Brian Lissak

Brian Lissak, LCSW works with individuals navigating anxiety, phobias, relationship strain, chronic stress, and the lingering effects of trauma. In addition to addressing psychological pain, he also works with clients seeking to optimize performance—often professionals in high-stakes environments such as finance, law, tech, and the arts. Many of his clients are high-functioning, achievement-oriented individuals who are looking not just to feel better, but to operate at a higher level with more clarity, focus, and balance.

His approach to therapy is integrative, combining EMDR, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic insight, somatic understandings, and neurophysiological tools like heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback and neurofeedback. This allows him to address both the psychological and physiological components of stress, performance anxiety, and emotional dysregulation. His clinical lens is informed by deep attention to patterns of thought, habit, and unconscious defense, while also prioritizing practical, body-based tools for self-regulation and resilience.

Brian's work is grounded in personal experience: he is a former college athlete and military veteran, and these backgrounds deeply inform his clinical sensibility. He brings a level of discipline, directness, and empathy to his work that resonates especially with clients accustomed to high-performance environments. He understands the psychological toll of sustained pressure and the importance of building tools that are both strategic and sustainable.

He maintains a private practice in New York City and sees clients in person three days a week. He also offers remote telehealth sessions. Appointments are typically offered during daytime hours, with limited early evening availability for established clients.