You can find a therapist in New York in about thirty seconds. Open any directory, type your zip code, and you'll see hundreds of names — all licensed, all qualified, all accepting new clients. The credentials are real. The availability is there. But something is missing from the search results that no filter can capture: will this person understand me? Not just my symptoms. Me — the way I think, the values I was raised with, the family dynamics that shaped me, the community I belong to, the faith that informs my decisions, and the specific pressures that come from navigating modern life within a tradition that most therapists have never encountered from the inside.
For members of the Modern Orthodox Jewish community, this question isn't academic. It's the reason many people delay therapy for years — not because they don't believe in it, but because they can't find someone who gets it. Someone who understands that family isn't just a topic for discussion but the centre of everything. That religious observance isn't a coping mechanism or a constraint but a way of life that brings both meaning and complexity. That the pressures of community, expectation, and identity create challenges that a therapist unfamiliar with the culture may misunderstand, minimise or inadvertently pathologise.
Dr. Anna Gribetz is that therapist. A Modern Orthodox Jewish therapist offering Personalized Therapy in New York — with a PhD in Clinical Social Work, a Master's in Social Work, a decade of clinical experience, fluent Hebrew, and the cultural understanding that comes from living within the community she serves. Her practice covers individual therapy, couples therapy, grief counselling, anxiety treatment, therapy for children and adolescents, and young adults — all delivered via virtual telehealth across New York, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island.
The Specialties — Grief, Loss, Chronic Illness, Anxiety, Depression and Life Transitions
Dr. Gribetz's clinical background is built on some of the most emotionally demanding work in healthcare — oncology social work. Working with cancer patients and their families means sitting with grief, uncertainty, fear, loss and the kind of life transitions that rewrite everything a person thought they knew about their future. That experience — a decade of supporting people through the hardest moments of their lives — shapes a therapeutic approach that is grounded, compassionate and unafraid of difficult emotions.
Grief counselling is a core specialty. Whether you're coping with the death of a loved one, the end of a significant relationship, a medical diagnosis that changes your life trajectory, or another major loss — Dr. Gribetz provides a space to process emotions that don't follow a convenient timeline. Grief doesn't resolve in five sessions. It doesn't follow stages in order. And it doesn't respond well to therapists who try to rush it, fix it or reframe it before you've actually felt it.
Anxiety — from generalised anxiety to specific anxiety disorders — is treated with an approach that goes beyond symptom management. Psychodynamic therapy explores the underlying emotional patterns that drive anxiety, helping clients understand not just what they're feeling but why — and developing healthier coping strategies that address the root rather than the surface.
Depression, relationship issues and life transitions — career changes, becoming a parent, divorce, illness, relocation, identity questions — are all areas where Dr. Gribetz's combination of clinical training and lived cultural understanding creates a therapeutic space that feels both professional and personal.
Psychodynamic Therapy — Understanding the Patterns, Not Just Managing the Symptoms
Dr. Gribetz practises psychodynamic therapy — an approach that helps clients explore the underlying emotional patterns that shape their thoughts, relationships and responses to life events. This isn't about receiving techniques to manage symptoms (though practical coping strategies are part of the work). It's about developing genuine insight into why you respond the way you do — why certain situations trigger anxiety, why certain relationships feel impossible, why certain losses hit harder than they should, why certain patterns keep repeating despite your best efforts to change them.
Many clients seek psychodynamic therapy when they want deeper understanding — not just "how do I feel less anxious?" but "why do I feel anxious about this, and what does it connect to in my history, my relationships and my identity?" This kind of therapy encourages meaningful self-reflection and produces long-term emotional growth rather than short-term symptom relief.
The approach integrates evidence-based methods while maintaining the depth and relational quality that makes psychodynamic work particularly effective for grief, relationship issues, life transitions and the kind of complex emotional challenges that don't respond well to quick fixes.
Jewish Community — Culturally Sensitive Therapy That Understands From the Inside
The Jewish community therapy page on Dr. Gribetz's site addresses something that most therapy directories don't acknowledge: the cultural, religious and familial dynamics that shape the personal experiences of Modern Orthodox Jews create a therapeutic context that requires specific understanding.
As a fluent Hebrew speaker and a Modern Orthodox Jewish therapist, Dr. Gribetz offers a space where faith, identity, family values and personal challenges can be explored with understanding and respect. This means not having to explain what Shabbat is. Not having to justify why you observe certain practices. Not having to worry that your therapist views your religious life as something to be examined critically rather than understood contextually. And not having to bridge the gap between your therapeutic work and your communal identity — because the therapist already understands both worlds.
For members of the Jewish community who've hesitated to start therapy because they couldn't find a therapist who understands their background, this cultural competence removes the barrier that credentials alone cannot address.
Who Dr. Gribetz Works With
The practice serves a range of clients across different life stages and challenges.
Adults navigating anxiety, depression, grief, relationship issues, chronic illness, life transitions and the emotional complexity of modern life.
Couples seeking to strengthen connections, improve communication, and work through challenges that are testing their relationship — from communication breakdowns to navigating grief together, from parenting disagreements to the strain of major life changes.
Children and adolescents facing anxiety, social challenges, family transitions, academic pressure, grief or behavioural concerns — with an approach adapted to younger clients' developmental needs and communication styles.
Young adults in the transition between adolescence and full adulthood — navigating identity, relationships, career uncertainty, independence, and the specific pressures that this life stage brings.
Virtual Therapy — Accessible Across New York
All sessions are conducted via secure telehealth, serving clients throughout New York — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and the surrounding areas. The office address at 45 Middle Neck Road, Great Neck, NY 11021, serves as the practice base, with virtual sessions providing the flexibility and accessibility that busy New Yorkers need.
Virtual therapy removes the barriers of commute time, childcare logistics and schedule conflicts that often prevent people from starting or continuing therapy. You connect from wherever you are — your home, your office, your car during a break — and the therapeutic relationship is just as genuine as it would be in person.
Insurance, Rates and Getting Started
Details on accepted insurance plans and session rates are available on the insurance and rates page. The FAQ addresses common questions about the therapy process, what to expect in a first session, and how to determine whether Dr. Gribetz's approach is the right fit.
Book a Free Consultation
Visit annagribetzphd.com to learn about Dr. Gribetz, explore specialties, check insurance and rates, read the FAQ, view areas served, or book a free consultation. Phone: 646-339-8210. Email: [email protected]. Compassionate, culturally sensitive, evidence-based therapy — for the moments when showing up is the bravest thing you can do.