Mandy Culbreath

I'm a clinician with a deep southern heart and a New York edge. I bring to my practice over a decade of hands-on experience working with people navigating some of life’s hardest moments— emergency situations, food insecurity, addiction, and the lasting impacts of life events. I’m especially passionate about working with folks in the maritime, hospitality, and food industries—people whose hard work keeps the world moving but who are often underserved when it comes to mental health support. Racial equity, LGBTQIA+ joy, and women-forward values are centered, and I’m just as interested in the big-picture policies that shape our lives as I am in the day-to-day healing work we do together in session.

Originally from the south, I spent 13 transformative years in New York City, where I earned my Master of Social Work from Fordham University after completing my undergraduate studies at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Before becoming a therapist, I spent years managing a grocery store, where I saw firsthand the complex, intersecting challenges working people face every day. That experience continues to shape my understanding of dignity, resilience, and the kind of support people really need.

My clinical work has centered on individuals dealing with aging-related transitions, eviction, homelessness, and now, addiction and recovery. I specialize in the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), particularly how they ripple through our bodies, relationships, and sense of self well into adulthood.

Whether you’re facing burnout, navigating recovery, or exploring how your past has shaped your present, I offer a grounded, compassionate space where you don’t have to have it all figured out to start.

Let’s do this together—at your pace, with your values at the center.

relational, trauma-informed, and grounded in real life

I bring warmth, pragmatism, and deep respect for the lived experiences of the people I work with. Building trust and connection always comes first. I meet clients where they are—without judgment—knowing that healing isn’t linear and that we all carry not just our own histories, but often generations of adversity, systemic injustice, and resilience.

As a trauma-informed therapist, I understand how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), chronic stress, and structural inequality can deeply shape our mental and physical health. In our work together, I hold space for all of that complexity, while helping you build tools for safety, stability, and greater self-understanding in the present.

I also bring a social justice lens to therapy. I believe mental health doesn't exist in a vacuum—it's influenced by the systems we live in, including racism, sexism, poverty, and policy. I'm especially attuned to the unique stressors faced by people working in food service, hospitality, and maritime industries—fields that are often overlooked but demand so much from the body and spirit.

I draw from a variety of approaches depending on your needs, including:

Narrative therapy, to help you re-author your story with agency and self-compassion

Parts work (like IFS or ego states), especially for complex trauma

Somatic and grounding tools, to support nervous system regulation and reconnect with the body

Motivational interviewing and harm reduction, especially for folks in recovery or navigating substance use

Strengths-based and solution-focused support, when you need practical tools and a sense of forward motion

At the heart of my work is the belief that therapy should feel human, not clinical; collaborative, not prescriptive. I help clients name what hurts, hold what’s true, and move toward what’s next—with care, honesty, and a steady hand.

• A non-judgmental space where your full self is welcome—messy, complex, joyful, tired, all of it
• Practical tools for managing stress, navigating relationships, or coping with triggers
• Space to explore not just what's wrong, but also what's possible—resilience, joy, and growth
• Ongoing attention to how systems (racism, capitalism, patriarchy, etc.) impact mental health, without putting the blame on you

My goal is that you leave each session feeling seen, supported, and a little more equipped to face whatever’s next—whether that’s healing from long-held pain or simply getting through the week with a bit more ease.