Therapy for Adults Who Want to Think and Feel Better

About Me

Hi, I'm Steven Jacob, LCSW. I work with adults in New York and New Jersey who are ready to understand what's really keeping them stuck and want more than just coping strategies.

My clients come from all walks of life—some are professionals dealing with work stress, others are navigating major life changes, and many are just tired of feeling anxious, depressed, or trapped in patterns that don't serve them. What they share is a willingness to look deeper and work collaboratively to create change.

I provide telehealth therapy throughout NY and NJ. I'm relational in my approach—I believe therapy works best when we can build a genuine connection. I stay curious not just about what's happening in your life, but about how the broader world might be affecting your inner experience. This helps us understand your unique story and find new ways forward.

My Background

I've always been fascinated by how human beings think and what drives us to see the world the way we do. That curiosity led me to mental health work over a decade ago, and it's taken me down some interesting paths.

Working in community mental health was eye-opening. You're working with people facing serious challenges that most of society never sees - people dealing with severe mental illness, trauma, abuse, and circumstances that had been cruel and unkind to them. It taught me that most people are doing their best with the resources and support they have available, and it's easy to be judgmental when you haven't experienced what someone else has been through. It also showed me how much our circumstances and experiences shape our thinking.

I also spent time in corporate consulting, which taught me how to see problems differently, synthesize complex ideas, and find creative solutions even when they're not obvious. As I continued developing my clinical therapy skills and working directly with clients, I had the opportunity to teach psychology at the university level. Teaching showed me that everyone processes information differently. Some people need stories, others need analogies, and you can't assume everyone starts at the same place.

This combination of clinical work, corporate consulting, and teaching shaped how I approach therapy today. Each experience taught me something different about human nature, problem-solving, and how to meet people where they are.

My Approach & What I Believe

I believe overthinking, anxiety, and depression often happen for reasons that make sense when we understand your story. Sometimes we get stuck because old stories about ourselves are driving current decisions, we lack clear ways to approach complex problems, our values are in conflict, or we're trying to achieve impossible certainty before taking action.

I use a flexible approach, drawing from different therapeutic methods based on what you need. But more than specific techniques, my job is to help you examine the patterns that keep you stuck and see them from different angles. I challenge the stories that aren't serving you, offer new ways of looking at old problems, and help you recognize when you're operating from narratives that limit your choices.

I'm not just listening passively. I'm actively helping you question assumptions, test out different perspectives, and develop practical ways to respond when old patterns show up. Real change happens when you can step back and see your thoughts and feelings as experiences you're having, not absolute truths about who you are.

The goal isn't to eliminate difficult thoughts or feelings, but to change how you relate to them so they don't control your decisions. When you understand your patterns clearly enough, you stop being at their mercy. You develop the kind of awareness that lets you catch yourself in the moment and choose a different response.