Ivy Campbell is a licensed Social Worker in the state of New York who specializes in supporting adolescents and young adults. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology where she actualized her passion for promoting wellness within school-aged communities through her time spent engaged in political advocacy work. Ivy proceeded to graduate with honors from New York University, receiving her Master of Social Work degree. During this time, she deepened her knowledge of child and adolescent trauma through her work in various community-oriented educational and residential settings.
Utilizing a variety of evidence-based interventions, Ivy draws on valuable skills from the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) palette to help improve emotional regulation, mindfulness practices, and incite greater awareness of the mind/body connection. She values the incorporation of creativity, humor, and open-mindedness as you explore the dynamic textures of feelings and experiences.
Ivy’s approach is warm, empowering, and centered in the belief that all clients inherently possess an abundance of strengths to navigate life’s challenges. Her therapeutic style is informed by a drive to create a collaborative, equitable, and inclusive therapeutic environment. This approach honors the compassionate nature of trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practices that prioritize each client’s unique needs in the context of their environment. The foundation of your work together will ensure that you have an active voice in your own care every step of the way.
Ivy has vast experience supporting women and gender-expansive people with a variety of challenges. Specifically, she has worked closely with adolescents and adults who struggle with eating and co-occurring disorders. Drawing on her experience working in holistic residential & outpatient eating disorder treatment programs, she is equipped to work with a range of eating disorder behaviors from binging/restricting to exercise addiction. Whether she is meeting with you individually or facilitating a group, Ivy promotes a health-at-every-size perspective and advocates for radical body acceptance mindset in all adolescents and adults.
In addition, Ivy has extensive experience working with survivors of intimate partner violence; and those experiencing familial or relationship distress, homelessness, complex trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, PTSD, and a myriad of other life stressors.
No matter the challenge, she takes a holistic approach to care that embodies deeper consideration of root causes to physical behaviors/circumstances. This approach aids in the promotion of long-term wholeness and healing in the body, mind, and supports you in cultivating a strong sense of self. Ivy believes that every person has the potential and right to experience a balanced and nourishing life unique to your wants and needs.
1. Why did you choose to become a therapist?
I always tell people I chose this career path because it made the most sense to me. I’ll save you from retyping my entire college essay about an upbringing that subjected me to parental addiction, countless failed social services, and the influential teachers and community members that I feel saved my life, but the reasoning is in there somewhere.
After years of struggling to find my footing between art school, sociology, policy…it only took one psych class to open my eyes and bring me here. I fell in love with the fact that I could be the honest, open, and stable support to others that I needed as a young person.
2. What’s your favorite thing about being a therapist?
My favorite thing about being a therapist is the ability to empower and nurture the strengths in people that they struggle to see themselves, watching them uncover their brilliance. To provide honest connection and space to anyone who needs it is a beautiful opportunity.
3. What is your general philosophy and approach to helping?
I truly believe that every person possesses the ability to care for themselves and that often becomes lost in a myriad of external factors that lead us to believe otherwise. As a social worker, I bring a lot of understanding (and discussion when appropriate) about structural and systemic influences into my work, which has proven helpful for orienting clients in a position to lessen self-blame and promote self-compassion & empowerment. I keep things personable, fun, compassionate, and infinitely open minded in my work to allow space for everyone.
4. If you weren’t a therapist, what would you be doing instead, or what would your life be like?
I would absolutely be a painter. I have a fulfilling career as an artist now, painting murals and showing in galleries. This is second nature to me and the only other career investment I’d make.
5. What do you do for self-care? (Mindfulness practices, exercise, etc.)
I have become decent at pausing to stretch and breathe when the moment calls. Grounding myself in my body through stretching has proven very impactful for me when feeling too overwhelmed or stressed in a day, but really I have become a pro at allowing myself time to rest, sleep, and create.
6. What’s your favorite quote or mantra?
I would love to hear yours; I don’t know if I’ve ever had one I keep in my back pocket.
7. What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
I would tell my 16 year old self that she is capable and worthy of good things. It took a long time to rewrite that narrative.
8. If you could invite three famous people to dinner, alive or dead, who would they be?
I think I’d enjoy a gal pal hang with Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’keefe.
9. What’s something you are most proud of?
I feel really proud of myself for a ton of reasons, especially in the last few years. But after typing all these answers I am feeling most proud of my ability to connect with any type of person in any setting.
10. What do you wish other people knew about mental health?
This is a BIG question. I will say that one thing I wish other people knew about mental health is that we cannot expect people to thrive in a violent system. We can provide infinite mental health services to aid the problem, but if we focus more on promoting community care, investing in relative resources at the ground level (the list truly goes on), then people will have a better chance at caring for themselves.