Online Therapist in Albany, NY
For Overthinkers, Overgivers, and Overachievers
Krystle Hearley is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in Albany, NY, serving adults throughout the Capital Region and across New York State via teletherapy. She works with adults who look steady to everyone around them while privately feeling stretched thin or overwhelmed. Sessions happen online, so you can get consistent, professional support from home, work, or wherever you feel most at ease, without adding a commute to an already full week.
What we can work on together
If you’re here, you likely already know what isn’t working—you just don’t know how to change it. Our work together focuses on helping you understand why those patterns keep happening and, more importantly, how to shift them.
My specialities
Therapy for Overthinking & High-Functioning Anxiety
On the outside, you have it all together. You meet every deadline, anticipate every problem, and never let a ball drop. Internally, however, a constant voice that tells you that you are one mistake away from everything falling apart. This brand of perfectionism leads to a secret exhaustion and a feeling of being a fraud despite your success.
Self-Worth Therapy
& Low Self-Esteem
Many people enter their 30s and 40s carrying internalized expectations about what their life “should” look like. When reality doesn’t match that blueprint, it can show up as self-doubt, comparison, or a persistent sense of not being enough. Therapy can help you untangle those beliefs and rebuild a more grounded sense of self-worth that isn’t dependent on external milestones or societal timelines.
Therapy for Relationship Patterns & Setting Healthy Boundaries
You are likely the person everyone calls because they know you will say yes. You’ve become the emotional anchor for your friends, your family, and maybe even your workplace. While you value being helpful, your self-worth has become dangerously tied to being needed.
Therapy for Feeling
Stuck & Life Transitions
Feeling stuck is often less about something being wrong and more about reaching a natural turning point. Many people notice during life transitions, such as in midlife, when old goals no longer feel meaningful, but new direction hasn’t fully formed yet. This in-between space can feel uncomfortable, but it can also be an opportunity to reassess priorities and move toward a life that feels more aligned and intentional.
Not sure where to start?
Fill out the inquiry form, with an option to schedule a free 15-minute video consultation.
Albany and the Capital Region
Online Therapy
PROS
Attend a session no matter where you are in New York
A meaningful therapeutic relationship can still be developed
Saves time and gas
Allows for attendance during inclement weather or illnesses
cons
Establishing privacy is your responsibility
Occasional technology interruptions
Nonverbal communication such as a shaking knee can be missed
For those struggling to get out of their home, online therapy can be initially helpful but ultimately reinforce avoidance
If you decide you are comfortable holding our sessions online, you may review my Use of Technology Informed Consent here before we begin.
It outlines how online sessions work, the benefits and limitations, and the privacy, logistical, and technology considerations involved.
Meet Krystle Hearley
your Capital Region therapist
A Mental Health expert in pattern-breaking & perspective shifting
I am all too familiar with how so many struggles boil down to the same deep needs: to be seen, supported, understood, or safe.
And because I naturally untangle what feels messy to find meaning and clarity, I help clients see themselves with more compassion.
I was taught that a leader should never ask someone to do something they haven’t done themselves, and that belief shapes everything I do. I walk alongside my clients, offering insight, perspective, structure, and space.
With that said, I recognize that struggles and growth often happen outside of our individual therapy sessions together. So, it’s my goal to ultimately show clients how to become their own therapist by guiding themselves through setbacks, processing their emotions in real time, and shifting their thoughts instead of spiraling in them.
That’s why this work lasts.
I earned my Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling at The College of Saint Rose in Albany in 2014. Since getting fully licensed as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I’ve worked throughout the Capital Region—in Slingerlands, Watervliet, downtown Albany, and East Greenbush.
After more than a decade as a therapist in Albany, I’ve grown to understand that the Capital Region can feel wonderfully connected and sometimes very small.
Online therapy offers a comfortable way to meet without traveling to an office, navigating a waiting room, or worrying about seeing someone you know along the way. From a private location of your choosing, you can access thoughtful, confidential care wherever you are in the Capital Region or elsewhere in New York State.
Outside of therapy
A few things
that shape who I am
I grew up in Schodack Landing, NY.
Before beginning my career in mental health counseling, I served four years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps.
I value and prioritize managing my own mental and emotional well-being, not just supporting others with theirs
Individual Therapy Services
Areas Served
Clifton Park
Colonie
Delmar
Guilderland
Hudson
Kinderhook
Latham
Saratoga Springs
Troy
…and more
My vow to clients
I help people stop the runaway train of their thoughts & soften the expectations placed on them
That means learning to let go of "doing it right" in favor of doing what actually works for you. By separating your sense of worth from how much you give to others, you end your people-pleasing behaviors and work on setting healthy boundaries that protect your energy without the crushing weight of guilt that usually follows.
THE TRANSFORMATION I OFTEN OBSERVE:
1. Challenging societal timelines and “rules”
Learning there is no universal agenda, and “never,” “always,” and “should” are fear-based rules, not facts.
2. Reframing thoughts and feelings
Recognizing that emotions and thoughts are valuable information, but not facts, helps you respond rather than react.
3. Identifying inherited stories
Understanding that many beliefs we operate from come from childhood, culture, or past relationships allows clients to separate what’s truly theirs from what’s been handed down.
4. Creating self-compassion
Learning that emotional distress isn’t a character flaw and has nothing to do with self-worth.
5. Emotional evolution
Developing a deeper understanding of the role thoughts, beliefs, and emotions play in their lives empowers them to feel more in control of their lives, and no longer stuck.
6. Changes in daily life
New way of thinking leads to increased bravery, self-belief, and confidence to stand up for themselves — being now less concerned about others’ opinions and judgements.
Investment & Fees
A 45-minute individual therapy session is $155 (CPT code: 90834). Your rate is locked in for a minimum of one year from your start date. I review rates annually each January 1st, and any adjustment to your rate will take effect no sooner than the following January 1st after your first full year with me.
There are several ways this cost can be reduced:
Out-of-network insurance benefits can offset the fee significantly, and I provide superbills for clients to submit for reimbursement.
I hold 3 spots for active clients experiencing temporary financial hardship, available at a 25% discount.
I believe therapy should be accessible. If cost is a concern, I'm happy to discuss what works for your situation.
Please note: Your first appointment is an in-depth session where I learn more about you, your medical history (if applicable), discuss your goals, narrow in on how I can be most helpful, and start making our plan for working together. The fee for this session is $180.
ready to feel better?
Over time, my clients often notice:
Changes in thinking patterns
Less second-guessing every conversations or decisions
More clarity around what they actually want
The ability to pause instead of reacting automatically
Stronger boundaries without overwhelming guilt
A quieter, more grounded internal dialogue
More content with who they are
Impact on daily life
Feeling less pressure to follow societal expectations
Greater readiness to handle life’s challenges independently
Less concern about others’ opinions and judgments
Bravery, self-belief, and confidence to stand up for themselves
Reduced fear, anxiety, and avoidance
Improved communication skills
Have you been struggling to find a therapist in the Albany area?
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Yes. I am based in Albany, NY. I can serve as your therapist provided you are physically located anywhere in New York State. You may notice a New York City address for Arden Way Therapy. That is only for official mailing purposes.
-
-
A 45-minute individual therapy session at Arden Way Therapy is $155 (CPT code: 90834), which falls within the typical range for licensed providers in New York — generally $100–$250 (outside NYC).
-
I am not an “in‑network provider” with any insurance companies, but many clients are able to use their insurance plan’s out‑of‑network benefits.My clients have had success using out-of-network benefits with Aetna, The Empire Plan, United Healthcare, and more.
You can check here to learn if you have out-of-network benefits for mental health services. If you do, I am happy to submit claims for you. OON benefits most often have a deductible to meet first.
-
You’re still welcome to work with me on a private‑pay basis. We’ll talk about fee structure, and any sliding scale availability I may have.
There are many community services throughout the Capital Region that can offer lower cost mental health services. If that interests you, I’m happy to help connect you.
Therapy shouldn’t be inaccessible, so I’m happy to discuss what works best for your situation.
-
You may be a good fit for Krystle’s individual therapy services if you relate to appearing capable and dependable to others, while privately feeling anxious, stretched thin, stuck in overthinking, or unsure how to make choices that feel like your own.
Krystle offers the option of a free 15-minute video consultation for new clients. Schedule it here.
For more FAQS, visit this page.
