40 Under 40: Maya Lemberg

Maya Lemberg, an Atlanta-based psychotherapist, was born in Soviet Ukraine. At four years old, her parents chose to risk it all for a better life for their children in the United States.

As refugees fleeing religious persecution, her parents dreamt of their children growing up with freedoms and opportunities they did not know. In 1990, Lemberg and her family were blessed to be given permission to come to the United States, moving directly to Atlanta.

“They taught me courage,” Lemberg said. “They had the courage to uproot themselves from everything they’ve ever known, the language they speak and everyone they knew, for opportunity for all of us, and it has, of course, changed my life in a million ways.”

As a child, she spent summers at Camp Barney Medintz, learning about her rich Jewish heritage, a privilege she did not have in the communist Soviet Union.

Lemberg found her calling as a healer and helper, choosing to pursue a professional path in clinical psychology. Blending this knowledge with other practices such as yoga, expressive arts therapy, body-focused healing modalities, writing, storytelling, movement and spiritual ritual, she is dedicated to guiding others on their road to authenticity.

“This was my second career. I had a short-lived career in marketing and it wasn’t suited for me at all. I realized that I had a greater calling and never looked back,” Lemberg said.

Her mission is to help people feel at home within their skin, integrating mind, heart, body and spirituality in her approach to wellness. Aside from running a full time private practice, Lemberg leads healing retreats and workshops, and has spent years volunteering in hospice, animal rescue groups, community gardens and environmental nonprofits.

She loves working with Jewish clients in healing the generational and ancestral trauma that had been passed down. Knowing and honoring where we came from can be pivotal in finding true happiness and life fulfillment.

Lemberg has a thriving private practice in Brookhaven, Emerge Psychotherapy and Healing, and lives with her fiancé in Sandy Springs.