Recent Reviews

“When we recognized that we weren’t able to resolve our issues without professional help, we decided to see a marriage counselor. We needed someone who would hear what we were saying, help us to hear one another and above all be trusted with the intimacies of our marriage. Thanks to her measured non-judgmental approach, sound counseling and abundant kindness , Irina Firstein expertly guided us to a more balanced approach to dealing with our problems while providing a safe environment for us to do so. Irina Firstein is a 10+, we feel confident in recommending her to those seeking couples therapy.” – Barbara C.

“Finding the right therapist is EVERYTHING, especially in delicate situations like a marriage. I was so glad that Irina was ours. I’ve had bad therapists in the past that very negatively influenced my life, and Irina is one of the best in NYC. My life is so much better now because of her. Highly, highly recommend.” – Summer R.

“I was going through a very trying time in my relationship and needed someone to help navigate us through the rough patch. Irina went above and beyond to ensure both my partner and I felt heard and the conversations were productive. Since going to her, I have noticed a huge change in my relationship with my partner and our family environment is much more positive for everyone. I highly recommend Irina should you ever need counseling!“ – Darby W.

“My husband and I saw Irina for a couple’s session. Irina exceeded our expectations. She’s very smart, knowledgeable, and effective. Irina was able to quickly understand a complicated situation and offer valuable insights.” – Dariya G.

“Irina is a very skilled counselor. She is very perceptive and provided me insight into the relationship issues with which I was handling. She then gave me suggested responses which have been most helpful. I recommend her without reservation.” – Shari W.

“I am an individual therapist who has referred many couples for couples therapy to Irina. I believe she is amongst the top therapists in NYC. She is very well trained, extremely experienced and she tailors her treatment approach to each client’s needs. My clients have told me that Irina makes them feel comfortable and safe from the get go. She is my “go to” couples therapist!” – Keira C.

“Irina has been a crucial pillar of my support system and I very much appreciate her insight and observations, which help me greatly as I navigate this next chapter of my life.“ – Ann D.

“I have been to a number of counselors on my own and as part of a couple, and Irina is hands down the best I have come across. During initial appointments you are, of course, sharing a lot of information, and Irina was able to quickly sift through the background information and hone in on the key issues. I also appreciated that she explained the context of her questions and her approach, so that we could see the bigger picture and how we could work together towards our goals. I think the context also helps when you have a partner more resistant to counseling. She is firm, but also compassionate. I highly, highly recommend going to see her.” – Shatra B.

“My then fiance and I approached Irina a few months before we got married. I found her to be extraordinarily insightful, fair and attentive. Irina has a computer-like memory and a God-given ability to see through the clutter and get to the underlying issues. Irina is a great listener and helps clients see perspectives they might not have been aware of. Highly, highly recommended.” – Amer Jan

“I am SO glad that I forked over the money for Irina even though I considered going a cheaper route. She is WORTH EVERY PENNY. Her method is not to be judgmental or even necessarily to give advice, but to be truthful and help people find clarity and understanding in their relationships. Her style is firm, clear, direct and no-nonsense, yet her tone is kind. She is very generous with her time, emails and I get the feeling that she truly cares about her clients’ well-being and future happiness. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IRINA for couples therapy and one-on-one.” – Sachi P.

“Irina’s dedication toward her goal to make couples happy is outstanding! Her approach is EXCEPTIONAL! She makes both of us reflect about our patterns without hurting our feelings. She does not criticize. She makes us criticize our own defects, just letting our anger/frustration being exposed without any judgment. In her office, we not only face each other, but we face our self vis a vis the other. Irina, we still need you, though we know we are getting better! THANK YOU!!!” – Sylvie

“Irina helped me through a very dark time in my life. It is no exaggeration to say that she saved my life, and has since been a trusted source of guidance and insight. Thank you Irina.” – Alexander

“As an experienced couples therapist myself, I highly recommend Irina. I have referred several of my own clients & their partners to Irina over the years, & she never disappoints them or me. Her experience & style helps couples get to work quickly & time-efficiently.” – Jeannine

“Irina is an extremely thoughtful, smart, kind and well-rounded therapist. She is patient and understanding and most importantly very helpful. We were very happy that we have met her at a difficult time in our life and she basically saved our relationship. We both recommend her highly and can only say good things about our experience.” – Natalia

“I was recommended to Irina by a good friend, who felt very helped by her. I came to New York at the age 7 and basically grew up here. I do, however, feel different from my “American” friends because my parents and extended family are different and I grew up with a different culture. So while I feel totally comfortable and very “American” too, I have some different issues, mostly having to do with my family. It is so helpful to have someone to talk to about these things who really understands what I am talking about and who is so aware of my background but also really understands our life here.” – Olga, 27 years old.

“My wife and I decided to try Marriage Counselling after she discovered I was having an affair with another woman for 6 months. She confronted me with text messages she found on my phone. We did not think we could find our way to a workable marriage at that point and a close friend recommended Irina Firstein. In therapy for the past 10 months, we have been working on healing the pain my affair caused to me and my wife and rebuilding trust between us. We have been working very hard to understand what happened that I found myself in another relationship, what was going on with me, with my wife and with us. We are starting to heal and move forward, this has been a fascinating journey, nothing like what I imagined this to be. My wife and I are able to communicate in the way we never have before, we are able to be more open and vulnerable with each other. This feels very different then event he relationship we had in the very beginning. I am very encouraged by this process.” – Eric, 38 years old

“When we came to see Irina, we were thinking about breaking up. We could not have a discussion without screaming within a few minutes. We have not had any intimate relations in over a year. This was our last chance at working things out before going to a divorce lawyer and we were pushed into this by a friend, an ex-patient of Irina Firstein. We have been working with Irina in therapy now for about 4 months and are seeing a lot of progress. We are able to have conversations without explosions, we can discuss things between us and are haring each other. We are also starting to reconnect sexually and are having affectionate feelings for each other again. Things look very hopeful for us” – Denise, 33 years old Rob, 36 years old

“It took a long time for me to decide to begin counselling. When I did, I did not really know how to go about finding a good therapist, as I did not feel comfortable asking anyone for a recommendation since I was a little embarrassed. I started to look on Google and found 4 therapists whose profiles, information and location were convenient and compatible with what I was looking for. I called all of them and Irina Firstein was the first one to call me back and did so within an hour of my call . I found her easy to talk to on the phone, she had an appointment for me within a day or so and whole process was very simple and painless. It has worked out very well for me”. – Richard, 41 years old

“I have been a client of Irina’s since 2006. Working with her has changed my life. I started therapy in the midst of a separation, out of a dysfunctional marriage, not understanding my choices in men and my behavior in relationships, as well as dealing with major self esteem issues. My work with Irina has led to a complete and total revolution in the way that I think about the world, it has inspired me to continue to self-improve and evolve. With Irina’s help, I was able to break my pattern of making bad choices in men and being an unhealthy partner. I have learned how to become an independent, self-confident, fully-formed woman. I am now able to choose healthy, supportive and loving partners and friends. I have also learned how to be empathic, reasonable, understanding and respectful partner and a friend.

Irina is extremely insightful and wise, she is able to deliver things that patients may not want to hear but need to hear in a very respectful and kind way. I have seen several therapists in my life, and I feel like Irina is the only one who truly “gets me” – because she has taken the time to truly understand me, understand where I was and understand where I want to go. That kind of an investment by a therapist in her patients is so incredibly unique and so highly valuable to those of us seeking help. I feel I can tell her anything and she will not judge me. Insights that she has had into my life have been dead-on and have truly helped me see where I went awry.
Irina’s help has led to a way of being which has reduced the amount of conflict in my life. I feel much of the time that I am a better, wiser, smarter and stronger person than I could have imagined.” – Amy,30 years old

“We came to therapy after I found multiple texts and emails on my husband’s phone after suspecting for a while that something was not right. I was hysterical and in total despair. Irina helped us understand the meaning of the affair and that my husband was not happy and was not getting many things he needed at home. This woman came along and gave him attention and boosted him up. I took him for granted. In retrospect, he did not communicate in a way I could hear that he was unhappy with our relationship.
It took me a long time to accept this but now we are slowly healing and getting closer”. –  Marsha,44 years old

“My fiancée and I came to Irina 6 months into our engagement. We started fighting a lot about the wedding, our families, where to live after the marriage, timeline for having kids, basically everything. She saved our relationship and made it possible to move towards the wedding in a much more peaceful and joyful way. She helped us take apart our fights and helped us have different conversations I which we could really see where each of us was coming from. We are forever grateful to her.” – Marcia, 27 years old

“I came to seek help from Irina Firstein when I realized my life was falling apart because of my drug use. She did an in-depth assessment and really helped me understand that I was using drugs to deal with chronic depression which has never been diagnosed or treated. She referred me to a psychiatrist who was great and he put me on antidepressant medication which along with weekly therapy with Irina, some sessions with my girlfriend and 12 step program enabled me to get a hold of my addiction. It is now 10 months and I am sober. I can’t thank you enough,” – Irina Peter N, 32 years old

“I came to see Irina because I had a sense of dread about coming to work, my boss was verbally abusive and when he screamed or looked at me a certain way, I felt like I froze. I could not understand this reaction but it became more and more difficult to come to work. I knew nothing about EMDR, just looking for a solid therapist. Irina introduced me to EMDR as she thought that my inability to stand up to my boss was related to a past traumatic event with an authority figure. She was correct. We identified a disturbing memory and targeted it for processing. I was done in 5 visits. It was unbelievable; I told my boss off and got a transfer to another department. It worked out very well for me”.  – Jenifer, 32 years old

“Irina Firstein helped us fall in love with each other again. We both are thankful for her professionalism and empathy. She understands human beings so well, it is like she is a scientist of human nature and emotions. Our kids are too young to know this – because of Irina they have two parents who love each other today.  Also, individual therapy with Irina improved my life a great deal. Thank you Irina!” – Ana Y.

Sessions available in person, by phone or on Skype.