Individual Therapy
Matthew Willner, LCSW, offers virtual individual therapy to adults in New York, New Jersey, and Colorado.
What Individual Therapy Can Do
Individual therapy offers a dedicated space to explore your inner world, process life's challenges, and foster meaningful personal transformation through curiosity and collaborative support. I believe clients are the greatest experts of their own experience, and I work to meet you where you are to support greater clarity, confidence, and healing.
Anxiety and chronic stress
Not always the obvious kind. Anxiety often shows up as tension, trouble sleeping, irritability, or a feeling of being permanently behind. The worry can attach to work, relationships, health, or other aspects of your life.
Self-criticism & Shame
The internal voice that says you're not doing enough or not good enough. The work isn't about silencing that voice. It's about understanding where it came from and what it has been trying to protect.
Relationship Challenges
Recurring conflict, emotional distance, or the same dynamics showing up with different people. Sometimes the goal is to understand your part in it so the pattern stops repeating. Check out the relationship therapy page as well to learn more.
Identity and Meaning
Questions about who you are, what you want, and how to live in a way that fits. This could include sexual orientation or gender identity, what it means to age, cultivating healthy masculinity, or other ways that we create a sense of identity, community, or meaning in our lives.
What Clients Work On
Depression and Low Mood
If you're noticing flatness, loss of motivation, or a heaviness that colors everything, therapy can help. It can be hard to explain to the people around you, and harder to shake on your own. Depression can be self reinforcing. As we isolate, cease doing things that bring us joy, and turn to unhealthy coping strategies, it can make it harder to heal. Reaching out for support is a great first step.
Life Transitions
Whether a career shift, a move, a relationship ending, becoming a parent, or a quieter sense of drift from the life you thought you'd be living, change can be a struggle even when you chose it. I work with clients navigating all kinds of transitions and the issues that can arise with new responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities.
Feeling Stuck or Numb
Going through the motions. Knowing something needs to change and not knowing what, or why the usual fixes have stopped working. So many of us learn to just get by. You deserve to have access to joy and investment in your life.
Grief and Loss
The death of someone close, but also the losses that don't get named as clearly. A relationship, a plan for the future, an identity you've let go of, grief can impact our lives in profound and unplanned ways.
How I Work
Therapy with me is collaborative and direct. I ask real questions, take your circumstances seriously, and won't pathologize the ways you've coped or adapted to protect yourself.
I'll offer observations, push back when something doesn't add up, and help you identify things that may be below the surface.
That directness comes with respect and honoring of your vulnerability. You're the expert on your own life. My job is to bring structure, curiosity, and enough outside perspective to support you in identifying where you may get stuck.
Much of my work draws on Internal Family Systems (IFS), an approach that meets the anxious, stuck, or self-critical parts of you with curiosity instead of judgment. You don't need to know anything about it to benefit.
I also don't shy away from issues that may be harder to talk about: sexuality, identity, shame, or other things that may still be unsaid. If it matters to you, it's fair game here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I need therapy?
You don't need a specific reason or a diagnosis. If something in your life feels stuck, heavy, or worth understanding better, that's enough. Many people start when the strategies that used to work stop working, or when they're tired of carrying something alone.
What does therapy with you actually look like?
Sessions are collaborative and grounded in real conversation. Early on, we focus on understanding what's bringing you in and what you want to be different. From there, the work is tailored to you. I'm direct, I ask questions, and I won't pathologize the ways you've coped so far.
Do you take insurance?
I'm an out-of-network provider and can give you documentation to seek reimbursement from your insurer. You can find the full details on the fees and insurance page.
What states do you see clients in?
I offer virtual individual therapy in New York, New Jersey, and Colorado.
How do I get started?
Reach out to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. We'll talk through what's going on and figure out the right next step together.