Explore businesses and organizations from diverse cultural communities in New York. Find law firms, medical practices, restaurants, retail stores, nonprofits, and community organizations owned by or serving multicultural populations. Connect with establishments that bring global perspectives and celebrate cultural diversity in their services.
I’m Lauren, a Holistic and solution-oriented psychotherapist licensed in the state of New York, and founder of Every Body Therapy. I practice through a social justice, trauma-informed, body liberationist, and Health at Every Size (HAES)® lens. Along with my clients, I aim to co-create a therapeutic space that is grounded in empathy, collaboration, healing, and insight.
A session with me will feel both supportive and challenging. I aim to encourage you to embrace discomfort in order to get to the root of the issue. From there, we will work as a team to process, honor, and heal whatever lies beneath. I contribute the clinical expertise, and you contribute your own insight and experience.
I hold two B.A.s from Boston University in Psychology & Philosophy and Forensic Developmental Psychology. I also received my Masters in Clinical Social Work from The Columbia University School of Social Work. I am ASDAH, NASW, and EMDRIA affiliated.
I am IFS and EMDR trained and have post-graduate training in Substance Use/Chemical Dependency from the Yale School of Medicine as well as in CBT-E. In addition to my private practice work, I act as a guest facilitator for Global Girls Prep's Women-In-Action program, connecting with students who are interested in deepening their learning of body politics and the relevant systemic and societal harm. I also offer consulting for those looking to further their mental health competency within their workplace or school.
Ryan Forbes is a litigation attorney with a practice focusing on criminal defense, governmental investigations, and civil rights claims. During his career, Ryan has investigated and defended felony matters, represented clients in several trials to verdict, drafted and researched related motions and appeals.
Ryan has represented clients under Government investigations by agencies such as the United States Attorney’s Office, State Attorney General’s office, and Homeland Security. He also commits significant time to pro bono matters, including representing non-profit organizations in civil litigation and representing plaintiffs in § 1983 civil rights cases.
While in law school, Ryan served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Judge Richard Rivera, Supervising Family Court Judge, Third Judicial District, Albany County Family Court, and Acting Supreme Court Justice, Third Judicial District. While there, he primarily worked with family offenses and juvenile delinquency cases, as well as Title 9 prisoners’ rights cases. His academic tenure included working with Prisoners Legal Services of New York and The Legal Aid Society, where he drafted motions for conventions against torture and stay of deportation. Ryan has also worked with the Albany County Community Police Review Board to create a disciplinary matrix for police misconduct violations committed by officers.
Ryan earned his J.D. from Albany Law School with a Certificate in Criminal Law with Honors. He was a member of the Albany Law Moot Court Travel Team, where he participated in the Dean Jerome Price Memorial Evidence Competition and the Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition. He received his undergraduate degree from Towson University where he majored in Philosophy, Law and Politics. During his time at Towson University, Ryan completed an internship with the Public Justice Center of Washington D.C. assisting with tenants’ rights claims. He also served as the Community Outreach Chair for the Black Student Union, overseeing the coordination of over 300 community service hours for the organization. This involved building a community garden and mentoring high school students through the College Readiness Outreach Program.
Meet Frayde Yudkowsky, LSW, LMSW, CTP
Founder of THRIVE! Mental Health
Therapist • Educator • Advocate • Community Activist • System • Fashionista
Hi!! I’m Frayde Yudkowsky — and yes, I wear a lot of hats. Literally and figuratively.
I’m a licensed therapist in NY, NJ, and AZ, a Certified Trauma Professional, the proud founder of THRIVE! Mental Health, and a lifelong advocate for healing, honesty, and radical compassion.
I’m also a polyfragmented system living with DID, and that lived experience is my badge of honor. It’s the heartbeat behind everything I do.
My Work in the World
Since childhood, I’ve been drawn to creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, valued, and safe to be who they really are. That calling has taken me around the world — from the U.S. to Australia and back again — and into nearly every corner of the mental health field:
Psych hospitals
Rehabs, PHPs, IOPs, and outpatient centers
Alternative high schools, wilderness programs, sober homes
In-home counseling and nonprofit leadership
I’ve founded and directed several organizations, helped build others from the ground up, and always stayed rooted in one thing: people first.
Ready to help other Systems heal and THRIVE, I founded THRIVE! Mental Health — a private therapy practice based in New Jersey that supports clients in New Jersey, New York, and Arizona.
I work with children, teens, adults, and older adults — offering individual therapy, groups, and creative modalities that meet people where they are.
My specialty? Working with systems who live with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and OSDD.
Together, we explore who’s who inside, learn how each part is trying to protect, connect, or survive, and gently build internal communication rooted in curiosity and compassion.
Groups I Facilitate:
• DID/OSDD Support Group
• Creative Expression Therapy Group
• Chronic Pain Support Group
• Chronic Illness/Disability Support Group
• Sand Tray Therapy Group
• MHP Support Group
• [And more coming soon…]
Why I Do This
Because I know what it’s like to be on both sides of the therapy room.
Because systems deserve to be supported, not pathologized.
Because healing happens when we’re held — not fixed.
Whether you’re here as a client, a colleague, a fellow traveler, or just curious — I’m so glad you found your way to THRIVE!
Here, we see you. All of you.
🫶
— Frayde
There is cheese-filled culture and history in every corner of Spain. That’s why there’s so much to discover in this class that’s a journey across the country through its cheese and wine. You’ll get a guided tasting through an array of Spanish wines, expertly selected to pair beautifully with Murray’s favorite Spanish cheeses, from famed favorites to lesser-known gems. It’s a unique exploration of Spanish culinary history and pairing principles, through every taste, smell, and sip.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: guided tasting with a Murray’s expert in our classroom
Includes: 4 Spanish cheeses, signature accompaniments
Beverages: 4 Spanish wines
✊🏽 39 STEPS TOWARD FREEDOM
Written by Michael Green
Presented by Black Spectrum Theatre Co., Inc.
A week before his tragic assassination, a weary and humiliated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. returns home, burdened by the struggles of leadership and the weight of a movement. In a deep sleep, he begins to dream — a powerful, haunting journey through the 39 steps of his life, from childhood to the historic fight for justice that changed a nation.
Through this moving and imaginative production, audiences are taken inside the heart and mind of a man who inspired millions, exploring his fears, faith, and ultimate sacrifice for freedom.
Join us for a stirring theatrical experience that honors the legacy, humanity, and courage of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — a timely reflection on the cost of freedom and the dream that still lives on.