Psychotherapy and Mental Health Counseling in New York | Asian & Asian American Therapists in New York

Amy Gao, MA, MHC-LP

Psychotherapist

Schedule a 15-minute Free Consultation

We accept most major commercial insurance plans, including Aetna, Wellfleet, Cigna, United Healthcare, Oxford, Oscar Health, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Carelon Behavioral Health, for residents of New York.

she, her, hers

Am I doing this right? Is this what I’m supposed to do? Am I making the right choice? These are all common questions you can find yourself asking when faced with making any decisions. You may even feel like you need to have all the answers because you’re the ‘responsible’ person in relationships. At times, you may even find yourself questioning who you are, what matters to you, or how your experiences, relationships, culture, and expectations have even shaped who you are. I work with young adult and adult clients in both Cantonese and English who battle with needing to make the ‘right’ choice and are always left wondering ‘is this normal?’.

Together, we’ll create a supportive space to explore the experiences that have influenced how you see yourself, relate to others, and make decisions. This may include identifying patterns in relationships where you feel disconnected from your own needs and values and/or have difficulty setting boundaries that you learned to ignore over time because it was ‘better that way,’ but it isn’t working out the same now. We may also explore how family dynamics, cultural expectations, life transitions, or past experiences have impacted your sense of identity and confidence.

When working with me, the focus is YOU. I offer a space for you to gently slow things down and help you find the answers you need. I will not have any answers for you but we can strengthen your self-awareness by helping you better recognize your emotions, values, strengths, and personal needs. As your understanding of yourself grows, we can work toward building confidence in areas such as communication, decision-making, relationships, and trusting yourself. Together, we can clarify what feels meaningful to you and develop a stronger sense of direction grounded in your own goals and values rather than external expectations.

Developing a clearer sense of identity can help you feel more grounded, connected, and confident in the choices you make. Together, we can help you better understand yourself and create a life that feels meaningful and authentic to you."

Top Specialties

AAPI population

Life Transitions

Stress Management

Expertise

Academic Stress

Interpersonal Relationships

Anxiety

Depression

Women's Issues

Identity Issues

I Work With

Individuals

Education

Hunter College School of Education- Master's in Mental Health Counseling

Licensure

MHC-LP State of New York/ P137658

About Amy

  • Counseling has always been my career focus ever since I was a child. The guidance I received from my guidance counselor during my upbringing was what drew me to wanting to provide others with a safe space to be themselves without needing to mask anything. Unconventional and casual would be the two main words to describe myself as a therapist. My own cultural development and the challenges I have experienced throughout my upbringing has led me to develop an understanding toward life that allows me to empathize with my clients. I have previously worked as an afterschool teacher which allowed me to see students in their cusp of developing their own identities, difficulties establishing friendships, and the change in socialization after COVID. i have also worked in a private nonprofit organization prior to joining this practice in which I met with a culturally diverse population within the Chinese community.

  • When working with me, I am straight forward and transparent. I will ask straight forward questions that will challenge clients but am also understanding of the fact that some questions will be difficult and uncomfortable to answer. I allow my client's to determine the structure of the sessions as this will allow me to meet my client where they are at whether that is that they want homework or prefer the work to be maintained within the session only. I like working with clients that are self reflective and curious.

  • Growing up as a first generation Asian American immigrating to the US at a young age, it was difficult to navigate between the difference in values and cultural practices at home and outside. This is something that has greatly shaped my worldview, my understanding of how the broad the spectrum is when talking about culture and the challenges one can face when navigating culture. This offers my client a foundational understanding of the existence of difficulty while also understanding that no two people have the same experiences when speaking about culture.

Our Therapists

Book a free 15-minute phone consultation.

We’re excited to hear from you! To get started, our intake specialist will schedule a quick 15-minute phone consultation to verify your insurance and match you with the therapist who’s the best fit for your needs.

We’ll respond to all messages within 48 business hours.

If this is an emergency, please call 911 or reach out to a crisis counselor at 1-888-NYC-WELL. We’re here for you!

Or Contact Us Directly.

To verify your insurance coverage, please email us using the form below. For all other inquiries, we respond within 48 business hours.

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