Akiva Garellek Psychotherapy, LMHC

Akiva Garellek focuses on meeting his clients where they are. Working together with his clients and meeting their needs is of the utmost importance. He uses evidence-based models, such as CBT and DBT, in his practice. Even more importantly, he offers a great deal of empathy and will take on your problems and attack them as if they are his own.

Specialties

General Mental Health
Anxiety and Panic Disorders
Depression
Parenting
ADD/ADHD

Pay with insurance

UnitedHealthcare
Oxford Health Plans
Cigna
Aetna
UMR
Oscar
UHC Student Resources
Harvard Pilgrim

Pay out-of-pocket

$ $ $ $ $

$140-200
Sliding scale

A sliding scale is a range of out of pocket fees that providers accept based on financial need.

Locations

Fort Lauderdale
Offers virtual sessions

Licensed in

Florida
New York

“I'm a strong believer in working with children and teaching them to cope with their insecurities and issues while they are young in order to better equip them for life later on.”

What was your path to becoming a therapist?

One does not often hear about a child dreaming of becoming a therapist in the future, but my beliefs and passion have always been to listen to and help those in need. Prior to obtaining my education, the desire to empathize with and listen to people going through tough times was already part of me. My training has blessed me with the ability to use skills, such as play and sandtray therapy, while working with children.

What should someone know about working with you?

I'm a strong believer in working with children and teaching them to cope with their insecurities and issues while they are young in order to better equip them for life later on. The use of play is a gateway into understanding children and their needs. As Garry Landreth once said, "Toys are children’s words and play is their language.” In addition to my work with children, I enjoy educating and helping young and older adults who are faced with the challenges of anxiety, depression, OCD, and other mental health concerns.

What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?

Like other therapists, I maintain my license and specialties by attending trainings and obtaining new certifications. This includes training in DBT, CBT, play therapy, and other related educational opportunities. Collaborating with fellow colleagues and supervisors is among the many ways I keep informed and sharpen my diagnostic and treatment abilities.

How do your own core values shape your approach to therapy?

Utilizing empathy and building unconditional positive regard are among the special tools and necessary components to building a relationship with clients. I have been fortunate enough to practice and receive my education in New York City, which has given me the ability to be culturally sensitive while working with different populations, ages, sexes, and ethnic groups.

“Utilizing empathy and building unconditional positive regard are among the special tools and necessary components to building a relationship with clients.”

Interested in speaking with Akiva?