Abby Smith

I'm a New York-based licensed mental health counselor who works with people going through some of the heaviest parts of life — grief, loss, trauma, chronic pain, and family relationships that feel stuck. I came to private practice after several years in community mental health, where I worked with a wide range of clients dealing with crisis, life transitions, and long-term emotional pain. That experience shaped how I work: I don't rush, I don't minimize, and I don't expect you to arrive with your thoughts organized. I work via telehealth throughout New York, which means wherever you are in the state, we can make this work.

My style is warm and direct — I'll ask the questions that matter, even when they're uncomfortable, because that's usually where the real work is. I draw from a few different frameworks depending on what you need: trauma-focused approaches when we're working through past experiences, CBT-informed strategies for day-to-day thinking patterns, and somatic awareness tools for clients whose pain lives in their body. I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. What I care about most is that you leave each session feeling like something meaningful happened — not like you just filled an hour. I specialize in grief and loss, trauma, chronic pain, family dynamics, and working with adolescents.

Our first session is a conversation, not an intake form. I'll want to hear what's going on in your own words — not just the clinical history, but what's actually making life harder right now. I'll ask some questions to understand your background, but I won't rush through a checklist. By the end, we'll talk about what you're looking for and whether working together makes sense. Most clients leave the first session feeling like they were actually heard — that's the goal. We'll meet via telehealth, so you can be anywhere in New York. I'm currently accepting new clients through Headway, which covers most major insurances including Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, and Cigna.