Meet our Team

Helga Byrne

Founder and Director

Helga Byrne, LMHC, CASAC, NCC
Founder and Clinical Director

Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Credentialed Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor

Helga received her BA from Georgetown University and her Masters degree in Applied Psychology from New York University. Helga completed advanced training at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and also holds a Post-Masters Certificate in Clinical Approaches to the Addictions from New York University.

Specializing in individual therapy for professionals and career minded individuals, her approach is compassionate, direct and interactive, incorporating cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, Gestalt techniques and psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Organizational Consulting: Prior to beginning her practice, Helga had a successful corporate career where she oversaw sales, operations, customer service, communications, and process development and improvement for several luxury goods and apparel brands, including Tiffany & Co., A Pea in the Pod and Brooks Brothers. With over 15 years of corporate experience, Helga’s business background informs her understanding of the demands and challenges corporate professionals face.

Improving performance and building cohesion are crucial to a successful business. Helga also applies her psychology skills and other experiential techniques to businesses and organizations. Goal setting, motivating staff, effective reinforcement strategies, and role clarification are some areas she can develop in your organization to improve performance.

Emma Davidson

Psychotherapist

Emma Davidson, LMHC
Psychotherapist

Emma is a dedicated and compassionate counselor who specializes in helping clients navigate anxiety, insecurities, overthinking, and perfectionism. With her warm and empathetic approach, Emma is a trusted confidant and guide for those struggling to balance their personal lives with ambitious professional goals.

Emma received her B.S. in Psychology at New York University, where she graduated summa cum laude. At NYU, she showcased her commitment to understanding the intricacies of the human mind by minoring in both Gender and Sexuality Studies and Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. Emma furthered her understanding through her Neuroscience research where she focused on the interplay between biological processes and the formation of stereotypes and unconscious bias.

Emma then earned her Masters in Clinical Counseling Psychology at Northwestern University with honors. During her time at Northwestern, Emma continued her research pursuits and deepened her understanding of how identity and upbringing can profoundly affect individuals and their responses to various challenges.

With her extensive experience helping clients who work in highly competitive academic and work environments, Emma possesses an intimate understanding of the unique challenges that individuals face in the corporate world and the business sector. She is well-versed in the pressures and expectations that accompany ambitious careers, and she offers invaluable guidance to her clients seeking to strike a harmonious balance between their personal and professional lives. Using a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness meditation, and psychodynamic psychotherapy, Emma helps her clients not face these challenges alone and empowers them to lead happier, healthier lives.

Monica E. Foster

Mental Health Counselor

Monica E. Foster, MHC-LP
Mental Health Counselor

Monica received her BA in English/Creative writing from Converse University. She received her Masters degree in Counseling through Northwestern University. Monica’s professional background includes experience in the entertainment (actor, writer, director), health (E-RYT 500, yoga instructor and studio co-owner), and public relations industries.

Monica infuses her work with an experienced understanding of the stressors implicit in modern creative and professional endeavors. She offers an empathic and supportive environment to those experiencing depression, stress, and anxiety. Weaving her knowledge of breath work and mindfulness practices into her counseling, Monica’s approach incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic psychotherapy, and existential therapy.

With her compassionate support and tailored approach, Monica helps clients in navigating life's challenges and achieving their personal goals. She is passionate about helping individuals discover their unique strengths and potential. Through her counseling sessions, Monica empowers clients to develop self-awareness, build resilience, and cultivate meaningful relationships

Soyeon Cho

Mental Health Counselor

Soyeon Cho, MHC-LP
Mental Health Counselor

Soyeon specializes in helping adults across all life stages, addressing mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, grief, life stress, and relationship challenges, as well as supporting clients through major life transitions like career changes, divorce, and retirement. She also helps clients explore their identity, build self-esteem, and foster personal growth. Soyeon is particularly passionate about working with immigrant populations, including first- and second-generation families, helping them navigate the challenges of acculturation, cultural differences, and their impact on enduring family dynamics, relationships, and personal identity. Her compassionate and culturally attuned approach fosters understanding, resilience, and meaningful growth.

After earning her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State University, with a specialization in aging, Soyeon spent over 15 years in academia as an educator and researcher. She conducted extensive research on mental health disparities among minority older adults and mentored students from diverse backgrounds. Her passion for working directly with individuals inspired her to return to school to pursue a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from New York University, where she combined her academic expertise with practical, client-centered care.

Soyeon incorporates psychodynamic and humanistic frameworks, along with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, into her practice, customizing her approach to suit each client’s unique needs. In addition to her clinical work, she has facilitated community workshops on dementia, caregiving, and mental health for Korean American families, further demonstrating her dedication to culturally sensitive care.

Through a supportive and affirming therapeutic relationship, Soyeon empowers her clients to uncover their strengths, build resilience, and navigate life’s challenges with confidence. She is committed to helping individuals lead authentic and fulfilling lives.

Alex Smith

Mental Health Counselor

Alex Smith, MHC-LP
Mental Health Counselor

Alex provides a comfortable and secure space for you to release the pressures of your life at your own pace. You and Alex will collaborate and foster a foundation of trust. You will explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, both past and present, and see how each has shaped and impacted you. You will get to know yourself on a much deeper level while you work towards reaching your own individual, therapeutic goals.

Your concerns may come from the daily stress of work and relationships, from long-term narratives about family dynamics, or from curiosities about your identity and self-concept. Whichever it may be, in the work you and Alex will do together, you will start to become a more comfortable you.

Alex has worked with many people, each with their own unique story. He helps people with their anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief, as well as individuals with family and relationship conflicts. He specializes in working with the LGBTQ+ community and with people who are exploring their identity. Alex operates from a humanistic, psychodynamic, and existential lens, pulling in techniques from additional modalities as needed.

Alex received his Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Denver. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Economics from Middlebury College. Alex’s professional background includes project management, business analysis, and coaching.

Robin Kaye

Mental Health Counselor

Robin Kaye, MHC-LP
Mental Health Counselor

Robin is passionate about supporting adults of all ages navigating daily stressors, life-altering transitions, interpersonal challenges, and relationship issues. With a nonjudgmental approach, Robin fosters a therapeutic relationship where the bond itself becomes the foundation for healing and growth. Using a collaborative approach, Robin helps clients identify and address the thoughts and behaviors that may be holding them back from reaching their full potential. By uncovering patterns—both conscious and unconscious—Robin empowers clients to develop effective coping strategies for managing overwhelming emotions, fostering healing, and enhancing resilience.

After receiving a master's degree in education from NYU, Robin went on to teach elementary school in the New York City public schools. Following an enriching teaching career, Robin took time off to be a stay-at-home mother to her two children. Navigating her children’s learning difference diagnoses inspired her to pursue a degree from Bank Street College of Education, specializing in Studies in Education. While working with children experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties, Robin realized her passion extended beyond the classroom to helping families navigate parenting complexities. She went on to earn a master’s degree in counseling from Northwestern University. Her background in creating emotionally responsive classrooms and fostering healthy parent-child relationships gives her a unique understanding of attachment and its lifelong impact, which deeply informs her counseling approach.

Robin uses an integrative approach to treatment, customizing her methods to address each individual’s specific circumstances. Robin incorporates psychodynamic, attachment-based, and mindfulness techniques into her practice. She has also completed training in Humanistic Neuro-Linguistic Psychology (HNLP), a modality focused on reprogramming the nervous system's automatic responses through neuroplasticity and evidence-based sensory acuity. Robin integrates these approaches into her treatment to support her clients effectively.


Flatiron Mental Health Counseling is a private psychotherapy group conveniently located in New York City,
offering individual counseling for young adults (18+) and adults.