Therapist bio
Dr. Matthew Fastman
Psychologist
- Outstanding Dissertation Award, LIU Post
- Internship at Mount Sinai Morningside
- Licensed in New York
- Florida teletherapy license
His book
Let Go to Let Grow: Treating Anxiety in Children and Adolescents Using Independence Therapy
Dr. Fastman and Dr. Ortiz wrote this book for therapists who work with anxious kids and teens. It walks through Independence Therapy step by step, with sample scripts and real examples, so clinicians can help children do more on their own and help parents learn to step back.
The therapy this anxious generation needs most.
Co-authored with Camilo Ortiz. Foreword by Lenore Skenazy. New Harbinger Publications, June 2027.
Therapist bio
About Dr. Matthew Fastman
Psychologist
Dr. Fastman is a licensed psychologist with extensive training in CBT, DBT, and rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). He utilizes these evidence-based approaches to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, challenging child behavior, ADHD, substance use, personality disorders, interpersonal conflict, and overwhelming stress.
Dr. Fastman completed his accredited internship at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, where he worked with children, adolescents, and families facing multiple diagnoses. He has also provided care in several clinics across New York, including NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center, NYU Langone Child Study Center, Four Winds Hospital, and the Albert Ellis Institute. He earned his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University, C.W. Post. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, and Society from Vassar College.
Dr. Fastman’s research focuses on innovative approaches to addressing the growing epidemic of anxiety in children, teens, and young adults. Alongside Dr. Ortiz, he co-authored the first research study and clinician’s manual on Independence Therapy, and they continue to explore the impact of increased independence on children’s mental health. For his contributions, Dr. Fastman was honored with the Outstanding Dissertation Award by the faculty at LIU Post.
Dr. Fastman is licensed in New York and has a teletherapy license from Florida.
Independence Therapy research
Dr. Fastman’s research
In 2024, Dr. Fastman and Dr. Ortiz published the first study of Independence Therapy. It looked at whether helping anxious children do more on their own, while parents step back, could ease their anxiety.
A novel independence intervention to treat child anxiety: A nonconcurrent multiple baseline evaluation
Link