Caroline Volel MD, MPH, LP
About Caroline
Physician, Psychotherapist and Licensed Psychoanalyst in New York
Thoughtful care,
shaped around you.
I am a New York board certified physician and licensed psychoanalyst offering psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis in New York City and Westchester locations, with online sessions available to clients located throughout New York State.
People come to therapy for many different reasons. Some are looking for solutions to a particular problem. Others need a place to feel heard while navigating a difficult period in their lives. Some want encouragement as they identify their own way forward, while others are interested in exploring the deeper questions and experiences that continue to shape them.
My role is to understand what brings you to therapy and develop an approach that reflects your individual needs, circumstances and goals.
A Career Grounded in
Medicine and Mental Health
My work as a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst is grounded in over three decades of experience as a physician, with training across pediatrics, preventive medicine, public health and mental health care.
I earned my bachelor’s degree from Columbia College, my medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College and my Master of Public Health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. I completed residency training in pediatrics and preventive medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital before undertaking four years of psychoanalytic training at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy in Manhattan.
Since 2005, I have worked with patients and families in schools and residential mental-health settings across Manhattan and Westchester. This includes three years as a House Physician in Psychiatry within Bellevue Hospital’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, where I gained experience working with complex mental-health concerns and supporting patients and families during periods of crisis.
Today, I draw on this medical and psychoanalytic background in my private practice, providing psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis in New York City and Westchester, with online sessions available throughout New York State. This varied experience helps me understand each person within the broader context of their health, development, relationships, history and lived reality —without reducing them to a diagnosis.
Columbia College 1986-1990
Weill Cornell Medical College 1992-1996
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health 1999-2023
New York Presbyterian Hospital 1996-2023
Bellevue Hospital 2023-2026
Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy 2019-2024
Stephen Mitchell Relational Study Center 2025 to present
Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy 2019-2024
Sometimes, you just need an ear and a practical observer, not a diagnosis
An Individualized and
Practical Approach
I use my decades of experience as a pediatrician to inform my customized therapeutic work with adults, adolescents, children and families in a deeper and more meaningful way than is often possible in a hospital or institutional setting. Private practice allows me to provide more personal, individualized care and to develop a fuller understanding of each person’s unique evolution.
My approach is psychodynamic and psychoanalytic, but it is also flexible and creative. Depending on the person and the circumstances, our work may be reflective, supportive, practical or focused on identifying patterns that have developed over time. I draw from elements of CBT, DBT, depth therapy, insight therapy and other evidence-based models of care. But I also recognize the role of spirituality, humanistic philosophy, somatic practice, exercise, nutrition, and social networks.
I am not looking to unnecessarily complicate or medicalize what is happening in your life. Sometimes you need a practical observer and a place to think openly—not another diagnosis. This is what “Practical Wisdom” means in my work: bringing professional experience and thoughtful observation to the realities of your life.
Who I Work With
I work primarily with adults who want to address difficulties in their lives in a proactive and thoughtful way. This includes high-achievers who may appear capable and successful outwardly while privately experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, uncertainty or a sense of being stuck.
Some clients arrive with a clearly defined concern. Others simply know that something does not feel right or want help making sense of where they are in life. You do not need to have everything figured out before contacting me.
I also work with seniors and, in selected circumstances, children, adolescents and families.
COMMON REASONS PEOPLE REACH OUT
Anxiety, Depression & Stress
Feeling Stuck or Uncertain
Deeper Self-Understanding
Practice at a Glance
Services
Psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis
Locations
Manhattan and Westchester
Online therapy
Available throughout New York State
Languages
Clients
English, French and Spanish
Adults, seniors, and selected children and adolescents
Insurance
Out-of-network; superbills available