Simona Ostrow

Simona Ostrow is a New York Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 20 years of clinical experience. She works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, career uncertainty, and coping with life changes. She also supports individuals facing caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, isolation, workplace difficulties, and questions about life purpose.

Her style is direct and practical. She uses clear tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help people notice patterns, test new ways of responding, and manage strong emotions. Sessions focus on what is getting in the way now and on small steps that can be tried between meetings.

Simona treats mood disorders and post-traumatic stress with attention to everyday functioning. Conversations often include communication skills, strategies for self-soothing, and ways to handle social anxiety and workplace stress. She talks through concrete options for career-related doubts and the strain of caregiving.

She asks clients to bring real situations to sessions so skills can be practiced on current problems. Her approach combines teaching specific behavior-focused techniques with time to reflect on values and purpose. This helps people make choices that fit their day-to-day life.

Simona generally checks messages a few times per day Monday through Thursday and aims to respond promptly. Prospective clients are guided through an initial matching questionnaire and scheduling step to set up a first meeting.

How CBT and DBT inform online sessions

CBT focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. In practice that means identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, testing alternative ways of thinking, and trying out different behaviors to see what changes. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and workplace stress.

DBT adds skills for managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness. That looks like learning short emotion-regulation techniques, practicing mindful awareness, and using clear communication strategies when relationships or work become difficult. DBT skills can be helpful for mood instability and strong stress reactions.

Choosing the right mix of methods is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which tools fit their goals and day-to-day life. That decision is revisited as progress is made and circumstances change.

The biography does not list specific session formats here, so confirm available options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit meetings around work, caregiving, or medical appointments. They can also allow for shorter check-ins when time is tight or allow a focus on skills practice without travel time. Licensed professionals, including therapists who use CBT and DBT, often find that remote sessions support consistent practice and quicker application of new strategies to real situations.