My name is Julia Samton, MD, and I am a psychiatrist with over twenty years of experience helping people in New York City find the right mental health care.
I know how hard it can be to ask for help and how much harder it is when you don’t know where to start.
That’s why I’ve handpicked the best CBT therapists in NYC for mental health concerns where CBT is a great approach.
Each therapist in the list below either has immediate availability themselves or, works alongside a team that can welcome new patients.
Not every therapist is the right fit for every situation, but each person on this list brings specialized expertise, a proven CBT approach, and the skill and compassion to help you make real progress.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Mood Disorders
When clients ask me for the best CBT therapist in NYC for mood disorders, I point them to Danielle Esposito, LCSW.
She brings a rare mix of cognitive behavioral expertise and genuine warmth, and her integrative approach blends CBT with psychodynamic principles to address not just symptoms but the underlying patterns of thinking and behavior that sustain depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and postpartum depression.
I especially value her collaborative, nonjudgmental style, which makes her effective with clients from all backgrounds and identities, along with her deep expertise in postpartum depression spanning fertility, pregnancy, and the full postpartum period.
For anyone navigating the weight of a mood disorder, Danielle offers the evidence based tools and human connection that make lasting change possible.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Anxiety Disorders
For anyone looking for the best CBT therapist in NYC for anxiety disorders, I recommend Jared Sossin, LMHC-D, NCC.
He takes a deeply evidence-based approach to conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD, and phobias, with advanced clinical training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention, two of the most rigorously researched interventions for anxiety.
What I value most is the way he builds the work on validation, resilience, and relief, helping clients first feel genuinely seen and then develop the psychological flexibility to face their fears.
His rare background in mindfulness and meditation, including award winning teaching recognized by the Maharishi Foundation, also gives him practical tools for restoring calm when anxiety becomes overwhelming.
Whether you are caught in relentless worry or the sudden terror of panic attacks, Jared tailors the pace and approach to each client while keeping your end goal in sight.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Trauma Related Disorders
If you’re looking for the top CBT therapist in NYC for trauma related disorders, I recommend Jane Ray, LMHC-D.
She brings a rare depth of expertise in PTSD, complex trauma, acute stress disorder, and adjustment disorders, with certifications in both Cognitive Processing Therapy and EMDR, the two gold standard treatments for PTSD recognized by the American Psychological Association.
She has honed these skills across years of direct work with trauma survivors at The New York Foundling’s behavioral health clinic in East Harlem and The Midtown Practice.
What sets Jane apart is the breadth she brings to the therapeutic relationship; as a third degree black belt, award winning martial arts competitor, and trained performer, she understands resilience and transformation as lived practice, which translates into a grounded, empowering presence for clients.
Whether you are processing a single acute trauma, the layered wounds of complex PTSD, or a major life disruption, Jane offers the clinical tools, personal depth, and genuine compassion to help you move forward.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Obsessive & Compulsive Spectrum
Dr. Steve Sussman, PhD is one of NYC’s leading specialists in CBT for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs).
With more than 15 years of focused experience, he brings exceptional academic grounding and hard won practical expertise to the treatment of OCD, trichotillomania, and the full spectrum of related conditions, drawing on advanced training in Exposure and Response Prevention, CBT, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to address not just the underlying disorder but the avoidance, shame, and demoralization that come with it.
As a researcher, clinician, and supervisor of psychologists in training, he works at the intersection of cutting edge OCD science and seasoned therapeutic practice.
What I value most is that he brings all of this with warmth and a sense of humor, making his patients feel at ease and the work feel manageable.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Eating Disorders & Body Image
For those looking for one of the best CBT therapists in NYC for eating disorders, I recommend Melissa Cemel, LCSW.
She offers a clinically sophisticated, compassionate approach to anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and body image issues, grounding her work in CBT and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help clients disentangle their self worth from food, weight, and body image and reconnect with what makes life meaningful.
What sets Melissa apart is the rare combination of her private clinical work and her role developing innovative ACT based group programming in a hospital setting, which gives her institutional knowledge and clinical rigor that few outpatient eating disorder therapists in the city can match.
Her style is active, engaged, and deeply present, with close attention to what arises each session and practical tools clients can use outside of therapy.
Whether you are facing the rigid restriction of anorexia, the shame cycles of bulimia or binge eating, the challenges of ARFID, or the distress of negative body image, Melissa offers a clear eyed, values driven path toward recovery and genuine flourishing.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Sleep Disorders
The best CBT therapist in NYC for insomnia and sleep anxiety is Dr. Joshua Tal, PhD. He stands out as one of New York City’s top specialists in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) , the gold-standard, non-medication treatment for chronic insomnia.
Dr. Tal has built his entire practice around sleep. He trained as a sleep technician in a sleep lab before earning his PhD, giving him a rare neurobiological and psychological understanding of sleep and precisely how to restore it when it becomes disturbed.
He has experience with diverse clinical contexts, such as the high-achieving professionals kept awake by racing thoughts, new parents trapped in light, fragmented sleep, or those who have overly relied on sleep medication.
Dr. Tal offers a structured, evidence-based path to genuine, sustainable rest. His background in Motivational Interviewing and Compassion Focused Therapy deepen his ability to meet clients where they are, building the confidence and psychological flexibility needed to break chronic insomnia cycles for good.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Substance Use & Addiction
When clients ask me for the best CBT therapist in NYC for substance use and addiction disorders, I recommend Dr. Robert Leahy, PhD and his team at AICT.
Dr. Leahy is one of the most decorated cognitive behavioral therapists in the world, with honors including Honorary Lifetime President of the New York City CBT Association, Distinguished Founding Fellow and Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, and recipient of the Aaron T. Beck Award and the title of Global Ambassador from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in 2023.
He is also the author and editor of 31 books on worry, depression, anxiety, and the emotional patterns that so often underlie addictive behavior, and he has trained his team to deliver that same state of the art care for alcohol use disorder, drug addiction, and the co occurring depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation that drive and sustain substance use.
What sets their work apart is that it addresses not just the addiction itself but the relationship dysfunction and maladaptive thought patterns that both precede and perpetuate it.
For anyone navigating the serious consequences of a substance use disorder and seeking the most sophisticated, evidence based CBT available in the city, Dr. Leahy and his team offer an unparalleled level of clinical expertise.
Best NYC CBT Therapist Personality Disorders
If you want the best CBT therapist in NYC for personality disorders, I recommend Dr. Gillian Sternheim, PhD, who offers a clinically sophisticated, deeply relational approach to borderline personality disorder and the emotional dysregulation, identity disturbance, and interpersonal volatility that define these presentations.
What makes her uniquely equipped is her integrative mastery of the two modalities most strongly supported by research for this population, CBT and DBT, woven together with attachment theory and mindfulness to give clients a comprehensive set of skills for tolerating distress, regulating emotion, and building more stable relationships.
Warm, humorous, and genuinely collaborative, she draws on exceptionally broad training across outpatient, inpatient, partial hospitalization, and emergency room settings to meet clients wherever they are and create the safe, nonjudgmental relationship that is integral to treatment.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Anger & Impulse Control
For anyone looking for a top CBT therapist for anger management, I recommend Azat Oganesian, LCSW.
He brings over a decade of experience and a sophisticated, multi layered approach to one of the most misunderstood and undertreated challenges in mental health, grounded in the understanding that anger is often the surface expression of deeper pain, unmet needs, or long standing patterns.
At the core of his work is CBT alongside ACT and DBT, which he uses to help clients identify triggers and early warning signs, recognize the physiological cues of escalating anger, and challenge the rigid expectations and catastrophic thinking that fuel it.
He also works beneath the symptom to address the root, drawing on IFS and Compassion Focused Therapy to replace shame and self criticism with genuine self understanding.
The result is a treatment experience that is both practical and personal, leaving clients not just managing their anger but transforming their relationship with it.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Relationship & Social Issues
If you want a CBT therapist for communication and relationship challenges, I recommend Holly Alderman, LCSW.
She is one of the city’s most versatile clinicians, sought out for her work with conflict resolution, assertiveness, and social skills, and she draws on advanced training in CBT, DBT, ACT, and EFT to give clients a rich toolkit of practical techniques for navigating difficult conversations, asking for what they need, and setting healthy boundaries while keeping their self respect intact.
Whether someone is struggling to speak up at work, find their voice in a relationship, or break recurring patterns of conflict, Holly meets them where they are and helps them build real, lasting skills.
What sets her apart is the breadth of her background, having worked with couples through Montefiore’s relationship education programs, with families at the Ackerman Institute, and with individuals across the lifespan, which gives her a nuanced understanding of how communication patterns play out in every kind of relationship.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Adolescents
When families ask me for the best CBT therapist in NYC for adolescents, I recommend Dr. Jason Weingarten, PhD.
He delivers exceptional, behaviorally grounded treatment for school refusal, ADHD, behavioral problems, academic anxiety, and bullying, bringing rigorous academic training and broad clinical experience to the uniquely complex world of adolescent mental health.
His approach is practical and skills focused, rooted in behavioral interventions like CBT and DBT that give teens concrete tools they can use in the classroom, at home, and in social situations, and he and his team at NYCBT work alongside parents and families to create the consistent, supportive environment young people need to make lasting change.
With ADHD in particular, his work focuses on building the executive functioning strategies, organizational habits, and emotional regulation skills that help kids with attention challenges thrive both academically and socially.
Best NYC CBT Therapist for Life Challenges & Personal Growth
When clients come to me navigating a major life transition, burnout, caregiver stress, grief, or the inner critics of perfectionism and low self esteem, I recommend Karen Franklin, LCSW.
With decades of experience and a warm, grounded presence, she meets people exactly where they are, drawing on CBT, DBT, and supportive techniques to help them untangle difficult emotions, challenge unhelpful thought patterns, and build real psychological resilience.
What sets Karen apart is her collaborative, nonjudgmental style and her training in psychodynamic therapy, which lets her move between practical tools and deeper insight into why a client feels stuck, depending on what will produce the most meaningful change.
