Find a therapist in Mount Vernon, NY — covered by insurance

I graduated from Duke University and received my PhD at New York University. I trained at the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis and the Institute for Expressive Analysis. I've been immersed in psychodynamic treatment for years working with people of diverse ages & backgrounds struggling with trauma, depression, substance abuse, sexual difficulties, relationships problems, women's issues, among other concerns. For more information please see: www.mollycastelloe.com

I’m a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist and drama therapist who works with women and young adults navigating anxiety, eating disorder recovery, substance use, and life transitions.

I have experience in inpatient rehab and use a harm reduction, nonjudgmental approach. My work combines talk therapy with creative techniques when helpful—though there’s no pressure to be “artistic.”

I have been trained in expressive arts therapy and is a certified gestalt therapist. I utilizes the arts according to each person’s abilities to imagine and develop body awareness. My eclectic approach suits people who seek to find themselves in mental health. As a blind Japanese immigrant, I work especially well with differently-abled people and Pan Asians.

Hi there and welcome!

My priority is supporting clients on their journeys towards personal healing & growth.

In 2010, I received my MSW/LMSW. While doing outpatient clinical work at the NYC non-profit agency JBFCS, I became an LCSW. In 2016, I began to establish my private psychotherapy practice, focusing on young and professional adults presenting with a broad variety of life challenges.

As a non-binary therapist, I am committed to providing a safe, welcoming space for individuals of all identities. My approach is warm and collaborative, ensuring that every person I work with feels seen, respected, and empowered. I specialize in working with both adolescents and adults, supporting them through the unique challenges of life and growth.

What I want clients to know about me is that I am not the kind of therapist who will just sit back, nod, and ask, “How does that make you feel?” I am warm, honest, direct, and very involved in the work we do together.

My strongest area of work is relationship and family dynamics. I help individuals, couples, and families understand the patterns that create conflict, distance, resentment, poor communication, and emotional disconnection. Many of my clients come to me feeling unheard, disrespected, emotionally exhausted, or unsure of how to move forward in an important relationship.

I also work with people who grew up in difficult or dysfunctional family environments and are now recognizing how those experiences may still be affecting their boundaries, relationships, parenting, self-worth, and emotional responses. I help clients understand not only what is happening, but how the pattern developed and what they can begin doing differently.

I believe insight is important, but insight alone is not enough. I want therapy to help you connect the dots and develop practical ways to communicate, set boundaries, manage conflict, and respond differently. I will support you, but I will also challenge you when I believe you are minimizing your needs, repeating unhealthy patterns, or avoiding something important.

I am not here to judge you, label the people in your life, or tell you what decisions to make. My role is to help you see things more clearly, understand what is within your control, and feel more confident in how you choose to move forward.

In addition to relationship and family concerns, I also work with anxiety, ADHD, emotional overwhelm, life transitions, and the impact these challenges can have on everyday functioning and relationships.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in individual and couples therapy. I have over twenty years of experience working with a wide variety of clinical problems. I am most interested in working with individuals who are curious about themselves and who believe that they may find some relief from their struggles by examining their thoughts and feelings in the context of their relational history.

As an experienced psychotherapist, I believe that an empathic approach creates an environment, in which, trust and curiosity can flourished, facilitating the adjustment to an already difficult process. The relationship between psychotherapist and patient constitutes an important tool, in the understanding of patient's past and present behaviors.

I've worked successfully with race-and class-diverse, LGBT and straight clients from teens to seniors. Many are new to NYC or in other life transitions. Clients come with anxiety, identity issues, relationship or work problems, trouble managing anger...My style is warm yet analytical, and interactive. I encourage laughter! I find that people want to understand themselves, break free from self-damaging patterns, and live more fully--and joyfully.

Psychoanalytic therapy is often maligned but it remains for me one of the few treatments that seeks to address the innermost, often hidden, parts of ourselves. Psychological symptoms are not only a source of suffering, they are also a message that speaks to desires, conflicts, and pain that comes alive when spoken to a professional listener. The flip-side of anxiety is always a passionate dream that has not been encountered as such. The intimacy of speaking and listening is rare and a gift.