NYC’s Expanding Landscape for Mental Health Providers

Congratulations! You’re ready to launch your therapy career, and you’ve chosen one of the most vibrant, complex and dynamic places in the world to make a lasting impact – New York City. With over eight million residents living across New York City’s five boroughs, the Big Apple is as multifaceted as it is diverse, making it an exciting place to grow your career as a mental health professional.
With 1 in 5 NYC adults experiencing a mental health disorder annually, and 8% of the city’s population living with serious mental illness as reported by NYC Department of Health, there is growing demand for culturally competent clinicians to meet the city’s needs.

Take Time to Reflect

We encourage you to take time before kicking off your therapy career to consider the important question: Should you launch your own practice or join an established group practice?
This decision will shape not only your daily work life, but also your long-term goals, financial outlook and the type of clinical environment that you’ll be most comfortable to grow in. You might be drawn to the autonomy of solo work, or to the shared support and structure of a team. Either way, knowing your preferences will help set you up for successful career.

The NYC Therapy Market: Dense, Diverse and Digital

As more New Yorkers seek mental health services, there is a greater need for convenient, affordable and culturally competent providers. With the widespread adoption of teletherapy, therapists in NYC have a wide variety of clinical settings and modalities to explore whether in-person, remote, or hybrid.
New York City is also an extremely saturated market as Psychology Today lists over 6,000 therapists practicing across NYC. Competition for patients is high, but so is the opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Varied Practice Types

NYC’s mental health scene is shaped by a mix of private practices, hospital-affiliated groups, community mental health organizations, tech-enabled therapy platforms and solo providers. You’ll also find a strong emphasis on cultural competency, with services tailored to NYC’s immigrant, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC communities, and a deep need for trauma-informed care in underserved areas.
Whether you see yourself building a practice in Brooklyn, joining a Midtown group or serving families in the Bronx, New York offers a dynamic array of practice settings that allow you to align your clinical interests with community need. No matter which practice type you find yourself in, choosing tools that streamline your workflow will be key to maintaining your clinical focus and growing your impact.

Choosing Between Solo and Group Practice

If you’re uncertain which path is right for you, you’re not alone. Many early-career therapists explore both options as they develop their professional identity. To help guide your decision-making, consider factors such as:

Your appetite for independence vs. organizational support
How comfortable you are with overseeing and managing business administration
Your preference for collaborative environments vs. working solo
Your tolerance for risk and variability in income

Guided Tools Can Help You Decide

To support behavioral health professionals early in their careers, Valant created a free guided worksheet to help you understand your preferences and goals. The worksheet includes: