I am a licensed mental health counselor in New York and a certified rehabilitation counselor with over 20 years of professional work experience as a counselor in a variety of clinical settings. I have helped clients with depression, stress and anxiety, disability adjustment issues, career and academic difficulties, & coping with life changes.
My therapy style is warm, interactive and thorough. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion and don't believe in stigmatizing labels. My approach is holistic with elements of humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, and solution-based therapy. I am interested in you as a person and look forward to tailoring our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs and goals.
I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.
Additional areas of focus: Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Intimacy-related issues, Parenting issues, Self esteem, Coaching, Aging and geriatric issues, Blended family issues, Caregiver issues and stress, Chronic pain, illness, and disability, Commitment issues, Communication problems, Control issues, Emptiness, Fatherhood issues, Impulsivity, Intellectual disability, Jealousy, Life purpose, Men's issues, Midlife crisis, Money and financial issues, Mood disorders, Personality disorders, Social anxiety and phobia, Somatization, Traumatic brain injury, Visually impaired, Workplace issues, Young adult issues
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy
NY LMHC 002271
NV LCPC CP5611-R
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Derek Bakay. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Derek is great. Really appreciate all the insight. He's been super helpful.
Written on Dec 11, 2024 after therapy with Derek for 11 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, anger management, and adhd
Absolutely phenomenal
Written on Jan 24, 2024 after therapy with Derek for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, and sleeping disorders
Very helpful
Written on Nov 11, 2023 after therapy with Derek for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, and coping with life changes
Derek is the first therapist that I've worked with on my therapy journey, and he has quickly helped me feel incredibly comfortable with this process. I had no idea what the back-and-forth with a therapist would be like, and Derek has allowed me the freedom to navigate the discussion to where my mind wants to go. I appreciate that there is no rigidity to our sessions, and Derek is able to adapt and effectively tie in my previous thoughts and talking points to where the conversation goes next. Derek is a great listener, and helps me come to better positive conclusions and thoughts on how I can continue to improve my mind and reduce anxiety. We are still very early on in our professional relationship, but I feel like our sessions have been time well spent, and leave me feeling better about myself and my path forward.
Written on Mar 02, 2023 after therapy with Derek for 1 month on issues concerning stress, anxiety, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, coping with life changes, and adhd
Derek is one of the nicest people I've encountered so far in my journey of healing. He's extremely respectful and takes time into making sure he puts out the right thoughts, suggestions, questions and so on for me to review and understand. Our work together is still relatively new but I feel like if anyone will get me back on the path to feeling normal again it will be him. I'm glad I have gotten the chance to work with someone I feel actually cares about me.
Written on Jan 19, 2023 after therapy with Derek for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, self esteem, anger management, and coping with life changes