Susan Podbielski

I am a compassionate and skillful psychotherapist with experience in managing anxiety and depression.

I specialize in helping hard-working individuals—especially smart, ambitious women—overcome anxiety, depression, and trauma. My commitment is to partner with you, guiding growth, tracking progress, and helping you get back on the road to a more balanced, fulfilling life.
I believe in a practical, collaborative approach where you are the expert on you. Our work is grounded in a strong therapeutic relationship and evidence-based methods tailored to your needs. All services are available online through secure sessions, making it easier to fit into a busy schedule.
offer my clients a bedrock of honesty and stability, grounded in evidence-based practices. Through a solution-focused approach, I provide powerful tools to overcome perfectionism, boundary issues, fear of failure, imposter syndrome, and self-doubt.

My work combines a practical psychodynamic foundation with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, self-compassion, and action steps—a comprehensive technique I’ve refined over more than 10 years of clinical practice.

I want to give you the power to change and grow while honoring your authentic self. Even if you don’t think you can change, you can!
Who I Help
I specialize in working with ambitious, hard-working professionals—especially women—who struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, perfectionism, or self-doubt. Many of my clients are curious, caring, and driven, but find themselves held back by fear of failure, imposter syndrome, or difficulty setting boundaries.

I work with adults ages 18–65 who share these same challenges and motivations.

My Approach to Therapy
I believe therapy works best as a collaboration. You are the expert on your life—I bring tools, guidance, and perspective, but we move forward as partners. My approach is practical, solution-focused, and grounded in evidence-based practices, always tailored to your unique needs.

Over time, therapy should lead to real, measurable results—greater self-awareness, understanding, and balance. Together, we’ll track your progress so you can see and celebrate growth along the way. My goal is to help you feel better as soon as possible and get you back on the road to a better life. You should be begin to feel some positive results within 12 weeks.

What You Can Expect
My therapy style combines honesty, compassion, and practical techniques. You can expect powerful questions that lead to meaningful insights for yourself and your relationships, and concrete tools you can apply outside of therapy.

I draw from a range of evidence-based approaches, including:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Behavioral Therapy (in the form of specific therapeutic tools)
Mindfulness & Meditation
Self-Compassion Techniques
Practical Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Every client is different, and I tailor these approaches to meet your specific needs.

Education & Experience
License: 006409 (New York)
MS in Mental Health Counseling
Selected by the Institute for Psychoanalytic Education Fellowship of New York University Langone Medical School in 2014 for exhibiting outstanding potential in contributing to the psychotherapeutic field.
Certification from International Association of Trauma Professionals.
Over 10 years of clinical experience
Based in New York City, offering in-person therapy on the Upper West Side and telehealth across New York