Our Team

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OUR TEAM

Who We Are

We are psychotherapists, some who have been practicing for over thirty years. Our extensive training means we are equipped to treat numerous conditions. Our areas of specialization focus on depression, Bipolar disorder, anxiety, self esteem and problems originating in childhood. We also provide premarital, early marriage, couples and family counseling.

Rita Gazarik

LCSW

Rita, brings over 25 years of administrative, teaching, and clinical experience to her practice. She is a graduate of post-master’s training in family therapy from the Ackerman Institute for the Family and the Family Institute of Westchester. She has taught in post-master’s programs and graduate schools of social work, served as a consultant to Hetrick-Martin Institute’s social work staff, and authored several articles on social work, family therapy, AIDS, and ethnicity.

Currently, Rita focuses on family systems and subsystems, such as parents and adult children or adult siblings, as well as couples therapy. She leads workshops for newly married couples and those in second marriages, alongside a colleague.

Rita specializes in helping couples with challenges such as intimacy issues, improving communication skills, navigating life stages like empty nest syndrome, and addressing difficulties in getting married. Her expertise and compassionate approach have made her a trusted therapist for couples seeking to strengthen their relationships.

Brannan Piper

LCSW

Brannan, is a distinguished psychodynamic psychotherapist with over three decades of experience. A graduate of NYU’s Graduate School of Social Work, she was honored by the prestigious Silver Society for her outstanding academic achievements. Since 1988, Brannan has dedicated herself to various fields, including geriatrics, mentorship, inner-city youth treatment, severe mental illness, and private practice. She is also the founder of a successful referral service for mental health professionals.

Her extensive experience allows her to provide compassionate and effective therapy to individuals from diverse backgrounds. Currently, she focuses on working with college students and adults experiencing trauma, lifecycle challenges, bipolar disorder, depression, and ADHD. Her particular interest lies in helping clients overcome repetitive patterns and examining childhood origin problems.

Known for her gentle, intuitive approach, Brannan is a skilled listener committed to helping her clients achieve lasting change. She offers personalized psychodynamic therapy designed to address emotional challenges and enhance mental well-being.

In addition to her work with young adults, Brannan is deeply committed to supporting clients navigating mid-life challenges. She regularly works with individuals facing mid-life crises, loneliness, aging, menopause, empty nest syndrome, depression, anxiety, and divorce.

Mary Hayley

PhD

Mary graduated from the NYU Graduate School of Social Work in 1998. She began her career at a community mental health clinic and attended courses at various psychoanalytic institutes, focusing on the effective treatment of severe emotional disorders. Her dedication to this study led her to pursue a doctorate in psychoanalysis, which she received in 2008.

With over 20 years of private practice, Mary’s approach has been shaped by close study and supervision with senior analysts in the field. Her extensive experience and advanced training inform her therapeutic style and methods.

Mary currently specializes in working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, loss and grief, relationship issues, loneliness, and addiction. She offers individual, couples, and group psychotherapy, believing that individual treatment is often supported and deepened through the addition of group therapy.

OUR SERVICES

Compassionate Therapy Tailored To Your Needs

Depression

Depression is a serious condition that affects mood, thoughts, and behavior, but it's treatable. It can bring sadness, anxiety, and loss of interest, harming life, work, relationships, and health, too.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, including Bipolar I and the milder Bipolar II, brings intense mood swings that may disrupt daily life. Supportive psychotherapy and medication can help manage symptoms.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness that can leave you restless and tense. It may cause racing thoughts, trouble concentrating, and disrupted sleep; it can be understood and treated.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD involves intrusive thoughts, feelings, and dreams long after trauma. You may relive events via flashbacks or nightmares, feel fear or anger, detach or dissociate, and feel estranged or unsafe.

Trauma/Difficult History

Trauma arises from exposure to distressing or life-threatening events. Its impact can linger, affecting mental, physical, social, and emotional well-being, and influencing daily functioning in lasting ways.

Self Esteem

Low self-esteem can deeply affect quality of life. Constant self-criticism and negative self-talk often fuel anxiety, sadness, depression, anger, shame, or guilt, making daily life more difficult.

Couples, Marriage Counseling

Couples therapy supports partners in addressing conflict and rebuilding connection. It fosters healthier communication where it has broken down and helps restore openness, trust, and stronger relationship functioning.

Family Therapy

Family therapy helps families improve communication and resolve conflict with a therapist’s guidance. It surfaces long-standing patterns, builds healthier boundaries, and strengthens trust at home.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Real Stories Of Healing, Growth, And Renewed Connection

Your Path to Personal Growth: Unlocking Potential and Thriving

Reaching out for support is a courageous step—and you don’t have to take it alone. At NYC Psychotherapy Cooperative, we begin by listening. We want to understand what’s brought you here, what you’re hoping for, and what feels hard right now. From there, we’ll offer gentle guidance and a clear plan, tailoring therapy to your pace, preferences, and goals.

Every person’s story is unique. We draw on a range of approaches—psychodynamic insight, CBT tools, mindfulness, and family systems—to create care that fits you, not a template. Whether you’re navigating anxiety or depression, relationship challenges, trauma, or a life transition, we’ll walk alongside you with steadiness and respect.

Your path to well-being starts with a simple conversation. Schedule a free consultation to ask questions, explore fit, and map next steps together. If you’re ready, we’re here—ready to listen, support, and help you move toward clarity, resilience, and lasting change.

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Get In Touch With Us Anytime!

Fill out the form, and our team will reach out to help guide your next steps.

113 University Place 10th Floor. NYC, NY 10003

Monday - Saturday 9 AM-7 PM

    Nyc Psychotherapy Coop

    We’re licensed psychotherapists, some with 30+ years’ experience, treating a wide range of concerns. We specialize in depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, self-esteem, and childhood-origin issues, plus premarital, couples, and family counseling.

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