Dr. Clara L. Fajardo

Accepting Clients

I've spent over 20 years helping adults and couples build lives that feel as fulfilling as they look from the outside.

Clinical Psychologist in Manhattan,

Services
  • Couples
  • Family

About My Clients

I specialize in working with high-achieving professionals who have mastered financial success but find themselves struggling with relationships and health. My clients often hold C-suite positions, run companies, or navigate high-pressure careers where vulnerability feels risky and time feels scarce. The higher you climb professionally, the fewer people you can trust with your real struggles. Your colleagues see you as competition.

My Background and Approach

I’ve spent over 20 years helping adults and couples build lives that feel as fulfilling as they look from the outside. I earned my doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Denver as a Dean's Scholar and completed clinical training at McLean Hospital, a Harvard-affiliated institution, and my postdoctoral fellowship at the Durham VA Medical Center, affiliated with Duke University. My background includes clinical work, research, and advocacy at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, The Austen Riggs Center, and The American Psychological Association, where I was one of two people nationwide selected to work with the U.S. Congress. I spent eight years at the Department of Veterans Affairs as a staff psychologist and training supervisor. I founded Branching Mind Psychology with locations in Seattle, New Jersey, and Chicago. My approach adapts to what each client needs rather than forcing everyone through the same process. Therapy with me is collaborative.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I approach each client with compassion, curiosity, and the conviction that people can heal and grow toward authentic lives. This conviction reflects my belief that people can heal and grow through sustained commitment, typically over months rather than weeks. My work is grounded in the belief that transformation happens through sustained commitment, and I approach each client with compassion, curiosity, and the conviction that people can heal and grow toward authentic lives. I value the trust you place in me, and I take that responsibility seriously, and this responsibility shapes how I approach each client with compassion, curiosity, and the conviction that people can heal and grow toward authentic lives. My personal belief is rooted in the integrative psychotherapy approach I practice, which draws from psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, and acceptance-based frameworks including CBT, DBT, ACT, and Internal Family Systems.

Techniques I Use

Specialties
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Other Techniques
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Internal Family Systems

Issues I Treat

Specialties
Anxiety Burnout Relationship Issues
Other Issues
  • Career Counseling
  • Family Conflict
  • Grief or Loss
  • Women's Issues
I have experience with the following
  • Christianity

At A Glance

  • Experience: 21 years of practice
  • Languages: English

Info

Email Dr. Clara
new york
Manhattan,

Reach out to Dr. Clara