Carly Samach
Clinical Director & Founder | LMHC
Providing virtual and in-person individual teletherapy services to all NY residents. Carly is also the founder of Counseling with Carly a space she uses to build resources and education for the OCD community at large.
Specialized Treatment:
Exposure Response Prevention
Accommodation Reduction Training
Culturally Informed Behavioral Care
Neuro-affriming care
Expressive & Self-compassion focused care
Existential focused care
Works with pediatric , young adults and adult clients
A Conversation with Carly
What drew you to this work?
This work has been one of the most meaningful parts of my life—both professionally and personally. As someone who relates to OCD and rumination, I feel deeply connected to helping others understand their minds and learn how to live differently alongside anxiety.
What do you love most about working with clients who have OCD and anxiety?
I love helping people build a new relationship with uncertainty and fear. It’s powerful, deeply human work—and something we rarely get the space to explore as intentionally as we do in therapy.
How would you describe your approach to therapy?
I often describe myself as an existential behavioral therapist. I blend behavioral work with deeper meaning-making, helping clients understand how their mind works while also exploring what truly matters to them.
What does “good therapy” look like to you?
A collaborative, creative space where therapist and client work together. It should feel flexible, engaging, and meaningful—not rigid.
What’s something you want clients to feel when they sit with you?
Truly heard. Many people with OCD and anxiety feel misunderstood, and it’s important to me that they feel seen and understood in our work together.
What’s one thing you often find yourself saying to clients?
Your mind is not the problem—it’s powerful. The work is learning how to guide it toward what matters, rather than letting fear take over.
What’s something you enjoy outside of therapy?
I love spending time in community spaces—especially around art, food, and music—anything that feels creative, sensory, and a little new.
Background
My take on care:
For me, therapy begins with viewing myself, my clients, and their support systems as a unified team. Over the years, I’ve found that the most meaningful progress happens when we approach therapy as a true collaboration. My priority at the start of care is to get to know you—not just your symptoms or stressors, but the whole person behind them.
You are not defined by your struggles, and I believe that understanding your experiences, values, and hopes is just as important as addressing what’s hard. Together, we’ll shape a path forward that feels both purposeful and fulfilling—aligned with the goals you set and grounded in the connection we build.
Therapy Protocol:
As a trained specialist, I promote the use of evidence-based protocols, which often involve meeting 1–2 times per week at the start of care to effectively target and manage impairing symptoms. As improvement is seen, we gradually taper sessions to a less frequent schedule based on your needs and progress.
Just as no one is defined by their struggles, I believe every person has the capacity to become the expert of their own care. This model is collaborative and flexible—yet grounded in structure—and is designed to support you in becoming the authority of your own skills, confidence, and recovery journey.
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