Asperger's Syndrome Therapists in Somerville, NJ

I am a New York State and New Jersey State Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Human and Organizational Psychologist. I received my BA in Psychology from The City College of New York, my MSW from The State University of New York at Stony Brook, and my PsyD from Touro University Worldwide.

D&M Counseling is comprised of two LCSW clinicians who co-facilitate therapeutic groups with a social skill focus. Our objective is to provide children and adolescents with a safe and fun learning environment to develop appropriate and more effective social skills. Individuals are given the tools needed to better understand themselves and their environment. As the clients' confidence and skills improve children are able to meet the social demands placed upon them. Co-facilitating allows the group process to continue while necessary redirection is provided individually and discreetly. Social workers also offer appropriate role modeling during the group session.

Founder of Devoted to Kids, Jennifer Luongo has 22 years of experience in the field of pediatrics with an advanced Master's Degree in occupational therapy. She is dedicated to providing the most comprehensive and holistic intervention for her clients and their families. Her experience ranges from infants to young adults with autism spectrum disorder, low muscle tone, global developmental delays, cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, ADHD and more. Devoted to Kids is focused on maximizing a child’s full potential in the areas of sensory processing, self-regulation, executive functioning, coordination, strength, etc.

In these stressful times, feelings of anxiety and isolation can be overwhelming. I am here to support you. I can help you cope with all your stress, whether you feel depressed, anxious, disconnected ... or just feel like you are stuck where you are. Together we can explore strategies to help you manage your feelings, what's getting in your way, and uncover ways you can begin to move forward. We can develop a treatment plan with goals that are both meaningful and achievable. Then I can help you understand where you are, decide where you want to be, and very importantly, how to get there. Call me for a consultation to get going!

Accepting new clients! Therapy is an experience that should be tailored to meet the needs of each individual. Throughout my practice, I have utilized an approach based in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MBCT). For those that require a more structured approach to counseling, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness can be an essential way to gain control of negative thoughts and build coping skills to work through emotions. By providing a warm and calming atmosphere, my goal is to help my clients reach their true potential and know that they are not alone in this journey.

Are you feeling worried or unable to fully enjoy previous hobbies or interests that you once looked forward to? Or are you a parent of a child who is struggling emotionally or behaviorally in school or at home? It takes a great amount of strength to admit an answer to any of these, let alone seek therapy. I admire the courage of each and every person who makes the decision to come to therapy. My experience involves providing individual, group, and school counseling services to children as young as 2 years old, adolescents, young adults, and adults. I have unique experience in working with individuals on the autism spectrum.

**Telehealth Available** COVID-19 has brought many sudden changes to day-to-day life, and this period of time has come with a great deal of stress for many. We have specialists that work with children, teens, and adults and we use evidence-based methods to help, whether it be through one-to-one therapy, parent training, or other services. We’re here to help you through this. We are all in this together. Our practice has moved to telehealth, which means that we are using a HIPAA compliant server to provide services to you in the safety of your own home. All of our services are now provided via video meetings.

Life is filled with many opportunities as well as challenges. My goal is to help children and adolescents recognize and seize those opportunities and overcome any challenges and obstacles that get in their way. By helping them create a positive mindset, build effective coping strategies, and expand their repertoire of problem-solving skills, they can live a healthy, satisfying, and successful social and academic life. The earlier these skills are cultivated within the child or adolescent, the greater the opportunities to practice and utilize them to their benefit.

I am a Licensed Psychologist in New Jersey at Behavior Therapy Assocates (BTA) and have been the Program Director of the North New Jersey Campus of HI-STEP® Summer Program since 2008. I have a special interest in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, anxiety disorders, and training parents on behavior management strategies to improve child behavior.