Claire Li 李南星

She/Her
Founder, LCSW, SIFI
EMDR Therapist
Language: English/Mandarin

A young woman smiling outdoors with green leafy trees in the background and a city skyline with tall buildings visible behind her.

“I believe in the individual's unique experience. We all have parts of ourselves that we don't recognize, don't understand, or simply feel we cannot change. In our nonjudgmental, safe space and with you as the captain, we will discover what is causing the difficulties in your life, and how you can grow into a more fulfilling way of living.”

  • - ADHD
    - Anxiety
    - Depression
    - Domestic Violence
    - (Inter)Generational Trauma
    - Sexual Trauma
    - Racial/Cultural Identity
    - BIPOC Mental Health
    - Family Conflict
    - Life Transitions
    - Relationship Conflict
    - Self Esteem

  • - Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
    - Somatic Psychotherapy
    - EMDR
    - Psychodynamic approach
    - Internal Family Systems
    - Attachment
    - Trauma-informed
    - Strength-based

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker, New York State/097406

    - Certificate: 2-year certified Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Program with American Institue for Pyschoanalysis (AIP)
    - Certificate: Seminar Training in Field Instruction (SIFI), Hunter College
    - Certificate: 9-month Motivational Interviewing Program with The Training and Practice Implementation Institute (TTPI)
    - Somatic Resourcing in EMDR with Manhattan Center for Trauma Studies
    - EMDR training with Center for Excellence/Deany Laliotis
    - Sensorimotor Psychotherapy - Level 2 (ongoing)
    - One-Year-Evening psychodynamic psychotherapy with National Institute for Psychotherapy

  • Columbia University, Master of Science in Social Work

    Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, BA

  • - Anthem (formerly Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield)
    - Aetna
    - Cigna
    - Carelon Behavioral Health
    - Wellfleet
    - Northwell Direct (pending)
    - United Healthcare
    - Oxford

  • Self-Pay/Out-of-network rate:

    • $200 per 50-minute individual session.

    • Sliding scale is available.


      *We can provide you with a monthly superbill to submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement for individual sessions. If your plan has out of network benefits, they may reimburse 60-80% of your fees, and many plans will reimburse at 100% after your out of network deductible is met. We will help you figure out your out-of-network benefits. Please contact us directly with any questions, to discuss fees, or to schedule a free consultation.

  • currently virtual only

Connect with Claire

My Background

Opening up to someone new takes a lot of trust and vulnerability. I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship is the foundation of a meaningful therapy experience. By sharing some parts of myself, I hope to give prospective clients a sense of whether we might be a good fit.

Before becoming a therapist, I studied in finance and navigated life as a Chinese immigrant woman trying to make sense of the the cultural expectations and inherited beliefs I carried. My own healing involved challenging the norms I was raised with, making space for my full story, and learning to listen to the parts of me I tried to hide. This lived experience shapes how I show up in the therapy room—with curiosity, compassion, and a deep respect for the courage it takes to do this work.

Throughout my 9-year career as a therapist, I’ve had the privilege of working in a variety of treatment settings and supporting many individuals from all walks of life. Most recently I was the Acting Clinic Director for a large community mental health outpatient clinic in Brooklyn, supporting more than 500 clients as they navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship conflicts.

I was passionate about the craft of therapy, but saw issues within the field that could have been improved upon. I wanted to make therapy more trauma and culturally informed, more BIPOC, immigrants, and LGBTQIA+ affirming, and more relational. I also wanted to create a collective space where both clients and therapists felt truly supported.

This led me to a team, to my own consultation, and today to Moment.

My Approach and Specialities

I specialize in offering immigrants, BIPOC, First Gen-affirming/allied individual therapy to support those seeking a sense of groundedness, meaningful healing, and long-lasting growth. Culturally responsive approach is also central to my work. Our personal histories and sociocultural environments shape the lens through which we view the world.

I believe healing begins in safe connection. You might be the first in your lineage to pause, to rest, to ask: What would it mean to be my authentic self? Whether you’re unlearning survival patterns, tending to old wounds, or simply trying to hear your own voice beneath the noise, I want you to know that you don’t have to do it alone.

I am trained in EMDR, sensorimotor psychotherapy, and psychodynamic approach. My work is relational and influenced by attachment and trauma theory. In somatic (soma is Greek for body), or body-centered therapy, we deepen our conversation by paying close attention to your experience of inhabiting a physical body in the here and now.