Arnice Izquierdo

I'm Arnice (she/her), a Licensed Mental Health Counselor based in Queens, NY, offering telehealth therapy across New York in both English and Spanish.

My work centers on the things that often go unspoken — the guilt of a gambling habit that's taken more than money, the way substance use can quietly reshape a family, the arguments that start small and somehow never get resolved. I work with adults and teenagers (16+) facing these and other challenges, including anxiety, depression, anger, and the complicated feelings that come with relationship and family stress.

I trained at NYU and Adelphi University and have spent my career working with individuals, couples, and families — especially those navigating addiction, behavioral health concerns, and the everyday tensions that build up in close relationships. I use approaches like CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Gottman Method, and somatic techniques, always adapted to what actually fits the person in front of me.

Being bilingual isn't just practical — it means I can meet you in the language where your feelings live. I take Aetna, Anthem/Empire, Carelon, and Cigna.

My approach is direct, warm, and built on partnership. I don't hand out homework and disappear — I work with you to figure out what's actually keeping you stuck and what small moves might change that. I pull from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Gottman Method for couples, mindfulness-based techniques, and somatic work, but I'm always adapting.

With couples and families, I focus on what's underneath the arguments — patterns of communication, unspoken expectations, and the ways stress gets passed around. With individuals managing substance use or gambling, I focus on building internal motivation for change rather than shame.

I believe therapy should feel like a real conversation, not a performance. You don't need to have it figured out before you walk in.

Expect a conversation, not an intake form reading itself back to you. In our first session, I'll ask what brought you here and what you're hoping changes — and I'll listen closely, not just to the words but to what feels hard to say.

We'll talk about what's happening now, some history if it's relevant, and what support looks like for you. If you're coming to couples or family therapy, I'll hear from everyone in the room.

By the end of that first hour, you'll have a sense of whether working together feels right — and we'll have a direction, even if it's loose. No pressure, no rush.