Lillian Tsai, LCSW
New York · 20 years in practice
Lillian Tsai is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, trauma, and life transitions.
License and registration
- LCSW, New York
- 042265 · expires June 2027
- NPI
- 1750983110 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 20
- Languages
- English, Mandarin
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.
About Lillian
Lillian Tsai is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, trauma, and life transitions. She speaks English and Mandarin and practices from New York. With two decades of experience, she focuses on practical ways to cope and move forward.
Lillian centers sessions on each person's strengths. She listens first, then helps clients name what matters and set realistic steps. Her style is direct but warm, aimed at helping people feel understood and less overwhelmed.
Background and approach
She draws on Existential Therapy to help clients find meaning when life feels uncertain. She also uses Client-Centered techniques to follow the client’s pace and priorities. Cognitive Behavioral ideas are used when patterns of thought and behavior get in the way of daily functioning.
Lillian has worked in child welfare, victim treatment, and hospital settings over a 20-year career. That experience shaped her approach to trauma, domestic violence, serious illness, and caregiving stress. She helps people cope with issues like abandonment, codependency, and loneliness.
Sessions may address relationship concerns, self-esteem, career stress, postpartum and end-of-life issues, and compassion fatigue. Lillian aims to create a collaboration where the client’s goals guide each step. She supports international clients as well as people located in New York.
Her practical focus is on small, manageable changes that add up. She encourages regular check-ins and adjusts plans as needs shift. The work emphasizes real-life coping skills alongside deeper reflection on meaning and values.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Lillian lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Midlife crisis
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
Approaches Lillian names
- Existential Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
Approaches that guide online sessions
Existential Therapy helps people name what matters when life feels uncertain. It focuses on choices, meaning, and personal values to guide decisions and reduce a sense of emptiness. Client-Centered Therapy puts the client’s experience at the center of each session, with the therapist following the client’s pace and priorities to build trust and clarity. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviors influence mood and daily functioning, and it offers practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, symptoms, and preferences, then suggest which methods to try. This is a collaborative process and plans are adjusted over time based on what helps most.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video lets people read facial expressions and body language, phone works well when bandwidth is limited, live chat is useful for short check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different time zones while keeping the focus on practical coping and deeper reflection.
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Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, trauma, and life changes, including issues like caregiving stress, cancer, postpartum depression, and social anxiety.
What is her therapy style like?
She uses a collaborative, strengths-based style that listens first and then helps set practical steps. Sessions aim to combine emotional reflection with concrete coping skills.
What background does she bring to sessions?
She has 20 years of experience working in child welfare agencies, victim treatment centers, and hospitals, which informs her work with trauma and serious life events.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in New York and practices from New York.
Which languages are supported and can she work with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and Mandarin, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
She works with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to match different schedules and communication preferences.
How does pricing work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription plan that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start 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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