Out of Network Therapists in Highland Park, NJ

Hello! I am currently accepting new clients and am open to all populations although I primarily work with individuals who identify in the LGBTQIA+ community. Many people have been impacted by mental health issues recently and I can walk with you through your challenges to get you back on track. I have experience helping clients with anxiety, depression, and trauma. My approach is flexible and down to earth using research proven techniques. I AM ALSO A GENDER SPECIALIST who provides assistance to transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming adults, adolescents, and their families.

FREE CONSULT. Do RESULTS matter to you? Everyone I see has OCD, Panic, Agoraphobia, PTSD, or Social Anxiety. These conditions are extremely treatable with the RIGHT kind of DRUG-FREE CBT Exposure therapy. I aim to eliminate symptoms, not just treat or manage them. Clients are liberated to move on with life--get married, prevent divorce or firing, have families, advance or change careers, resume friendships, return children to school--often in the middle of therapy. Therapy doesn't stop at the door. I contact my clients after every session to check on them.

IPG PAVED THE WAY for other gay affirmative therapists - we started in 1983 specifically to provide therapy to the gay and lesbian community, back when most practitioners thought it was a mental illness. We're still trailblazers: we work with transgender people, bisexuals/pansexuals, kinky people, couples who practice consensual nonmonogamy, and others who make up the "Q" in LGBTQ. You may not want therapy BECAUSE you are gay, but you definitely want a therapist who is not only affirming but knowledgeable. We understand the special issues of LGBTQ individuals, couples, and families, and we provide sex therapy as well.

I welcome all clients who would like to improve their well being and their family, intimate, or work relationships. I will help you gain greater insight into your behaviors and feelings so that you may ultimately make choices to live a more free, fulfilled, happy life.

You are making an important decision right now. You're struggling and you need an EXPERT to help you. We are seven expert Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) clinicians who have over 100 years of combined clinical and research experience. We see individuals, couples and families and use only evidence-based practices. We will leverage a combination of clinical assessment and interview to develop the most effective treatment plan for you to meet your goals and reduce your suffering. We approach treatment in a respectful, collaborative fashion. "We work together on what matters to you."

Imagine being able to feel calm and at ease. To have peace of mind and not having to worry about so many different things. Imagine not worrying about what will be in the future and having guilt and regret of the past.

You’re aware that time is running out. You think about this more than others, which can get very lonely. You seek that which is meaningful, authentic, sacred. You’ve put time, money and energy into this quest. You’re exhausted. You’ve been disappointed so many times. Don’t settle. This is your life, your therapy. You know you need the courage to live by your convictions, but it’s hard to clarify exactly what you believe in. You know you need partnership and community, but when things go sideways in your relationships, at work, with family and friends, they’re not telling you what you’re doing wrong.

Taking the first step towards making a change is the most challenging part of any process. I foster a safe, compassionate, and non-judgemental space so that you can begin to work and process through what has brought you to therapy. Whether you are looking to work through anxiety, depression, a recent/past trauma, or substance use issues, I am here to listen and help you to improve your overall well-being. I believe you already have the capacity for healing - I can help you to tap into this part of yourself. I will help you gain greater insight into your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

It's hard to admit needing, or accept help sometimes. Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed, lost, or inertia about self-motivated change? If you're struggling with managing anxiety or depression, infertility, adoption issues, trauma, LGBTQ, ADHD, child behavior, mariage, or impulse control I can help. I will "meet you where you are" emotionally, and together we can navigate what you are experiencing. I want to walk with you while you find mental wellness, manage stressors, obtain clarity, and gain the peace of mind that you deserve. There's much healing in being heard, understood, and taking time to process emotions.

Imagine you're in a brightly lit, comfortable and spacious room with lots of natural light pouring in. It's very easy to see and feel safe. Suddenly the windows go black blocking the sun light, the lights in the room go off and you can't see a thing. The sense of spaciousness gives way to pitch black darkness and you since you can't see you're too scared to move. The first thing you need to do is calm down if you feel fear or anger. If you feel paralyzed you need to start believing in yourself. Once you can think straight, you can start taking steps towards finding a way to create light and dispel the darkness.

Welcome! I am the founder of Meraki Psychology Center (MPC). Whether you’re looking to start therapy for the first time or try something new, I am here to help you rewrite your story and work towards the life you want. At MPC, we strive to embody our name in the services we provide. Everything we do is with 'meraki' or passion. We hope to instill this passion in each of you. We provide individual, couples, parenting & family therapy for adolescents & adults. Each of your identities influence who you are & our treatments are adapted to fit your individualized needs.

Bringing a careful, curious & compassionate attention to ourselves and our present situation is often the first step in any journey of healing or self-discovery. In our work together, I will encourage you to join me in a non-judging, non-blaming attitude of curiosity towards yourself, your past and current experiences and relationships, and whatever comes forward during our meetings together. For me, this curiosity includes elements of deep respect for what is known and not known about what shapes our sense of who we are and what drives our moods and behaviors.

"Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Learning to center ourselves in the here and now and be truly present in the moment is where we begin to connect with who we are beyond the influences and complications of the world around us. From there, we begin the journey to find peace no matter what in our lives may trouble us.

Mindful-based therapy combined with solution-focused therapy can help you attain your goals, find your true potential, better manage your stress and your responses. We work as partners to resolve relationship, parenting, work, or other issues. Mindful therapy will help you connect to yourself and others authentically, to create a greater closeness in relationships. It will improve your creativity and your decision making. It provides new options for living a fuller life and becoming more resilient.

We all tell stories to and about ourselves. The stories we tell can empower us, and sometimes we find that our stories do not serve us. At its core, therapy is a safe space for you to tell your story. As a licensed clinical psychologist, I value the story each person has to tell. My compassionate and non-judgmental approach allows me to collaborate with you, to understand your experiences and where you may be feeling overwhelmed or stuck. I will support you in the process of gaining insight, in order to facilitate meaningful change. I strive to build a strong bond with my clients, to help you feel more at ease within yourself.

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.

I believe that stress affects us on all levels: mind, body, and spirit. Whether it is depression, anxiety, relationship struggles, loss, or life transitions, a person needs to be treated on all levels. Additionally, each person experiences the interaction between the three in a unique way, and treatment must reflect that difference between clients. In addition to a doctorate in clinical psychology, I have advanced training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (www.sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org) and EMDR (www.emdr.com), both mind/body psychotherapies.