Family therapy and counseling in Yonkers, NY

I’m Dr. Joseph Yanni, a licensed psychologist who works with teenagers, college students, young adults, adults, parents, and families navigating anxiety, ADHD, emotional regulation, school and college stress, relationship challenges, and life transitions. I earned my Psy.D. in School Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and continue to work as a school psychologist, supporting students with emotional disabilities in a specialized educational setting. This experience has given me a practical understanding of how emotional, academic, social, family, and developmental concerns often overlap.

I use a collaborative, practical, and integrative approach that draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, humanistic and person-centered therapy, behavioral strategies, and lifestyle-based interventions. I believe therapy should be individualized rather than following a one-size-fits-all model. Together, we work to better understand what is contributing to the concern, build practical coping skills, strengthen relationships, and develop realistic strategies that create meaningful change.

I work especially well with teenagers, college students, young adults, and parents navigating the transition from adolescence into adulthood, while also supporting adults and families facing anxiety, relationship concerns, and other important life challenges. I provide in-person therapy in Scarsdale and Pleasantville, along with virtual therapy throughout New York State.

I am a Columbia University trained psychotherapist and have been practicing therapy for the past 16 years. My style of practice is interactive and relational. This means we will work together and build a relationship from which we can work through what you need help with. I tend to be transparent and will share my thoughts with you. This will be an active therapy experience where we will use our smarts and strengths collaboratively to bring about change. My post graduate training in couple and family therapy gives me a deep understanding of how to help individuals, couples and families struggling with relationship issues.

I believe that we are all best understood when space is made for all that impacts us- including our gender, class, race, sexual orientation, families of origin and how all these parts of us intersects with social context, history and the world around us. I specialize in couple and family therapy and also have extensive experience providing individual therapy

If you would like to see if we would be a good match to work together, the next step would be to set up a 10-15 minute call. Please feel free to call me or you reach out via email to schedule a time for us to talk by phone.

Does your child or adolescent’s behavior leave you wondering, “What is going on?”Are they having meltdowns, withdrawing, struggling at school, worrying, or feeling sad? Children and adolescents often communicate their feelings through behavior long before they have the words to explain what they are experiencing.I work with children, adolescents, and families navigating challenges such as adoption, divorce, co-parenting, blended-family transitions, grief and loss, school-related worries, family conflict, and the growing push for independence. I help children and caregivers better understand what may be underneath the behavior while strengthening connection, communication, and emotional regulation. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S). I received my Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) and Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from New York University, and my Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work (BSW) from Cornell University. With more than two decades of clinical experience across inpatient, outpatient, and residential settings.

In my practice I work with clients of all backgrounds and age groups; and I have a specialty in adolescence and young adulthood. I enjoy supporting clients as they navigate growing up and becoming adults in this complex world. My approach is grounded in Psychodynamic Theory and the belief that many of our problems are rooted in thinking patterns, behaviors, and emotional responses that we developed early in life. My work is eclectic and collaborative. I draw on many modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Informed Treatment, Family Systems Theory and Motivational Interviewing.

Most importantly, I see the therapeutic process as a collaborative endeavor between client and therapist. The client is the expert on themselves, and the therapist is a partner in their journey of self-exploration. We work together to change habits, behaviors, and thought patterns, that are causing distress, and getting in the way of the client’s goals.

I have a background in the creative arts, and enjoy supporting artists, writers, and actors, as they seek balance in their lives. Also, I have spent many years working in the New York City Schools with children, families, teachers, and administrators, to address individual students’ emotional and behavioral problems that interfere with school performance.

I utilize a multi-theoretical basis for all my clients. For my practice, trust, warmth and communication are the foundations of a good therapeutic relationship. I have a specialty in child/adolescent/family issues. However, I see many young adults who have issues feeling at ease and confident in their relationships and workplace. I endeavor to lift my clients out of the dark place that may be weighing them down to finding the solutions that will enable them to live freely.

I love counseling – both giving and receiving. For over 40 years, I have helped adoptive families utilizing my law and counseling degrees.

The counseling aspect spans a wide range of populations, including tweens, seniors, singles, couples, and multiple family members.

I met my wife at graduate school while working on my Master’s in Social Work, and we have since adopted three children.

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