Maizie Shaw

I'm a Black woman who grew up in an urban environment where my family survived on government benefits. I was the kid that some systems had already written off — and I decided that wasn't going to be my story. I put myself through college and earned my MSW, and I've spent the last 24 years doing clinical work in the places that need it most: with people who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated, people living with serious mental illness, and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who've had to be strong long before anyone thought to ask how they were doing.

I specialize in working with BIPOC and neurodivergent adults. I understand what it means to carry the weight of race, culture, and generational trauma — not just as a clinical concept, but as a lived reality. I'm a bicultural therapist, and I bring all of that to the room. My approach is humanistic, culturally grounded, and direct. I'm empowering and open-minded, and yes — I've been told I'm funny, which I consider a genuine clinical asset.

I offer virtual sessions across New York. Evening appointments are available Monday through Thursday.

My practice is grounded in the humanistic perspective — which means I start with who you actually are, not who a diagnostic label says you should be. I recognize how race, culture, and generational trauma shape the way we experience anxiety, depression, grief, emotional intensity, and relationship patterns. That context isn't a footnote in our work together; it's central to it.

I draw from DBT, trauma-focused CBT, ACT, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and interpersonal approaches — and I select what fits you, not what's easiest to apply. I'm particularly skilled at working with clients navigating borderline personality disorder (BPD), where emotional dysregulation, relationship dynamics, and identity can all be happening at once. I'm also trained in trauma-informed approaches for PTSD, grief, racial identity, and life transitions.

I'm collaborative and direct. I'll walk alongside you, challenge you when it's useful, and be honest with you even when that's harder to hear. We move at a pace that makes sense for where you actually are.

During our initial session, I'm going to want to hear about what brought you in — the issues you're dealing with, what's worked or hasn't worked before, and what you're actually hoping to get from therapy. I'll ask questions, you'll answer what you're comfortable with, and together we'll figure out what we're working toward and start mapping out how to get there.

I take time to listen — really listen, not just check intake boxes. My goal in that first visit is for you to feel heard and respected and validated, while also walking away with a clearer sense of your own strengths and what our work together might look like. You'll know what to expect moving forward, and you'll have the space to ask me anything.

If you've worked with therapists before who didn't quite get your cultural background, or who felt too clinical, or who made you feel like your emotions were too much — I want you to know that this will feel different. Come as you are.