DR. STERLING IS NOT SEEING PATIENTS UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY 2019. *Dr. Sterling plans to return gradually to his practice beginning Friday April 27, 2018. Dr. Sterling has not been well for the past 3 weeks and has only now returned from New York Hospital where he was a patient for the last 10 days for an acute medical issue which has completely subsided. Dr Sterling greatly regrets that during this period of time, especially while in the hospital, he was unable to respond to messages, emails, or phone calls.* Dr. James D. Sterling is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Sterling joined the hospital in 1982, serving initially as a Clinical Instructor, after spending five years as a Clinical Instructor at Metropolitan Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry. Dr. James D. Sterling earned a Doctor of Philosophy in the field of psychology at the University of Chicago and Masters Degrees from both the University of Chicago and the Columbia University Business School. After serving internships at the Chicago-Read Mental Health Center, he obtained his Illinois state psychologist’s license in 1976. A New Yorker, he returned to New York City in 1977, where he obtained his New York State License in Clinical Psychology. During this time, Dr. James D. Sterling also was appointed to the board of directors for the Greater New York area’s Alcoholism Council, where he served on the referral and treatment standards and training committee. Dr. James D. Sterling has had his full-time practice since 1976, specializing in individual, family and couples therapy. He is the director of the New York Center for Psychotherapy, which helps the client improve their personal relationships by providing a greater understanding of their conflicts, developing their communication skills and other tools to facilitate their adjustment to each other. The practice works by offering personalized one-on-one and couples counseling. Dr. James D. Sterling has studied business, as well as language studies, with education in French, German, Spanish, and Italian. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California in Berkel

Education & experience

Education

University of Chicago, PhD in Psychology

Chicago-Read Mental Health Center (Internship)

Practice

New York Center for Psychotherapy

Background

Languages spoken

English

French

Spanish

German

Italian

Gender

Male

NPI number

#1326218256

James Sterling does not participate in Zocdoc to offer online booking at this time

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Patient reviews

All reviews have been submitted by patients after interacting with the practice.

Overall rating

3.80

Wait time

4.53

Bedside manner

3.91

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

248 reviews

Most relevant

I will never go to him again. He rips you off by charging a copay when you shouldn't be paying one. Just pocketing money

November 27, 2015Falen M.Verified patient

Brilliantly witty. Wonderful sense of humor. Be ready and willing to accept a different way of viewing your issues.

March 16, 2016Initials hidden

Dr. Sterling is very nice, thoughtful, and perceptive. He is not afraid to be honest, which I greatly appreciated.

July 27, 2017Initials hidden

I was very nervous to start this process but I feel much more at ease now, and I think it's going to be ok!

More than 1 year agoInitials hidden

He gave me some tangible tools to walk away with but I felt like he did way more talking than listening.

September 6, 2016Thomas J. S.Verified patient

Outstanding listener with a wealth of experience. Beautiful stress free insight with realistic goals.

July 23, 2017Initials hidden

Dr. Sterling is engaged and interested. A great therapist. I would recommend him to family & friends.

More than 1 year agoHS

He asked very strange questions and seemed preoccupied with issues concerning race and ethnicity.

March 2, 2019Initials hidden

Dr. Sterling is very caring and insightful. He helped me to understand a most difficult problem.

More than 1 year agoKL

Dr Sterling was a consummate professional who put me right at ease with humor and warmth.

November 8, 2017Initials hidden

He was right on target! I said two words and he nailed the underlying issue right away.

September 14, 2015Andreea M.Verified patient

Terrible experience. Multiple appointments cancelled. Not a good fit personality-wise.

More than 1 year agoInitials hidden

It was my first time ever speaking with a therapist and he was very easy to talk to.

May 30, 2016Initials hidden

Tells you what you need to hear. Clever in rooting out issues and opening you up.

August 30, 2017Andrew L.Verified patient

Dr. Sterling very insightful and empathic. He has a good bedside manner

December 13, 2015June W.Verified patient

It was great. I left feeling clearheaded and heard and just better.

August 12, 2015Roman K.Verified patient

Dr Sterling is easy to talk to and you feel comfortable right away.

More than 1 year agoInitials hidden

Nice guy, not for anyone who has any modern problems or is a qpoc.

More than 1 year agoInitials hidden

I felt good talking to him. I feel peace after i left his office.

July 12, 2016Mariela O.Verified patient

Awesome doctor with an incredible intuition towards patients!

November 7, 2015Initials hidden

I love dr. sterling. He is very human and very kind,

July 12, 2016Andrea P.Verified patient

Dr. Sterling is lovely, very funny and insightful.

April 3, 2018Initials hidden

horrible experience. never again. stay away!!

More than 1 year agoLuigi F.Verified patient

I saw Dr. Sterling a year and a half ago, but since I still talk about this terrible experience with friends, I figured I’d share. He was late to our session, he texted his daughter the entire time about how she needed to be prescribed Xanax for something, and then, after I talked ad nauseam for at least 30 minutes about why I was there (my mom’s cancer and my relationship at the time), he said, and I quote, “are you sure you’re not just unhappy with the way you look?” :eye roll:

More than 1 year agoInitials hidden

Dr. Sterling set me up for an every other week appointment when really I should be seen by a therapist twice a week. He was also unable to understand much of what I was divulging. He once came late and looked at his mobile phone for more than a minute during my session. Wasn't pleased at all.

August 3, 2018Erica W.Verified patient

Dr Sterling was great! Funny, insightful and asked great questions. A little slow to respond via e-mail but definitely a great therapist

July 30, 2018Eniko G.Verified patient

He is very likeable and comforting in his manner. He is an avid & very active listener and very knowledgeable... I look forward to future visits.

More than 1 year agoAlicia B.Verified patient

My appointment itself was generally positive, despite him arriving at the appointment with (incorrect) assumptions about why I was visiting despite my having filled out the Zocdoc paperwork that included a section for why I was visiting. The issue that makes me unlikely to recommend Dr. Sterling is that he is extremely difficult to contact. He responds sporadically or not at all to phone calls and emails. Since my appointment I sent multiple of both and have received no responses. He also misread my insurance card and charged me double my co-pay and misfiled with the insurance company, causing them to send me a notice about the provider requesting a claim for someone not covered. Just sort of sloppy overall.

More than 1 year agoInitials hidden

Dr. Sterling was prompt, but his questions seemed to meander a bit. He did not know what the copay was for my insurance, and also told me that I don't need a therapist. However, he was very polite and seemed to have a lot of empathy. Will have to decide whether to see him again or not.

January 18, 2018Initials hidden

Dr. Sterling is a great psychologist! He is very caring and understanding and tries to put himself in your shoes. He lets you set the pace of the session, but he doesn’t merely listen; he offers practical techniques you can use to cope and surpass your issues. He listens carefully but fully engages you in conversation to help guide you towards your own answers. I highly recommend him to anyone who needs ongoing therapy.

January 7, 2018Nicole M.Verified patient

He was late

December 17, 2017Lauren L.Verified patient

Best therapist

November 13, 2017Erlita B.Verified patient

Good bedside manners and I barely had to wait, but I really do not recommend Dr. Sterling. He is a very sweet man, but I felt that he was pretty much pushing me to go talk to one of his colleagues instead, and even made me call and make an appointment with this person right in front of him. This is how our session ended, with him settling for a small amount of cash, and me never hearing from him (or his colleague) again. I felt that I basically dealt with somebody who is collecting potential clients for someone else. We barely talked deeply about anything, and mostly did so in French. I am perfectly bilingual, but Dr. Sterling again forced the conversation to be in French, which is obviously a terrible idea when your conversation level is pretty basic. Anyway, not at all what I was looking for, and I am sad to say, not at all helpful.

November 3, 2017Maxime T.Verified patient

I have been to multiple therapists over the years due to various personal issues. From my experience, I would say that Dr. Sterling is by far the most helpful, professional, compassionate, and receptive of the bunch. His office space is very quiet, comfortable, and it offers a sense of serenity. His demeanor is always quite courteous and warm. I feel as though I can open up rather freely to Dr. Sterling without fear of judgement or condemnation . I would certainly recommend Dr. Sterling very highly for any and all counseling needs.

October 24, 2017Robert L.Verified patient

I didn't appreciate how James tried to essentially diagnose me on the spot (my very first visit), while also rather aggressively trying to hawk a medicine from a colleague who works in the office next-door. He also tried to "lend" a book, where I'd pay for it and get my money back when I came back to see him / bring the book to him. It didn't feel very professional.

More than 1 year agoInitials hidden

I came under Dr. Sterling's care by chance actually. After browsing therapists on Zocdoc, I ultimately decided to make an appointment primarily because he accepted my insurance and had availability within the following days. I was extremely nervous going to my first appointment. I had never been to therapy before, even though I knew that I had needed to do so for most of my adult life. However, within a few minutes of meeting Dr. Sterling I was at ease. Initially he helped me open up about my reasons for scheduling an appointment (relationship, identity issues, depression, anxiety, etc.) and then asked a number of follow up questions that got me talking and made me feel more comfortable sharing with him. I have been a patient of Dr. Sterling for almost a year now. In the beginning, I was seeing him on a weekly basis and over the last 2 or 3 months have started seeing him twice monthly, give or take depending on my schedule. Also, he gave me a recommendation for a psychiatrist, a colleague of his, who I have also found to be incredibly helpful as well. If you make an appointment with Dr. Sterling and think you are going to get a stereotypical therapist, or at least what I though a stereotypical therapist was, you are mistaken. He is self-deprecating, somewhat sarcastic, and humorous. At the same time, there is an endearing quality to his personality and I have always found him to be warm and engaged during our sessions. His approach has made it easy for me to open up to him about extremely personal events that have occurred in my life. He has provided me with invaluable insight and perspective on certain relationships and events. My appointments with Dr. Sterling are not at all of what I expected therapy to be like. At times it has been hard and at times I've disagreed with him, but his impact on my life has been dramatic. He's helped (and continues to help) me work through some tough issues. He's helped me to not feel alone. He's helped me to become the happiest I think I've ever been. Sure, maybe I could have found another therapist and would have had similar results, but I like Dr. Sterling. I believe he is a good doctor who cares for his patients. I look forward to continuing to see him in the future. Also, his office does not smell like cigarettes.

October 10, 2017Robert G.Verified patient

I have been visiting Dr Sterling for almost one year now. I am very happy, we can communicate in my native language German, since Dr Sterling is fluent in German (and I believe he also speaks other languages such as Italian). I went there because of a traumatic relationship experience, and it helped me so much in so many ways to visit Dr Sterling's office regularly. He helped me to see things from a different perspective, and I was able to find ways to break my past relationship patterns and work on myself. I can highly recommend Dr Sterling.

More than 1 year agoInitials hidden

Dr Sterling was very disorganized (forgot our meetings and our conversations), was impatient, slightly judgemental, and spaced out. there are some amazing doctors in NYC, i'd keep looking to find one of those...

More than 1 year agoInitials hidden

Very rude and referred to me consistently in third person. Fixated strangely on my ethnicity and made several racist comments. Waste of money.

More than 1 year agoInitials hidden

I have been under Dr. Sterling's care over a year now, and I visit him on a biweekly basis. Dr. Sterling is a very good listener, and his experience helps him provide valuable insight, and specific actions I can take to help myself. I know he truly cares about his patients; there have been instances where he has reached out to me personally just to check up. I feel relaxed when I am speaking with him, I can be myself without judgement, and I genuinely feel better after our sessions. When he first began treating me, he referred me to another doctor to aid in my recovery. His referral was superb as well. In a world that often feels like healthcare can be impersonal, Dr. Sterling is a rare gem of what true "health care" should be. I look forward to continuing on my path of recovery under his supervision, and would recommend him to anyone who would like to be better.

August 9, 2017Aditi S.Verified patient

He was great! He saw that I was nervous and offered me a iced tea. Kind hearted man and I felt very comfortable speaking to him

August 6, 2017Aquil H.Verified patient

Dr. Sterling struck me as genuinely concerned as to why I was there, not gruff or disinterested. We went over some things that I think will be immensely helpful to me in the future. He also went extremely above and beyond in his duties in a manner that will remain private. Needless to say, I definitely recommend Dr. Sterling.

August 7, 2017Samuel E.Verified patient

I cant say anything bad about Dr.Sterling! He is a person that cares for the wellness of his patients and will try his best achieve their goals. I have seen Dr. Sterling a couple of times and I have been very satisfied with our sessions. Im 21 years old and I felt very confident about telling him my situation.

July 19, 2017Sofia B.Verified patient

Dr. Sterling struck me as man who can probably help you if he is interested. Unfortunately he wasnt interested in me. He made jokes to "lighten the mood" but never took the session seriosuly. He picked up his phone to text or call on about 5 different occasions. But the most offputting thing he did was his constant questions about my porn and masturbation habits. Even after I expressed to him that wasnt my problem, he continued to ask about it. I would never come again to his office. I would never recommend anyone to him.

More than 1 year agoNelson M.Verified patient

He's interested in how he can help you, insightful, provides personal experience to sympathize with you and make you feel comfortable. Make an appointment to see Dr. Sterling, he just gets it!

June 22, 2017Lea J.Verified patient

Dr. Sterling has been invaluably helpful to me. When I first came to see Dr. Sterling earlier this year, I was in a very bad, complicated situation, in which I felt quite hopeless, and really needed some support. Dr. Sterling provided incredible support in helping me to navigate and overcome the deeply political situation. He has made great referrals for support from other medical professionals as well, which have proved to be great resources as well. As a result of Dr. Sterling's help, I was able to find a way out of the situation I was in. To say that my physical, mental and emotional health are greatly improved as a result of his support is a huge understatement. I have always felt completely respected, comfortable, and supported during my sessions with Dr. Sterling.

June 24, 2017Laura D.Verified patient

I absolutely love Dr. Sterling. He is truthful but loving and sincere. I felt like I had a conversation with family who knew me all my life. I was comfortable and happy with my session. My son was equally thrilled and is excited for his next visit.

June 18, 2017Zai H.Verified patient

Being a psychotherapist myself, I saw Dr. Sterling once for my consultation appointment and found him to be very rude, dismissive and culturally insensitive. He only saw me for 20 minutes of the allotted 45 minutes, during which, he kept interrupting me with his rude commentary, when I was responding to the questions he was asking. He didn't let me finish and kept cutting me off. On top of that, he kept answering his personal phone (4 times). And at the end, he didn't take any of my information or know any of the information about me from which I filled out before coming to the appointment and he finished the session by taking a picture of my insurance card using his personal cell phone and then ushered me out saying he "your problems are too much and I cannot see you" and handed me a referral card to see someone else without explaining why (very unprofessional in this field, especially seeing he never let me finish stating why I was there seeking therapy to see him). I did not feel comfortable with him after numerous times of him making comments about my religion or where I am from. I will never see him again and am currently seeing a different psychotherapist at the moment. I felt rushed with him and when I asked him his approach on doing therapy (being there are multiple perspectives and as a patient, you want to see if their perspective matches your needs in a doctor), he brushed off my question, did not answer and told me not to worry about that. I asked if my current therapist if this was normal behavior and they agreed that it was not and it is normal to ask such a question in a psychologist. Disorganized, terrible and disrespectful.

June 8, 2017Ariana S.Verified patient

I'm 34 and have been to a few psychologists over the years. I picked Dr Sterling based on the reviews I read on zocdoc. I haven't seen a psychologist for a long while and have been having problems for a couple of years now, so thought it was time to do something about it. In short, his experience and insight has had a big impact on my life and I recommend him highly. In my first appointment, I took the first 10/15 minutes to read to him a summary of things I thought were relevant to my current problems. I covered everything I could. Family, growing up, career, marriage, fear, anxiety, depression, etc. When I finished, he focused in on one detail that I had said, in almost a throwaway manner, alcohol. I had only said 'I drink too much', and hadn't gone into any further detail than that in terms of my own drinking. But he explained that if I wanted to actually gain anything from therapy, I really needed to stop drinking. This really struck a chord with me, and as much as I would usually have denied it (and had been doing so for 15 years despite the fact that booze has caused enormous trouble for me in all areas of my life), I finally admitted to myself, as I sat there in his office, that it would be smart to heed his advice, particularly given his experience and the fact that I had just laid out all my problems to him in one hit and he pulled out one single thread to focus on first. It really was a breakthrough moment for me which I had not expected and have never had before. I left his office feeling positive, if a little scared, knowing that I really had to just own my problem with alcohol right now so I could start sorting myself out. I feel very optimistic about the future and am continuing to see Dr Sterling to go through my other issues. Highly recommended. Cheers, RH

April 9, 2017Robert H.Verified patient

Dr. Sterling has a wonderful attitude and is willing to let you express yourself in the way that makes you the most comfortable.

February 9, 2017Jane E.Verified patient

Frequently asked questions

What practice does Dr. James Sterling work with?

Dr. James Sterling works with New York Center for Psychotherapy.

Where is Dr. James Sterling's office located?

Dr. James Sterling's office is located at 1155 Park Ave, New York, NY 10128.

What are common reasons for patients to see Dr. James Sterling?

Dr. James Sterling frequently sees patients for Anxiety, Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Depression, Psychotherapy, and Sleep Problems. You can see other visit reasons for Dr. James Sterling on their profile.

What languages does Dr. James Sterling speak?

Dr. James Sterling speaks English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian.

How do patients rate Dr. James Sterling in reviews?

248 patients have reviewed Dr. James Sterling. The overall rating for this doctor is 3.8/5. They have a 3.91/5 rating for bedside manner and a 4.53/5 rating for wait time. You can read individual reviews and ratings on their profile.

Zocdoc›Manhattan, New York, NY Psychologists›Dr. James Sterling, PhD

Dr. James Sterling, PhD

At a glance

Recent reviews

Office location

James Sterling does not participate in Zocdoc to offer online booking at this time

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More about Dr. James Sterling, PhD

Education & experience

Education

Practice

Background

Languages spoken

Gender

NPI number

James Sterling does not participate in Zocdoc to offer online booking at this time

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Patient reviews

What practice does Dr. James Sterling work with?

Where is Dr. James Sterling's office located?

What are common reasons for patients to see Dr. James Sterling?

What languages does Dr. James Sterling speak?

How do patients rate Dr. James Sterling in reviews?

James Sterling does not participate in Zocdoc to offer online booking at this time.