Josh Stieber, PhD
Psychologist
New York NY
My work is collaborative and paced. I’m attentive to readiness, nervous system capacity, and the ways people protect themselves from experiences that once felt too much. Rather than pushing for insight or catharsis, I help you stay with emerging material long enough for it to soften and take shape.
When integration is effective, clients often report a shift in how they relate to themselves. Experiences that once felt frightening or confusing become more approachable. Emotions feel less like threats and more like sources of information. This process can open a deeper sense of inner steadiness, humility, and connection—both to oneself and to others.
I came to this work through a long-standing interest in how people make sense of difficult inner experiences. Over the years, I noticed that people often felt comfortable bringing their struggles, questions, and uncertainties to me. I realized that this was not because I necessarily had the answers, but because I was willing to stay present with what felt confusing or painful.
Professionally, I’ve worked in multiple New York City hospital settings and completed my doctoral research with veterans at the Manhattan VA (I am also a veteran myself). In addition to private practice, I am a consulting psychologist at the Mount Sinai World Trade Center Mental Health Program. I also provide trainings on relationship struggles, sustainable self-care, and psychedelic therapies. These settings and roles have taught me to respect the ways the psyche protects itself, and the importance of approaching vulnerable material with patience, containment, and care.
1. Individual Therapy
I offer ongoing, longer-term individual therapy for clients seeking depth, continuity, and support over time. In this work, clients may choose to bring in material that has emerged from psychedelic experiences as they explore how to integrate insights, emotions, and shifts in awareness into their everyday lives.
2. Psychedelic Preparation & Integration
This is a more focused, time-limited process for clients who are planning to have a psychedelic experience outside of my care. Preparation sessions support clarity around intentions, emotional readiness, and grounding. Integration sessions help make sense of what emerged afterward, with attention to meaning, emotional processing, and practical application. My work in this area is guided by a harm-reduction framework and a strong emphasis on safety and containment.
3. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
In ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, I provide preparation, active ketamine-assisted sessions, and follow-up integration. Preparation focuses on emotional readiness and intention-setting, while integration supports reflection and consolidation of the experience over time. Sessions are conducted within a structured, therapeutic framework designed to promote safety, presence, and continuity of care.