Alumni | MA in Counseling | NYU Steinhardt

Graduates of MA Counseling programs in Applied Psychology leave NYU prepared to support individuals and communities across a wide range of clinical and wellness settings.

Our alumni work in community mental health agencies, hospitals, schools and universities, private practices, nonprofit organizations, and substance use treatment programs, among many other settings. New York State licensure allows graduates to practice psychotherapy privately. Many go on to become licensed mental health counselors and build careers centered on psychotherapy, advocacy, supervision, and community care. Others pursue doctoral study and advanced research in counseling psychology, mental health, and related fields.

Across these varied paths, MA Counseling alumni remain connected by a shared commitment to meaningful human connection, lifelong learning, and supporting others through growth, healing, and change.

Counseling Careers in Practice

NYU Applied Psychology MA Counseling graduates bring their training into a wide range of professional settings, supporting individuals and communities through mental health counseling, psychotherapy, and wellness services. In this video, hear more about the counseling experience and the paths graduates can take as they build meaningful careers grounded in connection, advocacy, and care.

Alumni in Action

Finding Purpose in the Work of Grief

Abby Spilka’s path to grief counseling was not linear, but it was always there. At NYU, she found the language and training to turn a lifelong thread of care into her life’s work.

The Heart of Guidance

For Bilal Kalkan, the most profound lessons in the MA Counseling program didn't come from a textbook; they emerged through mentorship.

Purpose Beyond the Plan

Eileen Taveras' journey from rigid certainty to unexpected clarity reveals how letting go of the “plan” can open the door to more meaningful, purpose-driven work.

Sive sitting outside

Beyond the Straight Line

For Sive Egan-Djurovic, the transition from the stage to the clinic was not a sharp break, but a change in tempo.

Trusting the Unknown

Vanessa Sepul-Azcarraga’s realization that the culture of a space requires intentional creation completely transformed her therapeutic approach.

The Practice of Staying Present

Olivia P. Russo’s journey from student to psychotherapist reveals that some of the most meaningful work begins not with having the answers, but with the courage to stay present in uncertainty.

Arryonna Pinkney

Keep Going: A Letter on Depth, Resilience, and Becoming

For Arryonna Pinkney, becoming a counselor began with learning to see herself with the same compassion she hoped to offer others.

Turning Counseling Skills Into Workplace Change

Long before she was designing leadership programs and shaping workplace culture across NYU's global campuses, Diana Mendez was asking a deceptively simple question: What helps people flourish?

The Global Architect

From the therapy room to the boardroom, Haruka Kokaze is transforming how organizations approach mental health on a global scale.

Finding Hope Across Continents: The Journey of Dr. Sugi

Dr. Sugi’s global journey demonstrates how witnessing adversity can inspire a lifelong commitment to resilience, healing, and helping others rebuild after life’s most difficult moments.