Therapy for creatives

3 Available NYC Therapists for Creatives

The creative life can be incredibly fulfilling—and incredibly demanding. Maybe you’re wrestling with imposter syndrome, holding yourself to impossible standards, or feeling the nonstop pressure to produce. Perhaps you’re stuck in a creative block, burnt out from constant hustling, or questioning what comes next. 

You don’t have to navigate all of that alone. At New York City Psychotherapy Collective, our approach to therapy for creatives, performers, and artists is designed with your unique pressures in mind, offering a supportive space to help you find clarity and reconnect with confidence in both your work and your life. Contact us when you’re ready to begin.

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Meet our NYC therapists for creatives

therapy for creatives nyc

Lily Ostler, LCSW

Lily helps creative young adults navigate identity shifts, career uncertainty, and the emotional pressure that comes with putting your work into the world. Her trauma-informed, eclectic approach offers a grounded space to explore self-doubt, build confidence, and align your creative life with what matters most to you.

  • Offers therapy for creatives ✓ 

  • Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Sex Therapist

  • Clientele: Teens, young adults, adults, couples, polycules

  • Location: New York, NY 

  • Virtual therapy: Yes

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therapy for artists nyc

Maggie McCarthy, LMSW

Maggie supports women and LGBTQ+ creatives who feel stuck at the crossroads of identity and creative expression. Drawing on CBT, somatic work, and narrative therapy, she helps you untangle old patterns, gain clarity on what you truly want, and craft a creative life that’s both authentic and empowering.

  • Offers therapy for creatives ✓ 

  • Credentials: Licensed Master Social Worker

  • Clientele: Adults, couples

  • Location: New York, NY 

  • Virtual therapy: Yes

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therapy for performing artists

Greta Weiss, LMSW

Greta works with highly sensitive young adults, especially those in creative fields, who are navigating breakups, career stress, or the pressure to “figure it all out.” With her warm, collaborative style, she honors your emotional depth while equipping you with practical tools so that your sensitivity becomes a strength rather than a burden.

  • Offers therapy for creatives ✓ 

  • Credentials: Licensed Master Social Worker

  • Clientele: Young adults, groups

  • Location: New York, NY 

  • Virtual therapy: Yes

Read Bio

What to expect from the therapy process

  • Step 1: Initial consultation

    We begin with a free consultation where you can share what’s bringing you in and what you hope to change. It’s a low-pressure space to ask questions, get a feel for our approach, and see whether we’re the right match for your needs as a creative.

  • Step 2: Building connection

    In our early sessions, the focus is on creating a grounded, judgment-free environment where you can speak openly. Your therapist will work with you to understand your creative path, the pressures you’re navigating, and what you want your life to look like.

  • Step 3: Developing insights & tools

    From there, we’ll start identifying the patterns that keep you stuck, whether it’s perfectionism, burnout, or old narratives you’ve outgrown, and build practical tools to support you in real time. We draw from evidence-based approaches while tailoring everything to how you work best.

  • Step 4: Creating sustainable change

    As therapy continues, you’ll develop skills that help you move through challenges with more ease, set healthier boundaries, and reconnect with the meaning behind your creative work. The goal is lasting, sustainable change that supports both your well-being and your creative life, not quick fixes that fade under pressure.

Common reasons why creative people seek therapy

  • Struggling with imposter syndrome and feeling like a fraud despite your accomplishments.

  • Perfectionism that keeps you from starting, finishing, or sharing your work.

  • Creative blocks that leave you feeling stuck, frustrated, or disconnected from your process.

  • Burnout from constantly producing while managing financial pressure or unstable schedules.

  • Fear of failure or judgment that makes taking risks feel overwhelming.

  • Identity confusion when your creative work no longer defines you the way you expected.

  • Comparison spirals when other creatives’ highlight reels make you doubt your own path.

  • Difficulty setting boundaries between your creative life and everything else.

  • Anxiety around financial stability while pursuing meaningful creative work.

  • Relationship strain caused by the unpredictability and emotional demands of a creative career.

  • Feeling misunderstood by people who don’t fully “get” the creative path.

  • Tension between staying true to your artistic vision and wanting commercial success.

How therapy for performing artists & creatives can help

  • Overcome imposter syndrome and self-doubt

    We help you understand where your imposter syndrome comes from and quiet the inner critic that keeps moving the goalpost. By exploring past experiences and building real self-compassion, you’ll start internalizing your achievements instead of dismissing them as luck or timing.

  • Manage perfectionism without losing your standards

    In therapy, you’ll learn the difference between healthy ambition and the kind of perfectionism that leaves you frozen. Together, we’ll build strategies that let you move forward, even when things aren’t flawless, while still honoring the quality and craft that matter to you.

  • Navigate creative blocks & find your flow again

    Blocks are often a signal that something deeper needs attention. Together, we’ll look at what’s actually getting in the way, whether it’s fear, burnout, overwhelm, or something else, and develop personalized tools to help you reconnect with your creative flow and rediscover joy in the process.

  • Build sustainable practices that prevent burnout

    We’ll work on recognizing burnout early and setting healthier rhythms for your work. Therapy helps you create boundaries, honor your energy, and build a sustainable creative practice that doesn’t rely on pushing yourself to the edge.

FAQs about therapy for creatives

  • Our therapists genuinely understand the emotional and practical realities of creative work—perfectionism, financial uncertainty, identity tied to what you produce, and the vulnerability of putting your art into the world. We use an intersectional, culturally aware lens that honors your lived experience and supports both the day-to-day challenges and the deeper emotional patterns underneath them.

  • We work with artists, writers, performers, musicians, designers, and anyone whose work relies on creativity. Whether you’re navigating imposter syndrome, burnout, creative blocks, perfectionism, career confusion, financial anxiety, relationship stress, or the pressure to keep producing, we offer a space to process what’s hard and move toward what’s possible.

  • Our clinicians draw on psychodynamic therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, and somatic practices, blending insight with practical tools you can use right away. We look at how past experiences shape your current patterns, then build strategies for managing anxiety, perfectionism, self-doubt, and the unique demands of a creative career.

  • Many creatives feel at home with us if they’re looking for:

    • Diverse, culturally competent therapists who understand intersectionality.

    • Evidence-based work that pairs deep insight with practical tools.

    • Flexible scheduling, including evenings and weekends.

    • Insurance options that make high-quality therapy more accessible.

    • A results-oriented approach that goes beyond insight and into real-life change.

    If you want a therapist who takes your creativity seriously while supporting your overall mental health, we’re likely a good fit.

  • Book a free consultation to talk through what you’re looking for. We’ll help you find the right therapist, walk you through insurance and scheduling options, and get you started on a path toward feeling more grounded, confident, and connected to your creative work.

Start working with a NYC therapist for artists, performers, & creatives today

Request a free consultation