Marriage & Family Therapy · New York City

A space to understand yourself and the people you love

Therapy for individuals, couples, families, and teens — grounded in relational thinking, curiosity, and genuine care.

Individuals
Couples
Families
Teenagers
Parents
Why work with me
Therapy that meets you where you are

Whether you’re navigating a life transition, a rupture in a relationship, or something harder to name — this work is about slowing down, making sense of patterns, and finding more room to move.

Relational at the core

Problems don’t exist in isolation — they live in the space between people.

Curious, not prescriptive

You’re the expert on your own life. The therapist’s job is to ask better questions.

Grounded in evidence

Drawing on EFT, Gottman, IFS, CBT, DBT, and family systems — approaches with deep research.

Steven Paker, Marriage and Family Therapist - LP
About
Steven Paker
Marriage and Family Therapist - LP

My name is Steven Paker, and I am part of the clinical team at Talking Works Counseling, where I provide marriage and family therapy services under clinical supervision. I work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families seeking meaningful change and healthier relationships.

I am especially passionate about helping clients heal from childhood wounds and family trauma that continue to influence their present-day relationships, emotional regulation, and sense of self-worth. I also have a strong interest in supporting neurodivergent individuals, including those with ADHD and autism spectrum differences, helping them better understand their experiences, navigate emotional challenges, and build supportive relationships.

Unresolved attachment injuries and intergenerational patterns can manifest as anxiety, depression, behavioral challenges, relationship conflict, emotional reactivity, or a sense of being stuck in repeating cycles. I strive to create a safe, collaborative, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard, understood, and supported as we explore what lies beneath these challenges.

My approach is relational, compassionate, and grounded in the belief that meaningful change begins with understanding ourselves and the relationships that shape us. Together, we explore connections between thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and family dynamics to develop greater self-awareness, strengthen relationships, and create lasting change.

Therapeutic Approach
Connecting Past & Present for Deeper Healing

My approach integrates evidence-based modalities tailored to each client’s needs:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) — to build psychological flexibility
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — to reframe unhelpful thinking patterns
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) — to strengthen emotional regulation and distress tolerance
Emotionally Focused Therapy & Gottman Method — for couples work and attachment repair
Structural & Bowen Family Systems Therapy — to address intergenerational patterns through a trauma-informed lens
Moving Forward with Clarity, Resilience & Intention

Whether you are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, or relationship distress, we will work together to develop practical tools while also engaging in meaningful insight-oriented work — so you can move forward with clarity, resilience, and intention.

Services
Who I work with

Each person, couple, and family brings something different. Here’s a sense of the work across the populations I see.

Children & adolescents

Anxiety, behavioral challenges, school stress, identity, and the impact of family dynamics on young people.

Individual adults

Anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and the patterns rooted in early relational experiences.

Couples

Disconnection, conflict, communication, trust, and intimacy. Drawing on Gottman and EFT for attachment repair.

Families

Intergenerational patterns, family trauma, and the systemic dynamics that shape how we relate to one another.

Teenagers

Identity, peer relationships, emotional regulation, and the hard work of growing up. A space that takes teens seriously.

Parents

Support for navigating the relationship with your child, your partner, and yourself in the middle of it all.

Sessions available in-person in New York City and via telehealth across New York State.

Specialties
Areas of focus

The concerns I most often help individuals, couples, and families work through.

Top specialties

Anxiety Trauma and PTSD Neurodivergence Relationship and Family Therapy Marriage / Couples Therapy Parent Counseling Relationships (General) Infidelity Panic Attacks Childhood Wounds

Expertise

  • Addiction
  • ADHD
  • Autism
  • Body Image
  • Codependency
  • Coping Skills
  • Depression
  • Eating Disorders
  • Family Conflict
  • Grief
  • LGBTQ+
  • Life Transitions
  • Racial Identity
  • Relationship Issues
  • School Issues
  • Self Esteem
  • Self-Harming
  • Sex-Positive & Kink Friendly
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Suicidal Ideation
  • Transgender
  • Women’s Issues

Marriage & family therapy specialties

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I look at the relationships and systems around a concern, not just the individual. These are the relational areas I specialize in.

  • Couples Therapy
  • Marriage Counseling
  • Premarital Counseling
  • Infidelity & Affair Recovery
  • Communication & Conflict Resolution
  • Intimacy & Sexual Concerns
  • Divorce & Separation
  • Co-Parenting
  • Blended & Stepfamilies
  • Parenting Support
  • Parent–Child Relationships
  • Family of Origin Work
  • Intergenerational Trauma
  • Attachment Issues
  • Emotional Abuse & Domestic Violence
  • Polyamory & Non-Traditional Relationships
  • Multicultural & Interfaith Couples
  • Family Transitions & Adjustment

Don’t see your concern listed? Reach out — I’m happy to talk through whether we’re a good fit.

Approach
How I think about this work

Therapy isn’t about fixing people — it’s about creating the conditions for change to become possible.

Trauma-informed

Childhood wounds and family trauma shape present-day relationships, emotional regulation, and self-worth in ways we often don’t see.

Attachment-focused

Unresolved attachment injuries show up in how we connect, conflict, and withdraw. Healing begins with understanding these patterns.

Systemic thinking

Problems don’t exist in isolation. I’m always curious about family of origin, intergenerational patterns, and cultural context.

Emotionally focused

Drawing on EFT, I help clients access the emotions underneath their patterns — especially in attachment relationships.

Evidence-based

Integrating ACT, CBT, DBT, Gottman, and Bowen Family Systems to meet each client with the right tools for their needs.

Insight & action

Meaningful understanding paired with practical tools — so change is both felt and lived.

“Together, we connect thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and family system dynamics to create deeper and lasting transformation.”
Insurance
Insurance plans accepted

I accept the following insurance plans. If you don’t see yours listed or have questions about coverage, please reach out.

Aetna

Cigna

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Oxford

Tricare

World Trade Center Health Program

Northwell Health

Emblem Health

Magnacare

Carelon

Healthfirst

Fidelis

United Health Care

United Health Care – Community Plan

1199

Metro Plus

Medicaid

FirstHealth

NYCE PPO Plan for NYC employees

Not sure if your plan is covered? Let’s figure it out together.

Contact
Let’s talk

The first step is a free 15-minute consultation — a chance to ask questions and see if working together feels like a fit.

No pressure, no commitment.

Location2502 86th Street, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11214
through Talking Works Counseling
FormatIn-person & telehealth (NY State)
Fee$80
BillingFor billing inquiries, please contact Talking Works Counseling Services
SchedulingBook an appointment online
ZocdocBook on Zocdoc
Phone(718) 702-6055
Emailsteven.paker.talkingworks@gmail.com
ResponseWithin 1 business day
Book a free consultation Book on Zocdoc Join Zoom session
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Client portal
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Resources
Psychoeducation curated for your therapy work.
Individual

Understanding anxiety

What anxiety is, how it works in the body, and why it’s not the enemy.

Individual

Window of tolerance

Staying regulated when emotions feel too big or too flat.

Couples

The four horsemen

Gottman’s research on communication patterns that predict relationship breakdown.

Couples

Bids for connection

How couples turn toward or away in everyday moments.

Family

Family systems basics

How patterns repeat across generations and how change happens systemically.

Family

Intergenerational trauma

How unresolved wounds travel through families and what healing looks like.

Teens

Your brain on stress

Why the teenage brain responds to stress differently — and what actually helps.

Teens

Social media and mood

What the research says about screens and mental health for young people.

Everyone

How therapy works

What to expect from the process and how to get the most from it.

Everyone

Grounding techniques

Simple, evidence-based tools for calming your nervous system in the moment.

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