Licensed to practice in New York and accepts 36 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, LGBTQ and 10 more.
Gary Pustel
(he/him)
Hey there! If your negative thought loops or emotions have impacted your life in some way, I'm here to remind you that you're certainly not alone - you're human. I view therapy as a chance to improve the thinking patterns that cause you to feel anxious or depressed, and keep you down for longer than feels healthy. My aim is to help confront these problem areas and then construct goals that ultimately bring about healthy change!
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session together, we will explore any existing problem areas in your life. Together we will create a set of specific goals that will allow us to gradually work upon the most important areas of growth for you. The subject of therapy is YOU, one that should be approached with both curiosity and care, and one that I would certainly be privileged to take part in!
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I am a solution-focused therapist at heart and I also lean on cognitive-behavioral principles in my practice. The combination of these tools usually leads to a high level of engagement and receptiveness with my clients! I also aim to use a calm, conversational tone throughout sessions, which encourages a healthy space to exchange thoughts, ideas, and helpful solutions.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
Let's face it: We can all somehow relate to the endless, negative thought loops and behaviors that keep us down. I work with adults and adolescents struggling with this in their daily lives, as well as those with mood or anxiety-related symptoms/disorders, and those facing unique struggles within the LGBTQ+ community. I work through a transparent, empathic, and solution-focused lens and strive to engage my clients' minds towards healthy recentering and progress. I believe that consistently doing so in an authentic way will allow you to feel lighter and more at ease with yourself, your thoughts, your life.
Specialties
Top specialties
Anxiety
Depression
LGBTQ
Other specialties
ADHD
Anger Management
Bipolar Disorder
Family Conflict
Life Transitions
Men's Issues
Mood Disorders
Peer Relationships
Self Esteem
Trauma and PTSD
I identify as
LGBTQ
Man
White
Serves ages
Adults (18 to 64)
Licensed in
New York
Accepts
Aetna
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
Amerihealth Administrators
Arlo
AvMed
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Anthem
Independence Blue Cross
Independence Administrators
Cash - $175 per session
Centivo
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
EAP:Cigna
EAP:Evernorth
EAP:UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Evernorth
Golden Rule
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Surest (formerly Bind)
Tufts Health/Cigna
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
Location
Virtual
My treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT techniques in my practice to explore the relationships between your thinking patterns, emotions, and behavior. Many of these techniques are largely used to deconstruct unhealthy thinking patterns that may be interfering in various areas of your life.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT skills are often used in my practice when issues of emotion regulation or impulsive behaviors are front and center.
Motivational Interviewing
I have successfully used motivational interviewing techniques to evaluate degrees of motivation, ambivalence, or resistance to making healthy changes - this can be especially helpful for making tough life decisions!
Psychodynamic
I often integrate psychodynamic techniques to help identify unconscious motivations that lead to unhealthy thinking patterns, emotional states, and/or behaviors.
2 ratings with written reviews
June 5, 2026
Great listener, gave me good feedback and things to think about.
Verified client, age 25-34
May 19, 2026
Very kind, patient, and seemed like he really wants to help me