Maggie Vaughan, MFT, PhD
Founder, Executive Director
she/her/hers
Bio:
Maggie Vaughan, MFT, PhD, is an anxiety, depression, and couples specialist, the author of Depression Relief Journal, and the founder of Happy Apple®. She works with adult individuals and couples from her Columbus Circle office in Manhattan.
Dr. Vaughan earned degrees from Duke University, the California Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology, and the University of Southern California (USC). Her approach is non-judgmental and empathetic, and her interventions draw from existential, attachment, and cognitive-behavioral theories, among others. As a Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider, she also incorporates an understanding of how lifestyle factors—such as health conditions, nutrition, supplementation, mindfulness, and other mind-body practices—can influence mental health.
Dr. Vaughan’s work has been featured by CNBC, The New York Times, HuffPost, and BBC Radio. She has been named “Best Marriage Counselor” by The Manhattan Award Program, “Best in Counseling and Mental Health” by the Best Businesses of Manhattan Award Program, and received the “Counseling and Mental Health Excellence” honor from The Manhattan Small Business Excellence Awards program. She is licensed in NY, NJ, DE, and CA.
With over 15 years of clinical experience, Dr. Vaughan sees clients in person near Columbus Circle and Midtown Manhattan, as well as online.
Publications:
Depression Relief Journal: Creative Prompts & Mindfulness Practices to Release Negative Emotions
Beyond Perfect: How Overwhelmed Parents Can Break Free from Performance Culture (scheduled for release in July 2026, by Wiley Publishing)
Education & Training:
Duke University - B.A. in Political Science
University of Southern California - M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy/ Counseling Psychology
The Chicago School - PhD in Clinical Psychology
Get to know Maggie
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Therapy is for anyone who wants to live more intentionally and evolve into the fullest version of themselves. The people who get the most from therapy are often those who come in before everything falls apart, simply because they're curious about their patterns and want to understand why they keep recreating the same relationship dynamics or feeling disconnected despite having it all together on the surface. From an existential and attachment perspective, therapy is really about examining the unconscious choices we make about who we are and how we show up in relationships, understanding why we shut down when we need connection or cling when we're scared. If you're someone who is already drawn to growth—therapy just gives you a trained, compassionate witness who helps you see the blind spots and patterns you can't spot on your own.
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I know someone is ready to make real change when they stop judging their shortcomings and start getting curious about them. There's a shift that happens—from "Why do I keep doing this? What's wrong with me?" to "Hmm, I wonder why I do this. What am I protecting myself from?" That move from self-criticism to self-understanding is where the real work begins. When clients can look at their patterns with compassion instead of shame or self-consciousness - that's when breakthroughs happen.
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City living amplifies everything—the pressure to achieve, the comparison trap, the constant stimulation that makes it hard to hear yourself think. I help clients create intentional pockets of connection and meaning in the chaos. From an attachment perspective, cities can trigger our deepest fears of invisibility or inadequacy—you're surrounded by people yet can feel profoundly alone, or you're achieving by external standards but feel empty inside. We work on distinguishing between authentic desires from outside expectations. I help clients get curious about what they're actually running toward versus what they're running from, and how to build relationships—with partners, kids, and themselves—that feel grounding rather than like one more thing on the never-ending to-do list. It's about finding your own rhythm in a city that rewards relentless pace.
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Honestly? Their joy is mine. When a client has a breakthrough—when they finally set a boundary without guilt, or repair a rupture with someone else instead of shutting down, or catch themselves mid-pattern and choose differently—I feel that excitement with them. I think that comes through in our work together. I'm not a detached observer taking notes; I'm on the journey with them, and my clients know their growth matters to me.