Dr. Liz Gustafson, Clinical Psychologist

Sometimes it can feel as if you have a tangled knot of thoughts and feelings inside your mind. I see the purpose of therapy as taking that knot, slowly untangling it together, and holding it up to the light so you can see your experience more clearly and feel some relief.

I work with adults who are often capable and accomplished on the outside, yet privately overwhelmed by anxiety, perfectionism, and the mental load of living with ADHD. My role is to help you understand what is happening beneath the surface and build a life that fits how your brain actually works.

How I got here

I have always been drawn to how people think, feel, and make sense of their lives. That curiosity led me to spend two years working at a suicide hotline, taking calls and training new volunteers. Sitting with people in crisis taught me a lot about listening carefully, asking good questions, and respecting the complexity of each person’s story.

I completed my PhD in Clinical Psychology at Long Island University in Brooklyn, where I worked with children in foster care, 9/11 first responders, patients on psychiatric inpatient units, and college students. I led a research lab at a college counseling center and worked on a study exploring the neurological underpinnings of borderline personality disorder.

After graduate school, I spent the next decade in Los Angeles building and running a group practice. That experience gave me a close view of the pressures that come with leadership, creativity, and making decisions when there is no obvious right answer. It also meant mentoring younger clinicians, which continues to shape how I think about supporting people who are trying to grow while managing everything else in their lives.

Now I am based in New York City, offering in person sessions in Manhattan and online sessions for clients in New York and California.

Who I work with

I work with adults who typically have ADHD along with challenges like anxiety, depression, professional stress, relationship changes, and trauma.

Many of my clients are high achieving professionals, creatives, entrepreneurs, or students who are used to pushing themselves hard. On paper things may look fine, but internally there is often a mix of self criticism, exhaustion, and worry that they are always a step behind.

If you recognize yourself in that description, you are the kind of person I have designed my practice for.

How I work

In sessions, I ask a lot of questions, the kind that help you see patterns you might have been too close to notice. We pay attention to what is happening in your life now, but also to how you got here and what keeps certain cycles going.

I draw from different approaches depending on what is most useful. Sometimes that means identifying thought patterns that are not serving you. Sometimes it is building specific skills for managing overwhelm and supporting executive functioning. Sometimes it is understanding the deeper story you are telling yourself about who you are, what you are allowed to want, and what you deserve.

For clients with ADHD, we also look closely at practical supports: creating systems that work with your attention, experimenting with realistic routines, and finding ways to reduce shame around the ways your brain naturally operates. Underneath all of this is an emphasis on self compassion and making changes that are sustainable, not just temporarily more productive.

The goal is to help you build a life that feels more aligned with your values and strengths, rather than one organized only around fixing perceived flaws.

Next steps

If this resonates, I would be glad to talk. You can reach out to schedule a brief 15 minute consultation call so I can learn what you are looking for help with, answer any questions you may have, and see together whether we would be a good fit.