- Years in practice
- 4
- Credentials
- LMHC
- Licensed in
- New York
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- LGBT
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
About Jay
Jay Sontag is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in New York. Jay combines a humanistic, client-centered stance with existential ideas to help people clarify what matters to them and handle everyday challenges. They bring four years of clinical experience to conversations about relationships, identity, and parenting concerns.
Jay focuses on supporting people dealing with LGBT-related matters, relationship strain, grief, and parenting stress. They also address issues such as adoption and foster care, caregiver burnout, communication problems, and questions about sexuality and gender.
Background and approach
Sessions aim to be straightforward and practical, with attention to each person's values and goals. In session Jay listens closely and helps clients tell their story in new ways. They use narrative approaches to explore how past experiences shape current choices.
Motivation-focused techniques help people find small, doable steps when change feels overwhelming. Jay is non-binary and draws on lived experience to understand identity questions. Their background as a New Yorker and interest in community and restorative justice influence how they think about relationships and social context.
Jay works in English and offers therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. The first meetings focus on what matters most to the client and on setting simple goals. From there Jay and the person decide which methods to try and what progress looks like over time.
What Jay works with
Everything Jay lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Jay helps people with.
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Life purpose
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Sexuality
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Jay lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Existential Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and responding to each person's experience. In practice this means the therapist reflects what the client says, asks curious questions, and follows the client's pace to build clarity and confidence. This approach helps when someone feels stuck or unsure about next steps.Narrative therapy works by looking at the stories people tell about their lives. Together the client and therapist identify patterns, separate problems from the person, and imagine new ways to live. This can be useful for relationship questions, identity concerns, and parenting stress where past stories shape current behavior.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Jay will discuss different options and tailor methods to the client's goals, needs, and preferences. They encourage input from the person each step of the way so treatment feels relevant and practical.
Online formats offer flexibility that many people need. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for in-depth sessions. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to fit brief conversations into busy schedules or to follow up between sessions. These options let clients choose what best fits their routines and comfort.
Questions people ask about Jay
What kinds of concerns can Jay help with?
Jay works with people facing LGBT-related concerns, relationship strain, grief, and parenting stress. Additional topics include adoption and foster care, caregiver issues, sexuality, and family of origin problems.
What is Jay's therapeutic style like?
Sessions are grounded in a client-centered, humanistic approach blended with existential questions. Jay helps people clarify values, tell their stories in different ways, and find practical next steps.
How much clinical experience does Jay have?
Jay has four years of experience providing counseling in New York. That experience includes work with a range of relational and identity-focused concerns.
What are Jay's credentials and where are they based?
Jay holds the LMHC credential and practices in New York as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Jay offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin therapy?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.
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