Substance Use Therapists in Highland Park, NJ

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship problems or issues related to substance use ? Maybe you have suffered a loss or been through a traumatic experience and are feeling overwhelmed by your emotions, stuck, or just numb? You are not alone. Everybody needs help sometimes to cope in a healthy and skillful way with life’s challenges and changes. If you want to feel better, learn more about yourself, and identify patterns of behavior & thinking that no longer serve you well, therapy may help. Tap into your innate strengths, find new meaning from your experiences, or simply get some extra support and perspective.

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.

I am a bi-lingual, bi-cultural Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and I use evidence - based treatment to manage anxiety, depression, trauma and distress caused by life stressors. I work with young adults, adults across the life span and couples facing relationship conflicts. I also work with individuals and family members affected by substance use and co-dependence issues. I am a compassionate, empathetic and non-judgmental, with over 15 years of experience helping others. Each client is different. I begin with a thorough assessment, and then together, my client and I tailor a treatment plan of action.

Life is challenging and it can become very overwhelming. My job is to support you in lessening that load that you’re carrying and give you the skills to be able to cope and manage what you are currently dealing with. My hope is to provide you with a warm and friendly environment so that you feel comfortable sharing and working with me.

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.

Therapy is about feeling better. It's a learning process. It requires a comfortable atmosphere, conducive to talking and expressing inner feelings. I try to create this environment by offering respect, sensitivity and compassion. I bring enthusiasm, and hope to the therapeutic process, as well as insight and creativity. This, in turn, helps one to develop an understanding of one's self and one's circumstances, and thus, the process of change begins, where one can acquire an ability to tackle whatever the challenge may be.

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.

The things we experience affect us more than we think. Maybe you felt neglected as a child, are experiencing bullying, lost a family member, or are in an emotionally and/or physically abusive relationship. Maybe you have signs of unhealed trauma (depression, anxiety, low self-worth, relationship trouble, substance abuse, etc.) but don't realize you've experienced trauma. You could feel uncertain about why you feel this way and want to explore that. Trauma is very subjective. Every person is affected by and reacts to adverse events differently. This can lead you to feeling hopeless for the future and can be incredibly isolating.

If you’ve made it to this profile, you can take a deep breath and relax a little because you’ve taken the first, and probably most difficult, step in your healing journey. Anxiety and depression may tell us we’re okay on our own or that we may be a burden to others, but it can be helpful to let someone else provide guidance and help navigate the difficult things life throws our way.

Social Work Supervisors, LLC (SWS) is a group practice led by Stephanie Field, LCSW, LCADC and Barbara Gelfand, LCSW. In addition to psychotherapy services, we provide clinical supervision for all levels of Licensed Social Workers and Professional Counselors. Whether you are new to the field and need your clinical hours for Board licensure, or an established therapist in private practice, we offer both individual and group clinical supervision throughout New Jersey. We also have opportunities for therapists who wish to work within our group practice.

C.G. Jung stated, "In many cases in therapy the patient who has come to us has a story that is not told, and which as a rule no one knows of. To my mind, therapy only really begins after the investigation of that wholly personal story. It is the patient's secret, the rock against which s/he is shattered." My practice involves creating a client/therapist relationship and environment where this wholly personal story can be explored and brought to consciousness. I work to create a safe, accepting, nonjudgmental, and collaborative space that will bring wholeness and meaning to the suffering that every human experiences.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and have been counseling individuals, families, and groups for the past 22 years. My specialty is working with adult men who are struggling with relationships and life transitions. Through my training and teaching of therapeutic wilderness survival and my years working and teaching at Rutgers University, I am very familiar with the issues young adults and adults in today's world are challenged with. Additionally, I have spent many years working at Arms Acres and The SAFE Foundation, with individuals and family members of individuals struggling with process of addiction and recovery.

*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.

If painful experiences were met with confusing or anxious responses from others or described in manners that did not respond to emotional needs, then a child or individual would likely cope with difficulties by disconnecting from the threatening emotional meanings. We need another at times, or search for a healing process. If you have been struggling with strong feelings or a particular situation, it is time to get help. You can find the way through fears, loss or other struggles. I am here to support you through your struggles, through personal hardships, finding truths or make sense of confusion in your mind or life.

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS. Are you south/east asian woman struggling with anxiety, self doubt, a need to be perfect or low self esteem? Are you having trouble keeping up with the demands of work, school, family and social life and it feels like a constant balancing act? Do you have trouble being assertive and confident in your relationships? Are you going through a break up, life transition or just have trouble relating to your parents and family who have different expectations for you? Are you a new mom or expecting? Being a woman in today’s modern society is hard, but you don't have to be alone.

Have you ever felt your interactions with others do not represent your true self? Do you often feel misunderstood? Do you lack emotional energy or avoid uncomfortable situations? Are you often triggered but lack self-awareness to understand the source of your feelings? Perhaps you are a teen or young adult wondering how your feelings and emotional intelligence will affect your life.

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.