About Ariel Wallins, LCSW
I’m Ariel Wallins, LCSW, a psychotherapist licensed in New York and Connecticut and the founder of Ariel Wallins Therapy Group. I work primarily with adults, with a particular interest in young adults navigating OCD, trauma, anxiety, relationships, and major life transitions.
My goal is to create a space where you can feel genuinely heard while also looking closely at patterns that may be keeping you stuck.
Clinical Approach
My approach is integrative, collaborative, and tailored to the person in front of me. I use evidence-based treatments such as ERP for OCD and EMDR for trauma when they are clinically appropriate, while leaving room to explore relationships, history, emotions, and whatever else may be affecting you.
I do not believe every session needs to follow a rigid protocol. Some work benefits from consistency and structure, while other moments call for slowing down and understanding what is happening more deeply. I value warmth, trust, and honest conversation, and I will also gently point out patterns or connections that may help you see something in a new way.
OCD & ERP Expertise
OCD treatment is one of my primary areas of specialization. I am trained in Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, an evidence-based treatment for OCD, and I have completed additional training in OCD, anxiety, CBT, and integrating ERP with ACT.
I work with concerns including intrusive thoughts, checking, reassurance seeking, perfectionism, and other compulsive patterns. ERP is most useful when it is collaborative and individualized, so we will work together to apply it in a way that fits your particular symptoms, goals, and life.
Trauma & EMDR Expertise
I am EMDR certified through EMDRIA and completed attachment-focused EMDR training through the Parnell Institute. I work with adults affected by trauma, complex PTSD, attachment wounds, difficult relationships, and histories of abuse.
EMDR can be a powerful part of trauma treatment, but it is not the only way I work. We will consider your readiness, comfort, history, and goals, and may use other forms of processing, relationship-focused exploration, or practical support when that is a better fit. Trauma treatment should be responsive to you, not organized around a predetermined sequence.
Training & Credentials
My professional training includes:
EMDR certification through EMDRIA
Attachment-Focused EMDR Basic Training, Parts 1–3, through the Parnell Institute
Training in Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder through Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy
Integrating ERP and ACT through the International OCD Foundation
Master of Social Work from New York University
I continue to build on this training so that specialized methods remain grounded in current clinical knowledge and thoughtful, individualized care.
Beyond the Credentials
Credentials matter, but they are only one part of the therapeutic relationship. Clients often tell me they appreciate feeling heard and validated while also being helped to notice something they had not seen before.
I bring warmth, compassion, curiosity, and gentle directness to the work, and I value humor when it feels natural. Most importantly, I want therapy to feel like something we are doing together, not something being done to you.