02 Sep Co-Blog: Mastering the Maze – Executive Functioning, Anxiety, and Student Success in NYC
Brooklyn Letters
1139 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn
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We would highly recommend Ally! Our son always asks about her, so very thankful to Brooklyn Letters for introducing us.
~ Emily, mom of Brooklyn 2 year old -
Nicole has been an amazing therapist!! She played a tremendous role in our daughter’s speech progress and overall development. She has come such a long way and we are so happy with the therapy she received!
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I cannot express how grateful and rewarding my experience with Brooklyn Letters has been. Her tutor Ms. Daria is so knowledgeable, amazing, kind and awesome. My daughter has made so much progress in Literacy and Math and it's all … More thanks to Ms. Daria. I know my daughter is sad that she can no longer work with Ms. Daria, as she looked forward to their sessions every week. Thank you again!
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Excellent services, caring therapists.
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Christina was absolutely wonderful. She went out of her way to win my son over and it worked. He looked forward to her visits and his speech improved so much under her care. She was super flexible and it’s clear she truly cares. We adore … More Christina and we’re going to miss her. Almost sad he improved so much! She’s simply amazing and we can’t say enough how great she is. I would recommend her services to anyone and everyone, without hesitation. Thank you so much for connecting us with her!
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We could not be happier with the services Valerie provided! She is very thoughtful and knowledgeable and provided significant guidance to support our daughter's speech development outside of our scheduled sessions. She established … More a great working relationship with her, and she will definitely be missed! Your business model is amazing and it was an absolute pleasure working with Valerie. I've referred your organization and Valerie to the Executive Director of our daughter's school and friends/colleagues who are in need of speech therapy services.
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We cannot say enough good things about Effie, the ASL teacher, who was so engaged and effective with our 2 year old daughter from the very first session! Effie gladly included our whole family in the sessions! Her expertise and fantastic … More personality gave our daughter a way to communicate that she was so desperately seeking. The coordinators at Brooklyn Letters were so helpful and communicative…I would highly recommend their services!
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The company is great with outstanding customer service. They keep my horses protected. I have recommended them to other horses trainers as well that are going to get service early next year. Very professional an honest too. Respectfully … More submitted Christopher
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Ron and Ken did a fantastic job with our security system today. Installed everything very quick. Both of them were very polite and asked us throughout if the installation met our needs. Simply fantastic!
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I called Cornerstone Protection to get a Security system at a relatives out of state property, within a week it was installed! The installers worked with the client to help understand her new system and she was happy! Our relative said … More they were courteous, professional and patient! I highly recommend Cornerstone Protection for all of your security needs!
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Had blink cameras; Car was broken into multiple times so I called CornerStone & they were able to install multiple cameras very quickly & for a reasonable price. I am so happy with the app & getting alerts that are not superfluous, … More like they were with Blink. Highly recommend CornerStone & the tech Ronnie.
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Ron and Ken are great guys to work with.
Both were very knowledgeable and got our system back up and running.
Thanks to both for a job well done... -
Samantha Dalmas was fantastic! We saw her for a feeding therapy evaluation and while she doesn’t think my daughter needs more feeding therapy sessions at this time, but she gave me lots of tips to try. If my daughter's doctors want … More to see more progress at her next appointment, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Samantha again.
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Amazing assistance provided by Shannon today on my security system. I’m so grateful for your prompt, efficient, professional, and courteous service. Put me down as a customer for life!
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One of the most painless experiences I've had. They came on time and was over the moon professional with still keeping a level of personability to it. The gentleman also went out of his way to say that my husband and Mines business … More was appreciated. Which is actually rare to be appreciated by such a great company. So thank you and we look forward to continuing services with this company.
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I am so happy we decided to go with cornerstone. They were quick and efficient. Shannon and the installer we very friendly. We got a lot of equipment and it was still within our budget. 10/10 would definitely recommend! Thank you
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Love the customer service and Shanon and his team go above and beyond for my restaurant. Couldn't of asked for a better security system and level of service that his team provides.
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I have been using Cornerstone Protection service for over 5 years and I'm really happy with the service and state-of-the-art equipments and it's futures are so much in advance and friendly, I highly recommend Cornerstone Protection … More Service any and all business that need a security protection days and nights specially after business hours(Cornerstone Protection is perfect solution for your business). Owner of Cornerstone Protection is proactive with their customers and their equipments. Good experienced with Cornerstone Protection!!!
Kanu Patel -
We had a very positive experience with Alissa as a tutor for our pod of 5th grade boys from January - June 2020. She cared a lot about the boys and worked hard to create meaningful activities for them. The pod experience was invaluable … More for all of our families during a difficult year and we were so grateful to have found this partnership! We also want to appreciate Craig for helping to match us with a tutor on very short notice after we had cycled through a few folks who were not able to see the commitment through. Thanks for sticking with us!
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Dusty was the exact person we needed to help our child finish out the school year. So grateful to him for the way he steadily encouraged her and helped her stay on track and organized. He is flexible, responsive to our needs/schedule as … More a family, and a delight to be with. We are also thankful that Craig at Themba Tutors really "gets it" and partnered us with such a wonderful tutor who was a great fit for our girl.
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My child worked with Gillian D virtually for math enrichment. She is an excellent teacher. She took time to understand my child's specific learning style and provided tools that would be engaging. She was kind and empathetic- really … More made it her goal to connect with my child and build trust and rapport. My child started the school year with confidence and without the typically "brain-drain" that occurs over the summer, thanks to Gillian.
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I am going into my second year as a Themba tutor. I have met so many great individuals while working for this company. Craig and the rest of the Themba team do such an excellent job picking and choosing Themba tutors that suit each client's … More individual needs! I look forward to meeting new tutors and clients in the 2021-2022 school year!
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Our son started in a new high school, 100% remote, and was really struggling with Latin and Physics. I found Themba Tudors online and had an initial call with Craig, who was very knowledgeable, responsive, and found 2 amazing tutors for … More us. Both the Latin and the physics tutors were fantastic, connected with my son really well and helped him go from 'failing' grade to 'honors'! I will for sure continue using (and recommending!) Themba Tutors. Thank you, C, K, and W!
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Brian is a fantastic executive functioning coach. Super helpful, flexible with hours, and tailored the experience to our needs.
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Giulia Mercuri is a great Italian tutor! She was very responsive and accessible. Giulia put a ton of effort into preparing for each session and really helped our son with test preparation and projects. We are grateful that she was able … More to help, especially since our son did not receive any live teaching during COVID. We are happy that she was referred to us!
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As an adult student diagnosed with a learning disability during grad school, I knew I needed help dealing with my Master's program's demanding workload. I was seriously considering dropping out when I was referred to Themba Tutors. … More I was paired up with a wonderful tutor, Julie, who was a total lifesaver. I learned many techniques that I can utilize in the future as I embark on the next phase of my career.
I can wholeheartedly say after working with Themba for two years that I would not have finished my program without this organization. And I am so thankful I selected them. -
We were introduced to a wonderful tutor: Mcedwyn. He and our son, a freshman in college, worked well together. As a result, our son’s grades significantly improved. The tutor taught our son subject content and various methods to effectively … More study for quizzes and exams. Our son was also taught time management and organization. My son’s experience with the tutor made the first year of college a less intimidating experience.
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We have been with our tutor, Cailin Schiller, for two years, from 5th - 7th grade. She started as an executive functioning tutor with my daughter. From the start, she demonstrated a depth of expertise and a selective use of techniques skillfully … More adapted to my daughter’s ADHD and Math disability. Cailin made Math accessible and understandable to her in a way that even her teachers had not been able to do. She differentiated reading, writing and math tasks and assignments to tailor them to my daughter’s unique learning differences. Not only did it have an effect on her grades and her work efficiency, but she finally could do her work with less anxiety. Even my daughter’s teachers used Cailin’s guidance to modify their work with her. But most importantly, she became my daughter’s favorite resource. I can’t say how invaluable Cailin has been to my daughter’s progress and well-being. I’d recommend her a million times over. She is a gem.
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Victoria is a superb tutor. She helped my high school age daughter with her writing. Victoria's skills as a tutor, as well as her sense of humor and her engaging personality went a long way with my daughter.
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Themba Tutors provided a leaning specialist that was a perfect fit for my daughter. I told them what we were looking for and they delivered. Our tutor is responsive and flexible and makes it easy for my daughter to reach out to her own … More her own, which gives her an added sense of responsibility over her learning. As a therapist myself, I now regularly recommend Themba to my patients. A much needed and well provided service to the community!!
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The tutors at Themba are fantastic! Caitlyn McNeill helped our son academically, but also with getting organized in every subject, which he so desperately needed. She offered great advice and useful strategies that helped our son become … More a more successful student. We are using Themba tutors again this year for our daughter. We're so happy to have been referred to them!
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I'm so glad we were referred to Themba Tutors. After a great initial conversation to learn our needs, we were connected with an excellent tutor, Felicia, who is helping our high school daughter learn better organizational and executive … More skills. Highly recommended.
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We had a wonderful experience with our tutor Micaela. She helped our son not only academically but at every level. We will be forever grateful to have her in our lives.
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The tutors at Themba are fantastic! Caitlyn McNeill helped our son academically, but also with getting organized in every subject, which he so desperately needed. She offered great advice and useful strategies that helped our son become … More a more successful student. We are using Themba tutors again this year for our daughter. We're so happy to have been referred to them!
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Paul Smith at Themba has been an exceptional tutor for my son, both in terms of teaching the subject matter and teaching how best to approach the process of learning math and executing assignments. We feel very fortunate to be working with … More Paul.
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We were very lucky to have found Edwouine Swift, my son's therapist through Themba Tutors. Thomas is 12 years old, and it is extremely difficult to get him to write. Edwouine just works her magic with him, he adores her and is so … More eager to follow her guidance. I have no doubt she will be a positive driving force in his academic future.
Co-Blog: Mastering the Maze – Executive Functioning, Anxiety, and Student Success in NYC
By Themba Tutors & Alexandra Bennett, LCSW, ALB Therapy LCSW, PLLC
Themba Tutors: Welcome to our co-blog, a collaboration designed to shed light on two interconnected challenges many students face, especially here in the fast-paced environment of New York City: executive functioning and anxiety. At Themba Tutors, we witness firsthand how difficulties with organization, planning, and task initiation can escalate into significant emotional stress. Whether we’re supporting a student in Brooklyn Heights or the Upper West Side, we recognize how these challenges can fuel a cycle of excessive worry and task avoidance. We’re thrilled to be joined by Alexandra Bennett, LCSW, founder of ALB Therapy, to explore this topic together from both academic and therapeutic perspectives.
Alexandra Bennett, LCSW: Thanks for having me! It’s crucial to recognize the profound impact executive function impairment can have on a student’s well-being, particularly in a city where academic and extracurricular demands are often exceptionally high. In my child therapy practice, I often see how challenges in this area contribute to anxiety. When we talk about executive functioning, we’re referring to a set of cognitive processes that are essential for goal-directed behavior. This includes tasks such as planning, organizing, prioritizing, initiating tasks, managing time, and regulating emotions. For many students attending demanding schools throughout New York City, struggles in these areas can directly contribute to or exacerbate anxiety symptoms.
Themba Tutors: Absolutely. It’s common for students to feel stuck despite their intelligence and motivation. They might freeze when facing a large assignment, struggle to manage their time effectively, or procrastinate because they feel overwhelmed. These patterns often reinforce themselves: anxiety makes it harder to use executive functioning skills, and weak executive function intensifies the anxiety. We frequently hear students say, “I know what I need to do, but I just can’t bring myself to start,” or “I’m so behind, I don’t even know where to begin on this project for my Brooklyn Tech class.”
Alexandra Bennett, LCSW: Precisely. This highlights the strong link between executive functioning and anxiety. When students experience executive functioning difficulties and anxiety, they might exhibit symptoms of worrying, which can lead to procrastination, avoidance of academic tasks, perfectionism, or even panic attacks when faced with demanding projects or exams. It’s really important to differentiate between typical student stress and signs of an anxiety disorder. Some stress is normal! We all need stress; otherwise, we would never accomplish anything. However, an anxiety disorder is a persistent and excessive worry about everyday situations that causes impairment in functioning, either at school, work, or in other areas of life. Some symptoms of an anxiety disorder can be difficulty concentrating, becoming easily fatigued, restlessness, or sleep disturbance. In children, we often see more somatic symptoms such as stomachaches or headaches. These anxiety signs and symptoms can be debilitating for students trying to keep up with the fast pace of NYC life.
Themba Tutors: That intersection is particularly relevant for students navigating both executive functioning challenges and autism spectrum disorder. Many of our students with ASD face unique pressures in NYC’s dynamic school environments. Sensory overload, changes in routine, and complex social expectations can exacerbate the challenges of regulating emotions and staying organized. For example, a student commuting from Brooklyn to a specialized program in Manhattan may face logistical hurdles, such as long and crowded train rides, as well as tight transfer windows. Additionally, they may experience emotional challenges, including heightened anxiety from sensory overload and unpredictability, which can significantly interfere with learning and daily functioning.
Alexandra Bennett, LCSW: That’s an excellent point. Children with autism spectrum disorder often experience more pronounced executive functioning impairment. This can manifest as rigidity in thinking, difficulty with transitions, difficulty planning out tasks, and social difficulties. When you add the pressure of academic demands, navigating the subway system, or participating in after-school activities such as soccer practice or an art class, it’s easy to see how anxiety can become amplified, leading to task avoidance and potential academic issues. The symptoms of anxiety can sometimes be misinterpreted as behavioral issues, but are rather a response to overwhelm or a sensory overload.
Themba Tutors: These complex needs call for a coordinated, student-centered approach. At Themba Tutors, we focus on concrete strategies that help students build their executive functioning toolbox. We tailor our support to each student by helping them develop personalized workflow systems—such as color-coded calendars, customized task maps, and daily check-ins that anchor their routines. Whether they’re drafting an essay outline during a morning commute or setting up a “focus zone” for evening study, our methods meet students where they are—mentally, physically, and geographically—whether they’re stuck, on the move, or studying at home in any of NYC’s boroughs. We also emphasize the importance of advocacy skills: helping students learn how to express their needs and collaborate with teachers and families, whether they attend public school in Park Slope or private schools like Trinity, Collegiate, or Dalton. Addressing executive functioning means helping students gain confidence in their ability to manage expectations—even in the unpredictable rhythm of NYC life.
Alexandra Bennett, LCSW: At ALB Therapy, we address the underlying anxiety. For students struggling in a highly competitive academic environment, therapy can be a game-changer. This often involves teaching coping strategies like deep breathing and mindfulness (even quick breaks in Central Park or a quiet classroom). At ALB Therapy, we use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to challenge negative thought patterns and reduce anxiety symptoms. For clients experiencing difficulty with executive functioning, therapy can be beneficial in building children’s confidence and practicing essential skills. Emotional regulation is deeply tied to executive functioning, and so strengthening one can improve the other. Children’s brains learn how to respond to situations in similar ways, whether emotional or cognitive tasks. In general, we want students to develop resiliency and a sense of control over their academic lives, rather than being perpetually overwhelmed. If anxiety is getting in the way of academic functioning, it might be time to reach out for additional support. For families in NYC seeking support, resources like NYC Teenspace and the NYC 988 mental health hotline are excellent starting points.
Themba Tutors: Our collaboration highlights the effectiveness of combining practical academic coaching with emotional support. Together, we help students not only complete their workload but also learn how to reduce task avoidance and build confidence by setting up successful habits. Whether a student dreams of attending an Ivy League university or hopes to navigate a smooth transition to CUNY or SUNY, building these skills early makes a lifelong impact. At Themba Tutors, we offer in-person sessions throughout NYC and virtual options to fit every family’s needs. Whether you’re in Greenwich Village or Riverdale, we’re here to support your child’s success.
Alexandra Bennett, LCSW: I completely agree. When students understand their executive functioning skills and how anxiety impacts them, they are better equipped to advocate for themselves and implement strategies that work. For those in NYC seeking support, look for professionals with experience with children and adolescents, as well as therapists who specialize in both anxiety and executive functioning skills. It’s about fostering a sense of competence and reducing the burden of anxiety symptoms, allowing them to thrive academically and personally. At ALB Therapy, we are committed to providing a warm, trusting, and effective environment for our young New Yorkers.
Themba Tutors: Thank you, Alexandra, for sharing your invaluable insights. Collaborations like this are essential for supporting the whole student. By understanding the link between executive functioning and anxiety, we can help NYC students achieve both emotional well-being and academic success.
Need Support in NYC?
Themba Tutors:
- Website: thembatutors.com
- Phone: (917) 382-8641 or (833) 565-2370
- Email: [email protected]
- Serving: All boroughs of NYC (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island), Long Island, Westchester, and surrounding areas, with both in-person and online services. We can even meet at a convenient spot near your school in Midtown East or your home in Tribeca!
Alexandra Bennett, LCSW, ALB Therapy LCSW, PLLC:
- Website: www.albtherapynyc.com
- Phone: (917)-654-7140
- Email: [email protected]
- Location: In-person sessions on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and virtual sessions for residents across New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.
Free Consultation!
Call: (917) 382-8641, Text: (833) 565-2370
Email: [email protected]
(We respond to email right away!)
Craig Selinger
Latest posts by Craig Selinger (see all)
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