Dr. Anya Scolaro brings over a decade of experience providing evidence-based therapy and psychological testing in New York City. As Clinical Director and Co-Founder of Aspire Psychotherapy, she supports clients across the lifespan — including children, teens, adults, and families — through a warm, collaborative, and practical approach to mental wellness.

Dr. Scolaro works with individuals experiencing anxiety, OCD, ADHD, neurodivergence, identity-related stress, and complex life transitions. She uses proven therapies like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and DBT-informed strategies to help clients reduce distress, build emotional resilience, and thrive in relationships and daily life.

In addition to therapy, she is a leading provider of comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations — helping clarify concerns like Autism, Twice Exceptionality (2E), giftedness, learning differences, and overlapping diagnoses. Her feedback is direct, compassionate, and tailored to support educational and emotional success.

Dr. Scolaro also conducts initial intake consultations for new therapy clients at Aspire. In this first session, she helps clients articulate their goals and matches them with the right therapist based on clinical needs and personal fit.

Areas of Expertise:
– Anxiety, OCD, BFRBS, and phobias
– ADHD, Autism, Giftedness, 2E
– LGBTQIA+ and gender-affirming therapy
– Relationship and family challenges
– Psychological testing & diagnostic clarity

Therapy modalities

ERP · CBT · ACT · DBT · EFT · TF-CBT · Psychodynamic · Grief Therapy · Virtual Reality Exposure · PMT

Dr. Scolaro holds a Psy.D. from LIU Post, an MSW from Columbia University, and an MA from City College of New York. Her experience spans outpatient, hospital, academic, and community-based settings. She is a member of the IOCDF and WPATH, with ongoing advocacy for LGBTQIA+ clinical training and identity-informed therapy.

Shunya Wang, LMSW is a highly skilled therapist who provides individual and couples therapy in both Mandarin and English, supporting clients across a wide range of emotional, relational, and identity-based concerns. Her work centers on anxiety, ADHD, executive dysfunction, depression, eating and body image challenges, and relationship stress — with a focus on cultural humility, emotional regulation, and long-term change.

Shunya creates a calm, structured space for growth — integrating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), and CBT-E (for eating disorders) alongside mindfulness, somatic, and motivational approaches. Her work is developmentally attuned, culturally responsive, and rooted in the belief that therapy should be both supportive and skill-building.

Clients often describe Shunya as gentle yet practical, combining emotional insight with tools that foster sustainable progress. Whether you’re navigating stress around school, work, relationships, cultural identity, or self-worth, she helps you deepen self-understanding while building tools to move forward with confidence and compassion.

Shunya is also experienced in working with immigrants, first-generation clients, and international students, and brings a globally informed, anti-oppressive lens to every session.

Areas of Focus:
– Anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and panic
– ADHD, executive functioning, and motivation
– Disordered eating, body image, and food-related distress
– Culturally responsive therapy and bicultural identity
– Relationship therapy for individuals and couples
– Life transitions, self-esteem, and personal growth
– Therapy in Mandarin and English

Therapy Approaches:
CBT · TF-CBT · CBT-E · Motivational Interviewing · Mindfulness · Somatic & Nervous System Regulation

Professional Background:
Shunya earned her Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University and holds a BA from Syracuse University. Her diverse experience includes working in schools, hospitals, and private practice settings. She is deeply committed to helping clients build healthier, more self-compassionate relationships with themselves and others — guided by curiosity, cultural attunement, and the belief that healing is always possible.

Tara Waldman, LMSW is a licensed therapist at Aspire Psychotherapy who works with teens, college students, adults, and couples to improve communication, reduce anxiety, and navigate transitions with greater self-confidence and emotional clarity. Her clinical focus includes assertiveness training, perfectionism, identity development, and relationship support — all grounded in a warm, collaborative, and practical approach.

As a relationship and communication specialist, Tara provides individual therapy and couples counseling for those facing conflict avoidance, emotional distance, or difficulty expressing needs and boundaries. She works with monogamous and non-traditional partnerships and is passionate about helping clients build deeper connection, mutual respect, and emotional resilience in their closest relationships.

Tara is also especially attuned to the unique stressors faced by college students, young professionals, and career changers — including performance anxiety, imposter syndrome, burnout, and the fear of making the “wrong” life choice. She brings humor, humility, and lived experience into the room, creating a space where clients can feel safe exploring self-doubt while learning the tools to move forward.

Her therapy style is integrative and highly personalized. She blends psychodynamic insight with solution-focused interventions, using role-play, CBT-informed techniques, and communication practice to help clients build emotional fluency, assertiveness, and long-term change.

Areas of Focus:
– Relationship challenges and communication issues
– Couples therapy (monogamous, LGBTQIA+, and non-traditional)
– Assertiveness, conflict avoidance, and boundary-setting
– Anxiety, stress, and perfectionism
– College/grad students, creatives, professionals & career changers
– Life purpose, self-esteem, and identity development

Therapy Approaches:
Psychodynamic Therapy · Solution-Focused Therapy · CBT-Informed Tools · Role-Play & Skills Building

Professional Background:
Tara earned her Master’s in Social Work from Yeshiva University and has experience working with adolescents, adults, and couples from diverse backgrounds. Before becoming a therapist, she worked in advertising in NYC, which gives her deep empathy for clients navigating high-pressure careers and personal reinvention. Her therapy space is direct, human-centered, emotionally safe, and action-oriented — focused on helping clients feel more grounded, empowered, and connected.