Find a therapist in Ridgewood, NY — covered by insurance

I believe therapy should be a space where you can be completely yourself without fear of judgment. I am a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) and Registered Art Therapist (ATR) with over 10 years of clinical experience and have been in private practice for the past seven years. I earned my Master's degree in Art Therapy from New York University and previously worked with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults in inpatient psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital. My approach is integrative, trauma-informed, and person-centered, incorporating CBT, DBT, art therapy, and additional training in Jungian and Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed approaches. Together, we'll build practical skills, deepen self-awareness, and create meaningful, lasting change

What if improving your relationships isn’t starting together, but starting with you? As a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), I work with individuals who are curious about their relationship patterns and ready to create meaningful change from the inside out. You may feel stuck in recurring dynamics, find yourself questioning how your family background shapes your relationships, or want to communicate more effectively. Together, we create a space to gain clarity, better understand what’s driving these patterns, and begin making intentional shifts toward healthier, more balanced relationships.

Hi, I’m Chamin!

I bring over 25 years of experience to my work with individuals, couples, and groups, helping them move from feeling overwhelmed to truly empowered. My expertise has led to regular media contributions on platforms like The TODAY Show and CBS Sunday Morning, and I am the author of Seeking Soulmate: Ditch the Dating Game and Find Real Connection. I founded Chamin Ajjan Psychotherapy to provide a warm, welcoming, and supportive space where clinical excellence meets compassionate care and a little pop culture when I can throw it in. We are the regional clinic for the National Social Anxiety Center providing evidence-based treatment that upholds the rigorous standards of the organization. I am dedicated to helping you navigate life's challenges with a collaboration rooted in deep experience and practical, effective tools.

Our couples or relationship therapy framework is designed for partners seeking to rebuild intimacy, improve communication, and navigate life transitions. Please note: Our outpatient practice does not provide crisis intervention, court-mandated counseling, high-conflict mediation, or active separation/divorce litigation services.

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.

I am a psychiatrist with years of further training and experience in psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. I treat a wide array of issues, ranging from anxiety, depression, grief, problems in intimate relationships, and chronic dissatisfaction to a general sense of malaise. I also work with patients who are experiencing confusion about their feelings and an inability to make important decisions, and who thereby feel stuck and unable to move forward. In addition, I help patients going through a crisis or a life transition that may lead to an increased burden of demands requiring change.

I work with patients to help them recount and revisit their life's story and create a new narrative that works better for them. In that spirit, I don't give overt advice, instructions, or quick solutions, but instead encourage them to arrive at their own solutions after carefully exploring the roots of their current problems.

I have a judicious approach to prescribing medications when warranted to support the work of therapy.