presents individuals with circumstances that are difficult to navigate. I will work with you to address challenges and overcome obstacles towards fulfilling your potential. We will explore your patterns of behavior, their origins, and usefulness or counter productiveness to facilitate your achieving healthy and effective approaches. Focusing on your feelings and perceptions and how they affect your behavior, you will develop effective skills for achieving success.

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.

I am here for YOU, with 10 years of experience. I want you to feel at ease and comfortable with my approachable style, with a results-driven record of effectiveness, efficiency, and a tailored approach for you. These include: eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy based on psychoanalytic principles, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), related approaches, and Gottman Method couples counseling. Being accepted to medical school at 17 years old, I share this deeper understanding of the mind-body connection with clients. Location: New York (in person in Nassau, Suffolk, and virtually) and Florida. I have had neurodivergent clients, understand their struggles, and used to provide applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy. I support LGBTQIA+, as part of a network that emphasizes being affirming. I feel strongly about, and have experience helping, varied races and cultures. Please visit Zoc Doc “Sammy Touma” for more details. My experience spans anxiety, depression, relationships, transitions in life, self-image, and identity. Some areas of expertise are trauma and helping couples. I am a trained eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) clinician and a Gottman Method couples counseling provider. My clients have ranged across all ages, from children to adolescents, adults, and geriatric individuals. I offer both individual and couples counseling.

People create meaningful change when they feel truly heard and validated. What I love most about being a therapist is having the privilege to be part of that journey—helping clients shift their perspective, face challenges, and reconnect with their sense of worth and potential so they can build a life aligned with their values. While I specialize in anxiety, panic disorders, and OCD, my work also spans a range of other areas, including support for creative professionals and those in the entertainment industry; men’s issues; sex and porn addiction; trauma; body and muscle dysmorphia; and LGBTQIA+ concerns. My foundation is in behavioral therapy, but I take an eclectic, integrative approach that draws on my specialties and certifications in CBT, ACT, ERP, and EMDR. I strive to create a safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore your concerns, and I tailor our work to meet you exactly where you are in this moment of your life. Feel free to contact me or visit my website if you’d like to learn more and find out my latest availability. We can discuss what brings you to therapy and work out a plan to get you on the path toward leading a more fulfilling life. At present, in-person spaces are currently filled. Only telehealth spaces at present.