+ Anxiety

• I have a lot of experience working with clients struggling with anxiety whether that be panic or phobia, social anxiety or generalized anxiety, etc. I use an eclectic approach based on my client’s needs and pull from different interventions such as CBT, mindfulness and psychodynamic interventions to alleviate symptoms and gain insight into patterns and behaviors.

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+ CHILDREN

• I have extensive training in play therapy and have helped many children and their families with behavioral issues such as anxiety, agitation, low self-esteem, school issues, relationship issues, test taking anxiety, social anxiety, lack of motivation, sadness, anger, trauma, adoption, ADHD, and divorce. I am able to build a strong bond with children so that they feel comfortable in a safe (and fun!) space to express themselves.

• What is play therapy? It's truly the only way children can communicate and express themselves. Play is the language that children speak. Most kids’ brains are not developed enough to verbalize exactly what they’re thinking or feeling. The goal of play therapy is to communicate with children on their level. In turn, play therapy should lead your child to be able to express themselves better. All of the children I see look forward to coming to therapy since we have fun together! It is a special time for a child to get an adult’s full attention and express whatever they want in sessions in a safe environment. I teach children coping skills they can use outside of sessions when interacting with peers, family members, or anyone they may interact with.

• I see kids of all ages. For kids under 6 years old, I always recommend parent(s) to be present so that they can learn how to help their child at home.

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+ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• I have been trained and educated in cognitive behavioral therapy through graduate school and CEUS I have completed. This knowledge guides a lot of my work with clients of all ages struggling with a variety of issues. I use worksheets, homework assignments and writing exercises with clients to help them through difficult times. This approach has helped my clients struggling with anxiety, depression, OCD and more.

+ Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

• I have experience utilizing DBT interventions through which I developed while working in an outpatient clinic for addiction, which helped many of my clients struggling with personality disorders, addiction, and trauma. I currently use many of the DBT skills in my practice with clients of all ages and find it very effective especially for emotion regulation.

+ PARENTS

• In addition to seeing your child for therapy, I also have parenting sessions as needed throughout your child’s treatment. Parenting sessions can be check-in’s on the phone between the child’s session or it could be a full session with parent(s) in-person, on phone, or video. During these parenting sessions, we would create a plan on how you can help your child at home to continue the treatment we are doing in play therapy sessions. While working with chilren, I find it most helpful in treatment to help you (the parent) learn how to assist your child at home with the behavior changes we are working towards. Parenting sessions are also a nice break you can get from being with your child so that you can refocus on coping with your own stressors that come along with parenting.

• I can also assist with co-parenting issues that may come up. It is important that as parents you are on the same page with parenting. If you decide to reward your child in a specific way then it is important that both parents are aware of the goal set for the child. If the child does not achieve their set goal, then both parents have to communicate and agree that the reward was not earned at that time. If you are trying to co-parent while separated or divorced it can be difficult. These parenting sessions can assist you in having a safe space to communicate with one another and get on the same page.

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+ Psychodynamic Therapy

• I have experience utilizing a psychodynamic approach to help my clients gain helpful insight into their patterns and behaviors that may be limiting them in life. My training at graduate school in this approach has helped me with my adult clients especially in long term therapy to gain self awareness to foster positive changes. I have seen progress with this approach in clients struggling with trauma, self esteem, relationship issues and more.

+ SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING

• I have extensive experience working with people who have unhealthy addictions, such as substance abuse. Often people turn to substances as a way of dealing with their stress. Therapy can provide you with healthier coping tools that will not only help you better manage your stress, but also will guide you in decreasing your substance use. Through this process you will be able to feel happier and more productive.

• I have over 6 years of experience working with clients struggling with different addictions ranging from substance abuse to shopping and eating. I have worked in inpatient and outpatient settings helping individuals by using harm reduction and abstinence models in treatment to overcome challenges in addiction. I use strength based and motivational interviewing interventions in my practice and provide resources that can help in conjunction with therapy.

• You may have noticed over time that your one glass of wine or one joint at night after a stressful day has increased overtime. Your drinking or drug use may have reached a point that others around you are commenting about it. You may also find yourself feeling worse emotionally and/or physically after using. Drugs or alcohol are no longer helping you to relax at the end of your day and have become a problem in your life. You have reached a point that you cannot go a day without substances or you are finding yourself indulging more than you feel you should.

• Instead of focusing most of your energy on when the next time you will get to use or drink again will be, I will help you use this energy to focus on staying sober.

• I can help you identify the stressors that lead you to using so that we can then prepare a step-by-step plan of the healthy coping techniques you will use to get through that day. I am here to help you figure out what will help you the most and to help keep you accountable through this process.

• Once you are sober, then we will be able to strengthen other parts of your life including your relationships, job/school, health and self-care.

+ TEENS

• Being a teen can be extremely stressful as you have a lot to worry about. Teens are experiencing an increase in anxiety and depression symptoms which parents have to look out for. It’s common for teens to feel a low self-esteem due to what others say on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc. There may be changes in friendships and relationships which cause stress, anxiety, and sadness. The application process to get into high school in Hudson County can be as stressful as applying to colleges. I personally think every teen could use therapy as it’s such a stressful time in anyone’s life. It is a time they’re trying to figure out their identity, which is stressful enough. I have a great bond with all of the teen clients I see and really enjoy my work with them. I keep up-to-date with social media, pop culture, TV shows, and movies they’re watching so that we can speak the same language. I genuinely enjoy seeing the progress a teen client can make in therapy and find it so rewarding once they “graduate” from therapy with more confidence.

+ TELEHEALTH

Are you looking for the option of online therapy? I offer the option of telehealth sessions (video and phone counseling). If you are residing in New Jersey or Florida, you are eligible for telehealth services with me. I stay up to date with the latest technology; I’m frequently available, and easy to reach. The best way to reach me is by email or text as I will be able to respond quicker than playing phone tag in between sessions. Telehealth sessions are great if you have a sick child at home, you’re sick yourself, there’s a snow storm, you’re stuck at work, you’re traveling, or you just prefer to do a session while in your pajamas at home. I treat telehealth sessions as the same as in-person and find them just as beneficial in our work together. The ability to do telehealth sessions also comes with flexibility in scheduling.

+ TRAUMA COUNSELING

• I work with people who have suffered from various forms of trauma. Trauma can leave you feeling lost and confused because it effects the body and mind in different ways. You may have difficulty sleeping at night or feel like your thoughts and emotions are out of your control. Whether it occurred last week or years prior, trauma symptoms can be triggered at any time.

• I have worked with clients struggling with trauma and PTSD in my practice for a few years. I often used DBT and mindfulness interventions to help my clients through managing symptoms from trauma. I used a client centered approach and writing exercises to help guide our work and provide a safe space.

• High rates of depression and anxiety are also common, which sometimes makes it difficult to distinguish from other mental health issues. I use trauma-informed care to help my clients identify and understand the situations in their lives that damaged their sense of safety and wellbeing. I utilize Trauma-Focused Therapy tools to help work through the trauma and regain a sense of control. A wide range of life events can cause trauma, and some are easier to recognize than others.

• Trauma-informed therapy is not just for people with an obvious source such as violence and abuse, but also applies to those with a history of loss or difficulties that have impacted the way you experience the world. Once you are able to learn healthy coping skills, you will be able to see the future with a new outlook.

+ YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

• Young adults (20’s and 30’s year olds) have a hard time adulting as their life transitions. Either you’re in college and having a hard time balancing school and relationships or you are transitioning into the work world and finding that it is not everything you’d hope it’d be. You may find that you’ve found success in your career, but continue to experience relationship issues, anxiety, or depression. Whenever there’s a life event, such as graduating from college, getting married, having a baby, a breakup, a career change, etc., you will feel some form of stress. I help my clients with ways they can cope with this stress in a healthy way. This is a time in your life where there are constant decisions that need to be made. You may fear that you’re making the wrong decisions and don’t know what your future holds. That’s a common fear for young adults, or young professionals, to experience. I can help you get through it all so you can feel confident moving forward with your decisions.