In-person child therapy and play therapy in Hoboken, NJ, and video sessions across New Jersey, New York & Florida.
If you’re searching for a child therapist near me, you’ve probably noticed your son or daughter struggling with something that’s hard to name. Maybe it’s anxiety before school, meltdowns that seem to come out of nowhere, or a sadness that doesn’t lift no matter what you try. At Anchor Therapy, our child therapists hold licenses including LCSW, LSW, LPC, and LAC, and we’ve been voted Best Therapist in Hoboken. They’ve spent years helping kids across Hoboken and Hudson County work through struggles just like these.
Child therapy is a form of counseling that helps kids process hard feelings and build coping skills. The methods are built around how kids actually communicate, not how adults do. Our therapists lean on play therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), two approaches built around play and conversation instead of sitting still and talking it out. We see kids in person at our Hoboken office and virtually for families across New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
Every child therapist on our team is fully licensed, and many have additional training in play therapy, attachment-based therapy, and trauma-focused care. You can read more about our team’s training and credentials on our Meet Our Team page. We build a relationship with your child first. We don’t ask them to talk about anything hard right away. Kids open up when they trust the person across from them, not when they’re handed a worksheet.
In our work with kids at Anchor Therapy, we’ve noticed something. The children who open up fastest are usually the ones who get to lead the session. They pick the toy, the game, or the drawing that feels right to them that day.
We don’t believe every hard week means a child needs therapy. But when a behavior holds steady for months and starts shaping how your child sees themselves, waiting rarely helps.
Every kid has hard days. Child therapy tends to help most when one or more of these patterns has lasted for weeks or months, not just a day or two:
Some of these are simply a normal part of growing up, and a rough week at school doesn’t always mean something serious is going on. If the pattern is constant and it’s getting in the way of your child’s daily life, that’s usually the signal that it’s time to bring in a child therapist.
Play therapy gives your child a way to work through feelings they don’t have the words for yet. Through pretend play, drawing, and games, our play therapists help kids show what’s going on inside them instead of explaining it out loud. A meta-analysis of controlled outcome studies found a strong positive effect for play therapy. This held true across kids with many different emotional and behavioral concerns, no matter their age or gender.
Our Hoboken office is stocked with the materials needed for play therapy, including board games, building toys, art supplies, and a set of mental health-focused games and books built for kids to explore their feelings without having to explain them out loud first. Your child therapist also stays current on what’s happening in local schools and in pop culture since a kid is far more likely to open up to someone who already knows what they’re into.
CBT works alongside play therapy by helping kids notice the link between their thoughts, feelings, and actions. We use it most often with kids working through anxiety. CBT gives children real tools they can use outside of session, like noticing troublesome thoughts and testing those irrational thoughts against reality. Recent research reviews continue to support CBT as an effective treatment for anxiety in children and adolescents, including developmentally adapted approaches for younger kids.
We also bring in art therapy when a child connects more with drawing or building than with conversation or pretend play. The materials change depending on what works for your child. Some kids need open-ended play while others do better with a structured CBT activity turned into a game.
Kids open up when they trust the person across from them, not when they’re handed a worksheet.
Get startedWe work with children of every age, though our approach shifts as kids grow. For children younger than 6, we usually work through parent coaching and family sessions instead of individual therapy, since young kids communicate best alongside a caregiver in the room. Once a child turns 6 or 7, individual sessions become a bigger part of treatment, often paired with occasional parent check-ins.
As kids move into the tween and early teen years, the focus naturally shifts again. If your child is starting to outgrow play therapy, our teen counseling services pick up where child therapy leaves off. Your family won’t have to start over with someone new.
Parents are part of the treatment plan, not just the person who drives their kid to the appointment. Depending on what your child needs, we’ll bring you in for periodic check-ins, full parenting sessions, or coaching on how to support what your child is working on at home.
Sometimes the challenges your child is facing are really about the whole family, like a recent divorce, a new sibling, or ongoing conflict at home. When that’s the case, our family counseling team can work with your child alongside the rest of your household. Many families move between child therapy and family counseling as needs change, and we’ll talk with you honestly about which structure fits best at any given point.
Your first session, called an intake, is mostly about your child therapist getting to know your child and your family. We won’t dive straight into a treatment plan. We’ll ask about what’s been going on at home and school, what’s already been tried, and what you’re hoping changes. For children under 10, we recommend that parents come to the intake on their own, without their child, so you can speak openly about your concerns.
For children 10 and older, it’s up to you. You’re welcome to bring your child to the intake, or to come on your own first and talk through your concerns privately, in which case the therapist will meet your child at the second session. If you do bring your child, the therapist will usually spend some time alone with them to begin building a relationship, while also gathering history and background from you so they can see how best to help.
After the intake, your therapist will share what they’re seeing and recommend a starting approach, whether that’s mostly play therapy, CBT, parent coaching, or some mix of all three. Treatment length depends entirely on your child. Some families see real movement in a few months, while others stay in therapy longer, especially if there’s ongoing trauma or a long-standing pattern to work through.
Many of our child therapists also have training in attachment-based therapy. This can help kids who’ve had early disruptions in caregiving. It can also help kids who struggle to feel secure in close relationships.
Get started by filling out the form at the bottom of this page to book your child’s first session with one of our Hoboken child therapists.
Many of the kids and families we see come from Hoboken and nearby Hudson County towns like Jersey City, Weehawken, and Union City, along with New Yorkers who take the PATH train from Manhattan to our office.
We also see kids virtually across New Jersey, New York, and Florida, which means your child doesn’t have to live near Hoboken to work with one of our therapists. For children 10 years and younger, we highly recommend they attend sessions in-person. With that being said, a lot of families mix both, meeting in person some weeks and virtually on others depending on schedules.
Fill out the form at the bottom of this page to get matched with one of our child therapists.
Our office is at 80 River Street, Suite 306, Hoboken, NJ 07030, and our phone number is (201) 565-2275.
These therapists on our team work with children. You can read each therapist's full background on our Meet Our Team page, and our intake coordinator will match your child with the right fit.
Psychotherapist · Clinical Supervisor
Works withChildren (all ages), Teens, Adults, Families, and LGBTQIA+
SpecialtiesADHD, Behavioral Issues, Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Parenting, Women's Issues, Family Conflict, and more
Read Carmen's bio →
Psychotherapist · Owner
Works withChildren (10+ years old), Teens, Adults, Parents, and LGBTQIA+
SpecialtiesAnxiety, Depression, Life Transitions, Relationship Issues, Parenting, Postpartum & Fertility, Self-esteem, and more
Read Courtney's bio →
Psychotherapist
Works withChildren (5+ years old), Teens, Adults, and LGBTQIA+
SpecialtiesAnxiety, Depression, Self-esteem, School Issues, Life Transitions, Relationship Issues, Identity, Parenting, Grief, Trauma, and more
Read Kim's bio →
Psychotherapist
Works withChildren (5+ years old), Teens, Adults, Couples, Families, and LGBTQIA+
SpecialtiesRelationship Issues, Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, Family Conflict, Parenting, Life Transitions, Postpartum, and more
Read Laura's bio →Reaching out is the hardest step, and it’s simpler than you might think. Here’s how it works:
Use the form at the bottom of this page and tell us a little about what you’re looking for help with for your child.
Our intake coordinator reaches out to match you with a child therapist whose training and style fit your child’s needs, and to find a session time that works for your family’s schedule. We offer same-week appointments for new clients.
You meet with your child’s therapist for the first session, in person or over video, and build a plan together from there.
Do You Take Insurance For Child Therapy?
We’re out of network with insurance. Many families use the superbills we provide to seek out-of-network reimbursement from their insurer. Reach out by filling out the form at the bottom of this page, and we’ll walk you through the cost and what reimbursement could look like for you, then match you with the right therapist.
How Long Does Child Therapy Usually Take?
It depends on what your child is working through. Some families see meaningful change in 3 to 4 months of weekly sessions. Kids working through more complex issues, like trauma or long-standing anxiety, often stay in therapy longer, and we’ll check in with you regularly about progress and timeline.
Do You Offer Virtual Child Therapy Sessions?
Yes. We offer virtual sessions for kids and families across New Jersey, New York, and Florida. Play therapy translates surprisingly well to video, especially for school-age kids, and many families find it easier to fit into a busy week.
How Do I Know If My Child Needs Therapy Or Is Just Going Through A Phase?
Every kid has rough patches, and most of them pass on their own. The signal to reach out is when a behavior or mood sticks around for weeks or months and starts affecting school, friendships, or your child’s sense of self. If you’re not sure, a consultation with one of our child therapists can help you figure out whether therapy makes sense right now.
What’s The Difference Between Child Therapy And Family Therapy?
Child therapy focuses primarily on your child, with parents involved through coaching and check-ins. Family therapy brings the whole household into sessions together, which works well when the issue is really about family dynamics rather than something your child is carrying on their own. We can help you decide which fits your situation, and many families use both at different points.
What Ages Do Your Child Therapists Treat?
Our child therapists work with kids of all ages, from toddlers through the tween years. For very young children, treatment usually looks like parent coaching and family sessions. Once your child outgrows our child therapy services, they can continue to work with their therapist for teen counseling services.
Will My Child’s School Be Involved In Therapy?
Only if you want them to be. With your written permission, your child’s therapist can communicate with teachers, school counselors, or other providers to coordinate care. Many families find this helpful when school is part of what’s driving the struggle, but it’s always optional and led by you.
Whatever your child is working through, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Our child therapists are here to help. Reach out by filling out the form at the bottom of this page to schedule a consultation, in person in Hoboken, NJ, or virtually if you’re a resident of New Jersey, New York, or Florida.
Have you ever walked into a room and felt the emotional temperature shift right away? Maybe you picked up on a friend's sadness before they said a single word. Or you left a party feeling drained by emotions that weren't yours. If that sounds familiar, you've probably wondered whether you're an empath, and whether empaths are real.
An empath is a person with an extraordinary sensitivity to the emotions and moods of the people around them, experiencing those feelings as if they were their own. You've seen the word all over social media, and the question of whether empaths are real deserves an honest answer. The science has something to say to both the skeptics and the true believers. In this blog, we'll look at what the research says and what being an empath means for your mental health and relationships.
If you have ever been with someone, but not really with someone, then you have likely been in a situationship. You are more than friends but you are not exactly in a relationship. You are making last-minute plans, talking inconsistently, and your romantic connection is not exactly defined. In modern culture, casual relationships are extremely common. What was first known as a “booty call” morphed into “friends with benefits” and it is now known as a “situationship.”
If it was a movie, you and your situationship would witness the blossoming of friendship into an official romantic relationship. You two would fall in love and live happily ever after. But, as you may have guessed, life is not a picture-perfect movie and things do not always work out as you wish they would. The real question is - are situationships unhealthy?
If you're the golden child in your family, chances are you already know the feeling, even if you've never had a name for it. Golden child syndrome is the family pattern where one child gets held up as the favorite, always praised, always expected to succeed, and treated as the example everyone else in the family should follow.
Parents, teachers, and even extended family members may shower you with admiration, reinforcing a sense of confidence and achievement. Knowing that your accomplishments are met with pride and celebration can be very validating and keep you in a loop of wanting to seek constant approval from other people. You may find that your mistakes are overlooked or easily forgiven.
Is the oldest really bossy and the baby really spoiled? Here's what birth order theory actually says about your personality, your relationships, and who you tend to date, plus what the newest research says about whether any of it holds up.
There is a quiet exhaustion that comes from constantly looking outward for approval. This can look like measuring your worth through likes, praise, or someone else’s opinion of you. Chasing validation can feel productive in the moment, like you are building confidence, but it often leaves you more dependent and unsure of who you really are. The more you rely on others to tell you you are enough, the more power you give away, and the harder it becomes to stand firmly in your own identity.
Learning to stop chasing validation is not about shutting people out or pretending you do not care, it is about shifting where your sense of worth comes from. When you begin to trust your own voice, honor your values, and recognize your inherent worth, something powerful happens: you stop performing for approval and start living with intention. This journey is not instant, but it is one of the most freeing steps you can take toward real self-love.
Dating can be complicated enough without the invisible weight of attachment issues shaping your thoughts, reactions, and expectations. If you have ever found yourself getting attached too quickly, pulling away when things start to feel serious, or constantly worrying about where you stand, you are not alone. Attachment issues often develop early in life, but they tend to show up most clearly in romantic relationships where vulnerability, trust, and emotional closeness are front and center. View our blog “3 Steps to Becoming More Vulnerable.”
Understanding how attachment issues influence your dating patterns is the first step toward building healthier, more secure connections. When you recognize your triggers, communication habits, and emotional responses, you gain the power to respond intentionally instead of reactively. Whether you are navigating new relationships or trying to break old cycles, learning how attachment impacts dating can help you move toward deeper, more stable love.
Growing up with emotionally immature parents can leave deep, invisible scars which is one of the most common being a pervasive sense of guilt. Children of parents who struggle to regulate their emotions, empathize, or set healthy boundaries often internalize blame for things that are not their fault. Check out our blog “6 Ways to Set Boundaries and Enforce Them.”
From an early age, they may feel responsible for their parent’s moods, happiness, or conflicts, carrying an invisible weight that follows them into adulthood. This guilt is not just occasional, it can become a constant companion, shaping relationships, self-esteem, and decision-making for years to come.
The struggle with excessive guilt in these children is often misunderstood. Outsiders may see them as overly sensitive or self-critical, but in reality, their guilt is a learned survival mechanism. It stems from growing up in an environment where love and approval were conditional, emotional needs were overlooked, and mistakes were magnified. Understanding how this guilt develops is the first step toward breaking the cycle, reclaiming self-worth, and learning to differentiate between responsibility and unnecessary self-blame.
Hyper-independence is often celebrated in our culture as strength, resilience, and self-sufficiency. Yet, for many people, it is not just a preference, it is a protective strategy. At its core, hyper-independence can be a form of emotional avoidance, a way to manage uncomfortable feelings like fear, vulnerability, or shame. By relying solely on themselves and refusing help from others, hyper-independent individuals can avoid confronting emotions that feel unsafe, unfamiliar, or overwhelming. Over time, this pattern may create the illusion of control while actually limiting connection, intimacy, and personal growth.
Understanding the emotional roots of hyper-independence is essential for breaking the cycle. People who grew up in environments where asking for help was discouraged, unsafe, or met with criticism often learn to suppress emotional needs and rely entirely on themselves. While this strategy may have been adaptive in childhood, it can become limiting in adulthood, leading to isolation, burnout, and difficulty forming meaningful relationships. In this blog post, we will explore how emotional avoidance fuels hyper-independence and practical steps to start embracing connection and vulnerability safely. Read our blog “3 Steps to Becoming More Vulnerable.”
The baby finally falls asleep after an hour of rocking. Then a pan clatters in the sink, the baby startles awake, and something in you snaps. You yell louder than you've ever yelled at someone you love, and ten minutes later you're sitting on the bathroom floor wondering who that was.
Postpartum rage is intense, hard-to-control anger that shows up in the months after having a baby, often far bigger than whatever set it off. It's common, and it's treatable. Below, we'll walk through the signs and causes of postpartum rage, and when it's time to talk to someone.