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Meet Ayanna

A woman with long dark hair and glasses looks directly at the camera, sitting in a room with a bookshelf filled with books. There is a framed colorful artwork of a building and tree on the wall behind her, and a potted plant is visible in the corner.

Ayanna is a Licensed Therapist based in Brooklyn, NY. She provides a mix of traditional talk therapy and trauma-informed practices in her work with adults looking to overcome the effects of adversity and childhood trauma.

Ayanna has worked extensively with youth, families, and young adults within the foster care system providing psychotherapy, behavioral intervention, and advocacy.  She completed her graduate training providing individual and group therapy within the substance abuse field and group practice setting. Ayanna has completed her Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies though the Trauma Research Foundation and is a Certified Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (TF-CBT). She has additional training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, and Polyvagal Theory. 

She provides an integrative approach to her work with individuals, pulling on methods rooted in the science of attachment and relational neuroscience. At the core of her work is the belief that a strong and compassionate therapeutic connection is the foundation for successful treatment, allowing for personal growth, curiosity, insight, and healing. 

Passionate about trauma work, Ayanna continues her post-graduate training through self-study and continuing education in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the Gottman Method, and Somatic approaches. She resides in Queens, NY with her partner and their 7-year-old Aussie mix named Buddy. 

Education & Training

  • International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, 2026, Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) Essentials

  • EMDR Consulting, 2024, EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) Therapy

  • Trauma Research Foundation, 2023, Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies

  • Polyvagal Institute, 2023, Felt Sense Polyvagal Model: A Certificate for Treating Trauma and Addiction

  • Center for Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents, 2022, Certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC): 011973

  • National Certified Counselor (NCC): 1094955

  • St. John’s University, 2019, M.S.Ed Clinical Mental Health Counseling

  • St. John’s University, 2017, B.A. Psychology

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What I Often Help With

Many of the people I work with are high-functioning on the outside — capable, accomplished, dependable — while quietly carrying more than it looks like. Often, that shows up as:

  • A nervous system that stays braced, even when things are objectively okay

  • Difficulty resting, slowing down, or feeling truly present

  • Shame or a persistent sense of not being "enough," despite evidence to the contrary

  • Numbness, disconnection, or difficulty naming what you feel

  • Anxiety or low mood that doesn't seem tied to any one clear cause

  • Big life transitions that are stirring up old, familiar feelings

  • Family-of-origin dynamics that still shape how you move through the world

  • A sense of being stuck, even after doing meaningful work in therapy before

Together, we work to understand how these patterns took root, build a felt sense of safety in your body and mind, and create change that lasts.

Book an Intake

  • "Ayanna Obando is one of the most caring health care professionals I have ever received help from. Each visit we have benefits me in every way needed and I truly look forward to each one of our sessions. She is brilliant at what she does!"

    Client Review

  • "Ayanna creates a very safe and compassionate environment for her patients. I am incredibly grateful for the amount of grace Ayanna has shown me during our sessions together but also being able to learn from her example and offer myself that same kind of grace. I think therapy has been a very necessary part of my own emotional growth and I very much appreciate the support and kindness Ayanna has offered me throughout my journey. I would highly recommend Ayanna if you are also looking to process emotionally challenging things and are looking to learn more about your own mental health."

    Client Review

  • "Ayanna is very attentive and compassionate. I sometimes have a hard time opening up and she is patient and has helped me open up about things that are hard to talk about. I highly recommend her as a therapist and feel lucky to have found her after a few failed attempts at therapy."

    Client Review

  • "Ayanna is truly wonderful. She is an excellent listener, she asks questions that challenge my thought processes, and she seems to really care for my well-being! I appreciate having found such an amazing therapist."

    Client Review

  • "I really connected with this provider. I have been able to work through a lot of things as she’s made me feel safe and comfortable during our sessions."

    Client Review