Marriage Counseling Therapists in Highland Park, NJ

Hello, my name is Sarah, and I am a licensed associate marriage and family therapist. I have experience with supporting individuals, couples, and families in improving communication, setting boundaries, and managing challenging life transitions. I am passionate about helping clients explore complex family dynamics, as well as the impact those dynamics have on their physical and mental health. I strive to support clients by providing them with the tools needed to create healthy and long-lasting relationships with both themselves and others.

Here at IPG, we know it's the connection between therapist and client that is most important. We have around 30 therapists through 3 offices in Freehold, Highland Park, and Jersey City. Since 1983 we've combined compassionate care with high-level expertise. We provide individual, family, child, and relationship counseling for problems ranging from depression to life transitions to marital strife. We also have a large group of certified sex therapists, a special focus on the LGBTQ community, services for transgender youth, therapy for those involved in BDSM and/or consensual non-monogamy, and a group for sex and pornography addicts.

I offer Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) for couples and individuals in partnership with the organization Journey Clinical. Curious if psychedelic assisted therapy might be right for you? KAP may be appropriate for treatment resistant depression, trauma, addictions, OCD, anxiety or excessive worry about money, school pressures, marital stress and other relationship issues. I also provide integration sessions for all psychedelic experiences. My mission is to assist you in restoring happiness, clarity and vitality to your life; my style is warm, practical and often challenging.

An important, positive, life event occurs when you decide to seek therapy. It is not an easy decision. Should you decide to call me, you can anticipate that it will be a gentle, informative and positive experience. Clients describe me as being upbeat, easygoing and knowledgable. While I generally use Cognitive, Behavioral Treatment, I am trained in a variety of treatment modalities which can be tailored to your needs. What will always happen is hope as we work together to repair what I often describe as "broken dreams."

Not everyone has the same approach to life's problems such as grief, loss, bereavement, illness and stress, nor to the typical challenges of family relationships. The context of culture, ethnicity, race, gender, class, sexual orientation and spiritual beliefs influence the ways in which we view the world and how the world views us. I work with children, teens, individuals, couples and families to resolve issues in a way that is sensitive to their culture and context; and together we develop solutions that are congruent with their values.

I provide psychotherapy for couples, families, children, and adults from diverse backgrounds. I help to keep the peace at home, by enhancing intimacy, expressing emotions, improving communication skills, decreasing fighting, and bridging differences in personalities and habits, such as ways of managing finances, and finding time to enjoy each other. I help my clients to navigate normal life changes and stresses such as marriage and parenthood, divorce, step- and blended family changes, and recovering from infidelity. I help to address school and academic problems, "stinking thinking", child behavior problems, common (and uncommon) disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

The Institute for Personal Growth (IPG) employs the largest number of certified sex therapists in New Jersey. In fact, we are official trainers for the organization that certifies sex therapists, the American Association for Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). Because many sexual problems affect relationships, not just individuals, our sex therapists also have extensive training in several forms of couples therapy. This means we are the ideal choice to handle relationship problems with a sexual component. Whether your problem is primarily a sexual issue or part of a larger marital problem, we are the right choice.

*If you are looking for my family business consulting practice, go to: www.blumandsavlov.com.* I have many years of experience helping people to find relief from anxiety, depression and relationship problems. Also, I find it very rewarding to guide people in creating the best life possible by helping them to develop greater confidence, improve friendships and intimate relationships (dating, marriage , long-term life partnerships), get more satisfaction out of work and have more fun and meaningful lives. My style is interactive and conversational and an in-person meeting is the best way to find out if we are a good match to work together.

DURING THE PANDEMIC-ALL SESSIONS ARE CONDUCTED VIA ZOOM. What motivates me? 90% of divorcing couples do not receive EVEN ONE HOUR of marital therapy, 2/3 of divorces do not involve high-conflict marriages, children of divorce are twice as likely to divorce and 2/3 of divorces occur within the first 10 years of marriage . I have been married for 43 years, father of 4, counseling couples in NYC since 1980 with an 80% success rate in saving couples on the brink. Most couples wait 2 years before seeking any help. For goodness sake, DON'T WAIT! My mantra: I'll be the last person in the room to give up on your marriage

Here at IPG, we know it's the connection between therapist and client that is most important. We have around 30 therapists through 3 offices in Freehold, Highland Park, and Jersey City. Since 1983 we've combined compassionate care with high-level expertise. We provide individual, family, child, and relationship counseling for problems ranging from depression to life transitions to marital strife. We also have a large group of certified sex therapists, a special focus on the LGBTQ community, services for transgender youth, therapy for those involved in BDSM and/or consensual non-monogamy, and a group for sex and pornography addicts.

Everyone encounters problems which have the potential to negatively impact our sense of relational, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Often, I work with people who have adopted patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that leave them feeling 'stuck' in repeating faulty problem solutions, With my support as a trained mental health professional, therapy represents an opportunity to slow down, develop an expanded view of 'the problem', understand what happened to block problem resolution to date, renew hope, develop and implement a roadmap to get where you want to go, and, ultimately, achieve the balance essential to realizing one's full potential.

The majority of my clients are adults who are seeking ways to manage depression and anxiety, which may be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). The most common issues are associated with relationships, family dynamics, adjustment to new situations, bereavement and end-of-life care. I also work with those caring for loved ones with dementia and other long-term illnesses.

We all want to be genuinely seen, heard and understood. Whether the pain stems from the past, major life changes or simply feeling lost, therapy is a safe place to express your feelings without the fear of judgement. It is an amazing way to partner up and connect with someone who will support you. In these difficult times, it is important to find someone who can hold space for you to help untangle the web of confusion that may exist within. I aim to create a safe, warm and therapeutic atmosphere. You will be met with someone with a genuine desire to understand and who strongly believes that there is always hope.

Creating a space where you can find and nourish your most authentic self is my passion! I've had the honor of witnessing countless journeys of gender and sexual identity exploration, gender transitions and coming out processes, relationship and career transitions, and spiritual transformations. Together, we tailor treatment to your goals and strengths, with a strong, open relationship between us as the core of our work. My wholistic approach is trauma and liberation informed, often integrating mindfulness, energy and body work, and Internal Family Systems (understanding and supporting young parts stuck in old patterns).

I am a clinically trained, psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapist. I received my Master’s in Social Work with an area of emphasis in mental and behavioral health from Rutgers University. I have provided psychotherapeutic services to children, adolescents, and adults in inpatient, outpatient, and school settings. These professional experiences have allowed me to work with clients from different backgrounds, belief systems, and orientations and to better understand the unique and shared experiences that are part of the human condition.

There is no aspect of life more important to happiness and life satisfaction than the state of our intimate relationships. We offer workshops for couples who want a roadmap to enhance their relationship, or to find their way toward healing a troubled relationship. These workshops are for ALL couples. You don't have to be married, you don't have to be troubled, but you do have to want to work to strengthen your bonds, to feel safer and more securely connected to your partner.

We all have a desire to be heard, to be understood, and to be soothed. We often yearn for more satisfying and loving relationships. In therapy, I will listen carefully to you as we sort through obstacles that may be preventing you from experiencing greater ease and happiness. I will bear witness to your life stories, acknowledge your successes and struggles, and help you to find renewed resilience, acceptance and change. I'm patient and open-minded, and provide an empathic therapy space. I believe true healing occurs when we take care of our whole self in mind, body and spirit.