- Warm interactive style
- Practical next steps
- Focus on strengths
About Derek
Derek Bakay is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in New York. He draws on 15 years of clinical experience to help people facing stress, anxiety, career questions, depression, and big life changes. He also addresses financial and money-related worries as they affect daily living.
His style is warm and interactive. Sessions focus on respectful listening and practical steps that match each person's needs. He avoids stigmatizing labels and treats people with sensitivity and compassion.
Derek blends client-centered methods with cognitive behavioral and solution-focused ideas. That mix means conversations emphasize what matters most to the person, explore unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, and try concrete steps that can make things better quickly. He works to tailor discussion and goals rather than using a one-size-fits-all plan.
His background includes work across clinical settings where he supported people with disability adjustment, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and career or academic difficulties. He often helps people weigh life purpose, midlife decisions, and issues around parenting and fatherhood.
People meet Derek for short-term problem solving or longer-term support. He encourages clients to use their strengths and to try small experiments between sessions. If finances, life transitions, or persistent low mood are making daily life harder, he offers straightforward, practical guidance to help move forward.
How his approaches translate to online work
Client-centered therapy focuses on the person and their priorities, with the therapist listening closely and shaping sessions around what matters most. This approach helps when someone needs understanding and space to make sense of decisions or feelings. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts and behaviors affect mood and actions and uses brief, practical exercises to test new ways of thinking. That method is useful for anxiety, stress, and mood concerns. Solution-focused therapy aims for small, achievable changes and often builds short-term plans and experiments to try between sessions.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has helped or not helped in the past. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.
The original biography does not list specific online formats, so confirm current session options before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by removing travel time and allowing sessions at convenient times. Online sessions also allow brief check-ins when a full in-person visit isn't possible, and they can let people use different communication styles - talking, problem-solving exercises, or focused homework - to get work done between meetings.
Areas of focus
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Derek commonly help with?
Derek works with stress, anxiety, depression, career issues, and coping with life changes. He also addresses money and financial issues as they affect daily life and relationships.
What is his therapeutic approach and style?
He uses a warm, interactive, client-centered approach combined with cognitive behavioral and solution-focused ideas. Sessions emphasize respectful listening and practical steps matched to each person's goals.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He has 15 years of experience working in a variety of clinical settings supporting people with depression, disability adjustment, caregiver stress, and career or academic concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
He is a licensed mental health counselor - LMHC - practicing in New York.
Are sessions offered in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. He is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.