Meet Dr. Olga Fuller
Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Olga Fuller is a psychologist who believes that the best therapy happens when clinical expertise meets genuine human connection. Dr. Fuller’s practice centers on helping people who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected find their way back to themselves—not by becoming someone different, but by developing the skills and insights to navigate life's challenges with greater ease and authenticity.
How I Came to This Work
I've been a New Yorker since I was five years old, which means this city has shaped nearly my entire life. I've experienced firsthand how the energy that makes New York exciting—the constant motion, the endless opportunities, the pressure to achieve—can also become exhausting. There's a particular kind of overwhelm that comes from living somewhere that never slows down, where you're always surrounded by people yet can feel profoundly alone.
What drew me to specialize in anxiety, OCD, and perinatal mental health was witnessing how many thoughtful, capable people were quietly struggling with these challenges while feeling like they should just be able to "handle it." I saw friends navigate panic attacks on crowded trains. I watched new parents try to appear effortlessly put-together while privately feeling like they were drowning. I heard stories of people whose lives were increasingly constrained by OCD rituals they felt too ashamed to discuss.
Becoming a mother to two young children deepened my understanding of how challenging it can be to care for yourself while caring for others, especially in a city where the cost of living is high, support systems are often far away, and the pace never lets up. These experiences taught me that needing help isn't a personal failing—it's a natural human response to genuinely difficult circumstances.
I became a therapist because I wanted to create the kind of support I wish had been more readily available: a space where people could be honest about their struggles without fear of judgment, where they could learn practical skills that actually work in real-world situations, and where they could feel genuinely understood by someone who gets both the clinical aspects of mental health and the lived reality of navigating life in New York.
What I Believe About Change and Growth
After years of doing this work, here's what I've come to believe
People are doing the best they can with the skills they have
When someone's "best" includes anxiety attacks, OCD rituals, or emotional overwhelm, it's not because they're not trying hard enough. It's because they need different skills or different ways of understanding their experiences. Once they have those, change becomes possible.
Symptoms are usually attempts at solving a problem.
Anxiety is trying to protect you from threat. OCD rituals are trying to make you feel safe. Avoidance is trying to help you escape discomfort. These strategies make sense—they just have significant downsides. Our job in therapy is to find better solutions that serve you without such high costs.
Growth happens in relationship.
Yes, I teach you skills. Yes, we work on changing thought patterns and behaviors. But the foundation for all of that is a relationship where you feel safe enough to be vulnerable, honest, and willing to try new things. The therapeutic relationship isn't just nice to have—it's essential to the work.
Struggle doesn't mean you're doing it wrong.
Therapy is hard. Facing anxiety instead of avoiding it is uncomfortable. Sitting with difficult emotions takes courage. Changing long-standing patterns requires persistence. If it feels challenging, that doesn't mean you're failing—it means you're doing the actual work of change.
You deserve compassion, not criticism.
One of the most powerful things that can happen in therapy is learning to talk to yourself the way a good therapist talks to you—with understanding, patience, and compassion instead of harsh judgment and criticism.
My path to becoming a psychologist was driven by a deep curiosity about why people struggle in the ways they do and, more importantly, what actually helps them feel better. I pursued training that would equip me with the most effective, research-backed approaches available.
Training That Informs My Practice
Academic Foundation
• Licensed Psychologist in New York State
• Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, St. John’s University, Queens, NY
• M.A., Clinical Psychology, St. John’s University, Queens, NY
• B.A., Psychology, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, NY
• Fluent in Russian
Professional Affiliations
• Member, International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
• Member, American Psychological Association (APA)
• Member, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
• Member,Perinatal Support International (PSI)
Specialized Clinical Training
Beyond my foundational education, I've sought out advanced training in the specific areas where I wanted to develop deep expertise:
• IOCDF BTTI Training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
• Advanced Certification in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Albert Ellis Institute
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C)
• Parent Management Training (PMT)
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
• Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT)
• SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) and SPACE adaptations for ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and FTL (Failure to Launch)
What Guides My Work
If you were to ask me what principles inform every decision I make in my practice—from how I structure sessions to how I talk about diagnosis to what techniques I recommend—these three would be at the core:
You Know
Yourself Best
You're the expert on your life. You know what you've tried, what works, what matters to you. I bring expertise in proven techniques. Together, we create an approach that honors your values and goals.
Our work is collaborative. You have a voice in every decision about our agenda, techniques, and whether our approach is working. Your feedback shapes everything we do.
Science Matters,
But So Does the Individual
I use research-backed approaches that work. CBT helps with anxiety and depression. ERP is highly effective for OCD. DBT improves emotional regulation. ACT supports meaningful living.
But therapy isn't one-size-fits-all. I adapt these tools to fit you. Your preferences, your learning style, what actually helps you make progress.
Context Shapes
Everything
Your background, identity, and life circumstances shape your experience. Effective therapy honors all of this.
I approach our work with cultural awareness and trauma-informed care. Race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and life experiences all influence how you move through the world. Sometimes external circumstances are genuinely difficult. I accept you as you are.
Let's Explore If We're a Good Fit
Reading about my approach is one thing, but experiencing it is another. The best way to know if my style of working resonates with you is to have a conversation.
That's why I offer a free 15-minute consultation call with no pressure to commit.
We'll talk about what brings you to therapy, I'll share more about how I work, and we'll both get a sense of whether this feels like the right fit. If it does, great—we'll move forward. If it doesn't, that's okay too, and I'm happy to suggest other therapists who might be better suited to what you're looking for.