What patients are saying
Overall rating
5.00
Average wait time
5.00
Bedside manner
5.00
“Brian is a one-of-a-kind therapist and human. He creates an empathetic, warm space to explore his clients' emotions and experiences, and I truly feel that I can share anything with him without being judged. I highly recommend working with Brian.”
SKLess than 3 months ago
“Brian is a rare gem and a reminder of how powerful this work can be in creating meaningful change. His expertise in trauma therapy, couples work and sexuality, and emotionally focused therapy combined with his empathic, open, genuine demeanor creates a space that truly feels safe, empowering, and hopeful.
His dedication and commitment to the work is evident in how meaningfully he engages with clients and colleagues alike. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for support with attachment issues, relationship anxiety, or breaking dysfunctional patterns to become their best self. ”
BPLess than 3 months ago
About Brian Ackerman
Focus areas
Anxiety
Depression
Psychotherapy
Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
EMDR Therapy
Sex Therapy
Couples Therapy
LGBTQ+ Counseling
Clientele seen
Young adults (18-24)
Individuals
Adults (25-64)
Seniors (65+)
Treatment approaches
Attachment-based
Emotionally Focused
Eclectic
Family Systems
EMDR
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Identity
Gender
MaleSexuality
GayEthnicity
Hispanic or Latinx, White
Languages spoken
English
Getting to know Brian Ackerman
I hold a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from NYU. I identify as a gay/queer man and specialize in psychotherapy relating to sexuality, attachment, and trauma. My training includes affirming care around gender and sexuality, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, Safety and Attachment Focused Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (SAFE EMDR), Emotion Focused Therapy for couples, and I am a fellow in the couple’s therapy program at the Training Institute for Mental Health.
Before becoming a therapist, I served as a lobbyist advocating for sexual and reproductive health for adolescents and young people in countries receiving U.S. foreign aid and later worked in management consulting, publishing, and community mental health. Having worked in larger social justice movements, I see psychotherapy as an integral part of building a more just society, as it supports individuals and relationships in developing the self-understanding and compassion necessary for healing, growth, and change.
In sessions, I see all clients as whole persons – with family, social lives, professional responsibilities and goals, sexual desires, physical needs, spiritual perspectives, and multiple intersecting identities, all of which need airtime in the therapeutic journey. From the first session, I work to build each client relationship on a foundation of warmth, empathy, acceptance, and curiosity to cultivate the safety and trust needed for clients to engage with their emotions, explore their truths, and find meaning in their experiences. I emphasize a psychoanalytic approach to support clients in integrating unconscious needs and motivations into their conscious awareness, ultimately increasing self-compassion, and improving emotional regulation and behavioral decision-making.
What should a new client know about working with you?
I once read someone's Facebook "About" section in the early 2000s (when Facebook was still a thing) that said "I'm never in a position to judge anyone, ever." While not the most poetic language (or esteemed source), the sentiment resonated with me and I bring that ethos with me to this work. We're all working through things and I consider it a privilege (genuinely) to join you wherever you are on your journey - as an individual or a couple. I am (or at least I aspire to be) nonjudgmental, warmly curious, and analytical. I also love to laugh and appreciate a good sense of humor.
I don't judge, but I do try to understand - and I will gently challenge you. In sessions you'll see me scribbling notes, circling things, and (literally) drawing connections as I try to process and reflect back what I'm hearing from you with different angles of interpretation so we can better understand your inner experience. In doing so, we co-create the space for you to feel whatever you need to feel, learn how to experience those feelings, and to communicate them effectively.
I also have some fun analogue tools like emotion wheels and diagrams to help us visualize what's going on. I'm always open to adding new ones based on what works for you.
What is your typical process for working with clients?
I begin each new relationship with a client in a free, 15-minute video consult. This consultation is for us to meet and discuss potentially working together. We'll explore what you're looking to work on, how I might approach working with you, and details like rates, scheduling, and meeting locations to see if we're a good fit.
If we decide to work together, I'll send you intake paperwork via my client portal, Simple Practice, where you can familiarize yourself with practice policies, enter your insurance and payment information and set up your client portal. I'll also email you a calendar invite for our session times via Google Calendar and instructions for how to access different offices and remote sessions as necessary.
In our first few sessions, we will explore more deeply what brings you to therapy, how these challenges have evolved over time, and your history with how you learned to attach to important people and activities in your life. Then we'll discuss what therapeutic modalities and approaches to our work make the most sense for you, your needs, and your objectives and we'll co-develop a rough sketch of a plan for our work together.
We'll meet regularly for sessions, discuss how the approaches we're trying are working for you, and adjust course as necessary. Psychotherapy is an art, and it's co-created by the therapist and the client. I am committed to working together to ensure you're getting what you need from our time together.
Brian Ackerman, LCSW is not in-network with any insurances
It’s common for mental health providers to be out-of-network. Many insurance plans offer out-of-network coverage, so you may get partially reimbursed. Learn more
Out-of-pocket fees and assistance
Initial session: $265 for 50 minutes
Ongoing session: $265 for 50 minutes
- Sliding scale: Offers lower out-of-pocket fees on an individual basis, typically based on your ability to pay
- Files your insurance claim: You pay the session fee upfront and the provider files the claim for you, so you can get reimbursed directly without worrying about the paperwork
More information on payments and coverage
Sliding Scale
I do offer sliding scale fees based on clients' financial need. If you are interested in exploring a sliding scale fee, please let me know in our consult video call or as we work together if your financial circumstances change.
Billing
Your card on file will be charged after each session. Using the insurance information you entered in the client portal, I will submit a claim for out-of-network (OON) reimbursement on your behalf directly to your insurer at the beginning of each month for all the previous month's sessions. If your insurance requires you to submit your claim yourself (this is rare, but it can happen) I also send a superbill each month that you can submit or just keep for your records. Superbills are also available at any time in the client portal.
Office locations
Brian Ackerman, LCSW also offers online video visits for patients
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Education and background
Practice names
Education and training
- New York University, Master's in Clinical Social Work
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Master's)
- The George Washington University (Bachelor's)
Awards and publications
- Choosing Therapy - Internalized Homophobia: Signs, Effects, & How to Deal With It (https://www.choosingtherapy.com/internalized-homophobia/)
- Choosing Therapy - How to Come Out as Bi (https://www.choosingtherapy.com/how-to-come-out-as-bi/)
NPI number
1235703992
Patient reviews
All reviews have been submitted by patients after interacting with the practice.
Overall rating
5.00
Wait time
5.00
Bedside manner
5.00
Your trust is our top concern, so providers can't pay to alter or remove reviews. We also don't publish reviews that contain any private patient health information. Learn more here
12 reviews
Most relevant
Brian is a one-of-a-kind therapist and human. He creates an empathetic, warm space to explore his clients' emotions and experiences, and I truly feel that I can share anything with him without being judged. I highly recommend working with Brian.
Less than 3 months agoSK
Brian is a rare gem and a reminder of how powerful this work can be in creating meaningful change. His expertise in trauma therapy, couples work and sexuality, and emotionally focused therapy combined with his empathic, open, genuine demeanor creates a space that truly feels safe, empowering, and hopeful.
His dedication and commitment to the work is evident in how meaningfully he engages with clients and colleagues alike. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for support with attachment issues, relationship anxiety, or breaking dysfunctional patterns to become their best self.
Less than 3 months agoBP
Brian is a rare gem of a therapist and a reminder of how powerful this work can be in creating real change. His expertise in trauma therapy, couples therapy and sexuality, and emotionally focused therapy, combined with this empathic, genuine, open demeanor, creates a space that feels safe, supportive, and hopeful.
His dedication to this work is evident from how thoughtful and meaningfully he engages with clients and colleagues alike. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking to work through attachment issues, relationship anxiety, or breaking dysfunctional patterns to become their best selves.
Less than 3 months agoBP
I don't have enough time or space to fully praise Brian Ackerman as a clinician and a person. When we started working together and there was an instant feeling I got of being paid attention to and listened to – carefully. That feeling made me think that we could work together well and we certainly did. It isn't an overstatement to say that working with Brian allowed me to make some very substantial, hugely positive changes in my life. Changes I simply wasn't capable of making without real clinical support. He's got integrity, knows when to laugh at a joke and when you're making one to cover something, an incredible clinical base of knowledge, and he makes you feel safe – especially when working through some more difficult/challenging subjects.
I absolutely recommend him as a provider, especially – but, not exclusively! – to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Less than 6 months agoVT
Dr. Ackerman is a first-rate therapist. Over the course of a year or so, I came to Dr. Ackerman on my best days and worst days, and, however I showed up, he was able to gently guide me towards the answers and perspectives that I needed. I especially appreciated Dr. Ackerman's ability to balance weighty topics and conversations about my past traumas with lighter, more enjoyable explorations of my psyche. He has a fantastic capacity to work with his clients both as a highly knowledgeable doctor, and - when the timing is right - with a warmth and familiarity that feels much more like you're chatting with a caring friend.
Less than 1 year agoKB
Recommend without reservation! Saw Brian regularly for about a year. Consistently caring, knowledgeable, and interested. Sessions follow easy conversational format with room for deep reflection as well as tangents and humor. Keeps track of salient topics and recurring considerations and patterns, both from session to session and in reference to my initially stated goals for therapy. An intent listener with a knack for drawing out embedded ideas and proposing fresh perspectives. Grounded in anti-oppression, body/sex positivity, radical affirmation and paths forward.
Less than 1 year agoAL
Bryan is very personable, I felt comfortable with him immediately. As someone who struggled for a long time to find a good match in a therapist, I can’t recommend him enough. He is so good at articulating complicated thoughts and feelings in a way that make them easily understandable. He is flexible, punctual and genuinely cares about his patients.
Less than 1 year agoJM
Bran is amazing! He asks thoughtful questions and really tries to understand my experience. He provides the perfect balance between helping me explore and providing structure when helpful.
More than 1 year agoEZ
Brian is a highly skilled clinician that approaches his work with warmth and empathy. He asks useful questions and offers insightful observations; he has always helped me reach a new level of understanding about every aspect of my life. I highly recommend working with him.
More than 1 year agoAG
Brian brings a warmth a comfort to therapy that makes it possible for clients to safely explore and understand uncomfortable feelings and to develop the insights necessary to more fully enjoy one's life.
More than 1 year agoBM
Less than 1 year agoJM
More than 1 year agoInitials hidden
How soon can I make an appointment with Brian Ackerman?
Generally, Brian Ackerman has appointments available on Zocdoc within 1 week. You can see Brian Ackerman's earliest availability on Zocdoc and make an appointment online.
Is Brian Ackerman accepting new patients?
Brian Ackerman generally accepts new patients on Zocdoc. You can see Brian Ackerman's earliest availability on Zocdoc and schedule an appointment online.
Does Brian Ackerman accept my insurance?
Choose your insurance plan to verify if Brian Ackerman is in-network.
Can I make an appointment with Brian Ackerman online?
Yes, you can make an appointment online with Brian Ackerman using Zocdoc. It’s simple, secure, and free.
What practice does Brian Ackerman work with?
Brian Ackerman works with Ackerman Psychotherapy.
Where is Brian Ackerman's office located?
Brian Ackerman has 3 office locations, including in Brooklyn and New York, view full addresses on Brian Ackerman's profile.
What are common reasons for patients to see Brian Ackerman?
Brian Ackerman frequently sees patients for Depression, New Patient Visit, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit, and Sleep Problems. You can see other visit reasons for Brian Ackerman on their profile.
What languages does Brian Ackerman speak?
Brian Ackerman speaks English.
How do patients rate Brian Ackerman in reviews?
12 patients have reviewed Brian Ackerman. The overall rating for this doctor is 5/5. They have a 5/5 rating for bedside manner and a 5/5 rating for wait time. You can read individual reviews and ratings on their profile.