Meet Mandy Lam, Anxiety Therapist in NYC

Virtual Therapy for NYC & NJ Clients in English, Cantonese & Mandarin

A female anxiety therapist in NYC with long black hair and bangs, smiling and sitting on a wooden chair in an indoor setting with modern decor. 
I'm so glad 
you're here.
Decorative wall art featuring two arch shapes in neutral tones with a branch of dried eucalyptus leaves.

You Might Be Here Because…

You're living a life based on what you were told would bring happiness and fulfillment. You show up consistently, go above and beyond to get things done, and are seen by others as the "reliable" one. But on the inside, the part of you that feels anxious, unsure, and exhausted by being everything to everyone is rarely recognized. In my work as a therapist in NYC, I help folks explore these patterns and to find space to hear their own voice again.

I’ve Been There

I'm a 1.5 generation immigrant, born in Hong Kong and moved to Canada when I was a child - old enough to remember where I came from, but young enough to be expected to adapt quickly.
I know what it means to live between cultures: to feel not quite “Asian” enough and not quite westernized enough, depending on the room you're in. That in-between space, where belonging feels just out of reach in both directions, is something I carry into the therapy room with me.

It's not about fixing yourself. It's about having someone stand beside you while you find your way back.

How We’ll Work Together

Rather than handing you a list of coping tools, we go beneath the surface.
Most patterns develop for good reason. We look at how yours have helped you cope, belong, and carry what has been heavy, and where they may also be costing you. The goal isn't to get rid of what kept you afloat. It's to turn down the chatter enough that your own voice starts to come through. That shift, from managing symptoms to understanding their roots, and from there, stepping into a version of yourself that finally feels like yours, is where real and lasting change begins.

Together, we create a space for honesty, curiosity, and real change. Not the kind that comes from trying harder, but the kind that comes from finally
being truly seen, heard, and understood.

Let's Begin

Meet Mandy,
The Foodie, Home Barista & Musician

A young woman in a white dress sitting with a white poodle dog on a green seat inside an enclosed gondola with large windows, overlooking lush green trees and a blue sky.
An abstract drawing of a plant with large leaves, a flower, and a stem, featuring minimalistic lines and soft muted colors.

Outside of the Therapy Room…

Outside of the therapy room, I try to practice what I believe in. You'll find me in a pottery studio making something imperfect and handmade, at the piano working through a new song, or easing into the morning with a slow cup of coffee. My husband, our dog Oatmeal, and the occasional reality TV show are also very much part of the picture.

These aren't just hobbies. They're reminders that rest, creativity, and imperfection are worth making space for. Not as rewards, but as necessities, and that same groundedness is something I try to bring into every session.

Let's work together

From Fellow Clinicians

“Mandy is an excellent therapist who offers genuine care to her clients and a steady, compassionate hand through life's challenges. Her warm, welcoming presence makes her a great choice for anyone looking for a safe space for growth and healing.”

— Jessica Hayes, LCSW

“I've known Mandy Lam for 10+ years, and she's an exceptional therapist. Mandy creates a compassionate, culturally sensitive space where clients can explore and grow. She integrates various approaches, including music therapy, in her work. She's excellent!”

— Mirabel Xiao-Ou Xing, LMSW

“I highly recommend Mandy- she is kind, warm, and intelligent, and has a rare ability to be supportive and challenging. Her genuine curiosity, thoughtful questions, and skillful approach help clients feel deeply seen while creating real, lasting change.”

— Nicole Trister, LCSW

My Approaches to Therapy

In my work as a therapist in NYC, I combine attachment-based, somatic, and mindfulness approaches to help clients explore patterns beneath anxiety and stress.

  • Four pairs of circles illustrating attachment styles: Avoidant, Anxious, Fearful, and Secure, with simple line drawings and handwritten labels.

    Attachment-Based Therapy

    …helps us understand why closeness can feel so complicated. If you've ever felt like you were too much, or caught yourself shrinking your needs so others wouldn't leave, we explore how early relationships shaped the way you connect, ask for help, and tolerate vulnerability. For many of my clients, the hardest thing isn't the anxiety itself. It's learning to lean in rather than manage from a distance.

  • Minimalist line drawing of two hands intertwined.

    Somatic-Based Therapy

    …helps us get out of your head and back into your body. If you've spent years living from the neck up, intellectualizing your way through emotions rather than feeling them, you're not alone. The body keeps score long before the mind catches up. In sessions, we slow down and check in: what's coming up right now, where do you feel it, and what might it be trying to tell you? Learning to notice and name what's happening in your body is often one of the most transformative parts of the work.

  • Dialectical behavioral therapy, radical acceptance

    Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

    …helps us make room for complexity. You can love your family and still feel suffocated by their expectations. You can want to set a boundary and still feel guilty for doing it. Together, we work on understanding what's actually within your control, learning to respond from a grounded place rather than a reactive one, and finding ways to honor your own needs without feeling like you're letting someone down.

  • Strength-Based Approach

    …helps us shift the lens from what's broken to what's already whole, moving away from fixing and toward trusting that you already carry within you what you need to heal. Rooted in the work of Carl Rogers and Irvin Yalom, my role isn't to tell you who to be. It's to offer the kind of unconditional positive regard that allows you to trust your own instincts and move toward a life that feels genuinely yours.

  • Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT)

    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    …helps us slow down and examine the inner narratives that keep you feeling like you're never quite enough. You might carry a voice that runs on "shoulds": you should be further along, you should be grateful, you should be able to handle this. Together, we learn to distinguish between what you're thinking and what you're actually feeling, and question whether the standards you're holding yourself to are truly yours or ones you inherited along the way.

  • Mindfulness-based therapy, mindfulness techniques

    Mindfulness-Based Approach

    …helps us create space between what you experience and how you respond. For people whose minds are always running, it isn't about clearing your thoughts or achieving calm. It's about learning to observe what's happening without immediately reacting to it. Rather than replaying the past or bracing for the future, we practice coming back to the present moment, again and again, until that pause between feeling and reacting starts to feel like something you can actually access.

Mountains reflected in a calm lake surrounded by lush trees and greenery

My Background

    • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW # 101697), New York State

    • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW # 44SC06624500), New Jersey

    • Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT # 003168), New York State

    • Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC # 15247)

    • Master of Social Work (MSW), New York University

    • Master of Arts (MA) in Music Therapy, New York University

    • Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Music & Psychology,
      McGill University

    • Trained in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) from the Center for Excellence for EMDR Therapy

    • Trained in Perinatal Mental Health (Pregnancy, Antepartum, Postpartum)

  • My clinical training spans hospital systems, community organizations, and private practice, where I’ve supported individuals through acute stress, trauma, and major life transitions.

    I’ve worked within settings such as NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell, NYU Langone, and Mount Sinai, as well as with survivors of human trafficking and birthing parents and their partners during the perinatal period.

    These experiences shape my trauma-informed, culturally attuned approach and my commitment to meeting each person with steadiness, care, and curiosity.

Why "Mindful Roots Collective"?

Why "Mindful Roots Collective"?

The name Mindful Roots Collective is inspired by "Roots Before Branches" by Room for Two. It reflects a core truth: to grow into who you want to be, you first have to understand who you are.

That's what this practice is built on. Together, we explore your history, patterns, and values -your roots, through mindfulness and compassion. That foundation is what makes change feel lasting and authentic.

Healing begins within, but it deepens in relationship. When you tend to your inner world with a therapist in NYC, you naturally open yourself to more connected and meaningful relationships beyond it.

The journey starts with one step: showing up, exactly as you are.

Let’s discover your roots, together.
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
”
— VIKTOR E. FRANKL

Questions?
Ready to Schedule a Consultation Call?

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