ACT Therapy for High-Impact Professionals.
I'm Dr. Olivier van Hauwermeiren, a licensed clinical psychologist working with high-achieving professionals who are quietly struggling. My approach combines evidence-based therapy with the kind of honest, human conversation that actually moves things.
"You don't have to have it all figured out before you reach out."
Core Approach
"ACT has been evaluated in over 500 randomized controlled trials, demonstrating effectiveness across anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, chronic pain, and burnout."
Relationship First
I believe the therapeutic relationship is the engine of change. Before any technique, I focus on building genuine trust, the kind where you can say the thing you haven't said out loud yet.
Evidence-Based
I use ACT, CBT, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Prolonged Exposure because the research shows they work. No guesswork. Just rigorous methods, tailored to you.
Results That Matter
I know your time is valuable. We'll set clear goals and track real progress, not because therapy is a transaction, but because you deserve to see things actually change.
Where I Can Help
I work with a focused set of presentations. These are the areas where I do my deepest work.
Anxiety & OCD
Anxiety and OCD are exhausting. You've probably tried pushing through, rationalizing, or avoiding, and found none of it lasts. I use ACT, fused with ERP for OCD, to go beyond coping skills and address the underlying patterns driving your distress.
- Performance Anxiety
- Intrusive Thoughts
- Perfectionism Stalling
Trauma & PTSD
Trauma rewrites the story you tell about yourself. I use Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE), gold-standard PTSD treatments, to help you process what happened and reclaim your life.
How I treat traumaDepression & Relationships
Whether you're moving through depression that's dulled everything, or a relationship that's hit a wall, I offer a direct path forward: ACT for mood, and the Gottman Method for couples.
How I work with couplesHigh-Performers Under Pressure
I understand the pressure of rounding in a hospital, the stakes of a Series B, and what it means to be "the strong one." I work with professionals who are succeeding by every external measure, and still struggling.
The ACT Hexaflex
Acceptance
Acceptance isn't resignation. It's learning to stop exhausting yourself fighting thoughts that aren't going anywhere. When you make room for discomfort, it loses its grip on you.
Cognitive Defusion
Your mind tells fast, convincing stories. Defusion gives you distance from those stories so you can see them for what they are, just words, not commands you have to obey.
Present Moment
Most suffering happens in the past or future. Learning to stay grounded in the now isn't just mindfulness jargon. It's the foundation for clear decisions under real pressure.
Self-as-Context
No matter how much changes around you (job, title, relationship status), there's a stable 'you' underneath all of it. We work to access that so external chaos doesn't define you.
Values Alignment
Not your goals. Not your resume. Your values, what genuinely matters underneath the noise. Therapy without this is just symptom management. I want more for you than that.
Committed Action
Knowing your values is step one. Moving toward them, even when it's uncomfortable, is what therapy is actually for. We build real momentum, session by session.
A bit about who I am
Dr. Olivier van Hauwermeiren, PsyDLicensed Clinical Psychologist
I'm a licensed clinical psychologist serving New York City and clients across New York via telehealth. My clinical work is grounded in ACT, CBT, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Prolonged Exposure, and I work with couples using the Gottman Method. I offer sessions in both English and Spanish, my first language.
At the core of everything I do is a simple belief: people can change, and the right relationship makes that change possible.
Full bio, credentials, insurance & FAQ →
Choose Your Path
Pick the portal that matches your insurance or payment preference. Not sure which? Email me first, and I'll point you in the right direction.
Northwell Direct
If you're a Northwell Health employee or partner, this is your direct path in.
Aetna Patients
I'm in-network with Aetna. Book directly for fast insurance verification and scheduling.
Private Pay / PSYPACT
Out-of-network, private pay, or outside of NY? Through PSYPACT, I can see clients across 40+ states.
Evidence-Based Therapy Serving New York City
Every protocol I use is backed by clinical research. Here is what I draw on, what it treats, and the evidence behind it.
| Therapy | Primary Indications | Format | Evidence Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACTAcceptance & Commitment Therapy | Anxiety, OCD, depression, burnout | Individual | 500+ RCTs |
| CBTCognitive Behavioral Therapy | Anxiety, depression, perfectionism | Individual | Gold standard |
| ERPExposure & Response Prevention | OCD, phobias | Individual | Gold standard |
| CPTCognitive Processing Therapy | PTSD, trauma | Individual | VA/DoD approved |
| PEProlonged Exposure | PTSD, trauma | Individual | VA/DoD approved |
| GottmanGottman Method (Level 2) | Couples conflict, communication | Couples | 40+ years research |
Common Questions
Who does OVH Psychology typically work with?
Primarily high-achieving professionals in medicine, law, tech, finance, and the performing arts, people who are functioning well externally but carrying anxiety, OCD, burnout, or relationship strain quietly. Many have tried therapy before and come to OVH Psychology because they want something more targeted and rigorous.
What's the difference between ACT and CBT?
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) works by identifying and restructuring unhelpful thought patterns. ACT takes a different approach: rather than changing thoughts, it focuses on changing your relationship to them, building psychological flexibility so your thoughts lose their grip on your behavior. Both are evidence-based; most protocols at OVH Psychology integrate elements of both.
If something here resonated, that's worth paying attention to.
I offer a confidential 15-minute intro call, no commitment, just an honest conversation to see if we're the right fit.