About Sylvia
Sylvia Leal is an LCSW who brings 20 years of clinical experience to her work in New York. She offers sessions in English and Spanish and creates a warm, supportive space for people feeling overwhelmed by stress or anxiety. Sylvia draws on several practical therapies to help people manage symptoms and build healthier patterns.
She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for emotion regulation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to clarify values and act toward them despite difficult feelings.
Background and approach
Many people come for help with depression, low self-esteem, relationship strain, or life changes. Sylvia helps clients notice repeating patterns, improve communication, and develop concrete coping skills for daily life. She also addresses concerns like abandonment, attachment issues, chronic health struggles, caregiving stress, and body image.
Sessions focus on collaboration and practical steps. Sylvia listens for what matters to each person and then offers tools people can use between sessions. The aim is steady progress, not perfect results, and to build a kinder way of relating to oneself.
If someone prefers therapy in Spanish, she can work in that language. Prospective clients follow the site process to match and schedule a first appointment that fits their needs.
How therapy approaches translate to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck, then take steps that match their values. This approach can help when anxiety or stress keep someone from living the life they want. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviors to reduce symptoms and improve mood. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and managing day-to-day challenges. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape expectations and behavior in close relationships and works on building healthier ways of connecting.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Sylvia collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and comfort level. She may combine elements from different therapies so the plan fits what a person hopes to change and how they prefer to learn new skills.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skill practice and conversation. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Messaging and live chat are useful for brief updates, coaching between sessions, or when someone prefers written communication. These options help people fit therapy into busy lives and access consistent support without extra travel.
Questions people ask
What concerns does Sylvia commonly address?
What is her therapy style like?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What credentials and location are listed for her?
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Can international clients work with her?
What session formats are available?
How does cost and scheduling work?
What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Immigration issues
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Existential Therapy
- Gottman Method
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Experience
- 20 years
- Licensed
- New York, Connecticut
- Languages
- English, Spanish
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