- Guilt and shame
- Parenting strain
- Anxiety management
About Doris
Doris Aptekar is a New York LMHC - Licensed Mental Health Counselor - with 36 years of professional experience. She helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, parenting strain, low self-esteem, and depression. She also addresses issues such as abandonment, attachment struggles, communication problems, divorce and separation, forgiveness, guilt and shame, loneliness, life purpose, obsessions and compulsions, self-love, and social anxiety.
Doris focuses on practical conversation and steady support in sessions. She encourages people to say what feels difficult to talk about and works alongside them to sort through thoughts and feelings. Sessions are straightforward and aim to make thinking about problems feel more manageable.
Her practice pays attention to patterns that come from relationships and past experience. She listens for how attachment and fears of abandonment shape decisions and behaviour now. From there she helps people notice repeating cycles and try different ways of responding.
When worries or compulsions get in the way of daily life, she helps people break problems into smaller steps. That can mean practicing new ways to communicate, testing small changes, or trying different ways to reduce overwhelming thoughts. The work is collaborative and paced to what the person can handle.
She invites people to take a first step by completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling an initial session. Payment is handled through a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients.
How her approaches work for online sessions
Evidence-based techniques here focus on understanding patterns in thoughts and relationships and on practicing small, concrete changes. One common approach looks at attachment and abandonment patterns to see how early relationships shape current reactions; that helps when guilt or shame keeps repeating in relationships. Another common focus is on managing anxiety and compulsive thinking by breaking problems into smaller steps and building practical skills for day-to-day life.Finding the right approach is part of the work. She will discuss options with each person and decide together which methods fit their needs, goals, and comfort level. That collaborative planning means the techniques used can change as the work moves forward.
The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, shorten travel time, and allow for brief check-ins when a full in-person visit would be hard to schedule. Therapists and licensed professionals often use online sessions to maintain continuity of care and to practice skills in the contexts where problems occur.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
36+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, parenting strain, low self-esteem, and depression. Additional areas include guilt and shame, attachment and abandonment issues, OCD symptoms, and loneliness.
How would she approach shame or persistent guilt?
She talks through how those feelings show up in everyday life and in relationships. The goal is to notice patterns, try small changes, and practice different responses over time.
What is her professional background?
She has 36 years of professional experience working with adults on emotional and relational concerns. That experience is reflected in a practical, conversational style.
Is she a licensed clinician and where is she based?
She is an LMHC - Licensed Mental Health Counselor - licensed in New York and practices from that location.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Session formats are not specified in the biography. Confirm current session options before booking to know which formats are offered.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.