Abbe Payne-MeiliLicensed Master Social Worker

Abbe Payne-Meili, Licensed Master Social Worker, 117406 is practicing under the supervision of Michael Sands (New York, LCSW, 033654-01) at Resilience Lab.

Please, note: A clinician listed as being “clinically supervised” is completing clinical hours toward their licensure. They have one or more fully licensed clinical supervisors that often have special training to become supervisors. They consult with their supervisor(s) on all of their cases, which means that, when working with them, you are getting the time and expertise of multiple therapists in your treatment.

After several years of operating a yoga studio, I became a therapist to address the connection between mental and physical health. As we move through our lives, our bodies carry the past histories, difficult experiences, and emotional baggage that we push under the surface. If we don’t address these traumas and stressors, they can present as a range of symptoms that impact our physical health, like muscle tightness, headaches, or chest pain. Combining therapy with mindfulness techniques like meditation and breathwork can bring these feelings to the surface so you can move through them and make space for something new. My own experience in therapy also inspired me to pursue this profession. After seeing how therapy helped me navigate some difficult life transitions, my hope is to guide each client through their unique healing process. My hope is for you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, feel seen and supported, and know you have a person in the corner who gets you.

The expectations placed on women can cause us to lose touch with ourselves or tune out our inner voice. Setting boundaries and advocating for ourselves are skills many of us need to learn to protect our mental health. By integrating mindfulness with techniques to rewire your thoughts, I create a space for identifying your needs and putting yourself first.

I’m excellent at reading and matching people’s energy. Depending on who I’m working with, I harness different facets of my personality to mirror what I see from my clients. For example, if someone is more quiet and contemplative, that’s how I’ll show up for them. If someone is more loud and bubbly, then I’ll meet them in that energetic space instead. I’m committed to providing a space of authentic, vulnerable connection where you can grow and engage in the self discovery process. I’m an interested and engaged listener. Clients can really speak for themselves without any judgment or agenda on my part. My style of therapy involves looking at the full picture holistically and drawing links between past experiences and what’s happening now. I have a hunger for knowledge and love to learn—not just about scholarly things, but also about what’s happening in the world, or what people are saying on TikTok, and how this might be relevant to your overall well being. The more I learn, the more equipped I am to help my clients through whatever challenges come their way.

During my time at a small private practice, I provided individual, couples and group counseling to clients with a wide array of concerns. I also assessed clients’ suicide risk, directed them to appropriate resources, and offered community support to high schoolers applying for college at a performing arts school. Today, I’m a proud member of Resilience Lab, the largest community of clinicians working to produce better outcomes and improve mental health access.