+ Anxiety Therapy

• Treatment for anxiety is a collaborative process. I work with children, adolescents, and adults to help them understand the root causes of their anxiety, identify triggers, and develop coping mechanisms. Clients improve coping skills through techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, relaxation techniques, and mindfulness practices to empower clients to manage their anxiety effectively in daily life.

+ ADHD

• I have experience treating children and teens with ADHD in school settings along with outpatient settings. I create a safe environment for clients to learn about their diagnosis and its impact on their everyday lives. This reflection process is equal parts acknowledging struggles and leaning into their strengths. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms with school-age children through play therapy, parent training, and collaboration with schools and other providers. With older children and teens, treatment includes evaluation of executive functions. I work closely with the clients and their caregivers to identify struggles and then work to build skills to improve client functioning.

+ Attachment-Based Family Therapy

• I use Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) to treat depressed adolescents with attachment ruptures. My approach is to create a safe and non-judgmental environment where the adolescent and their caregiver(s) can repair trust and re-establish the caregiver(s) as a source of support (reparative attachment experience). Utilizing the model's five distinct tasks, I work with the adolescent client and their caregiver(s) individually and as a family to shift the focus from the client's behavior to the family relationships, including caregiver(s) stress, multigenerational trauma, and how that has created an attachment fracture. My goal is to become a communication coach for the family so they can discuss things related to attachment rupture and negotiate solutions to complex day-to-day challenges that promote autonomy while maintaining attachment.

+ Behavioral Issues

• Through the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, play therapy, and biblio-therapy, caregivers, children, and the clinician figure out the root cause of the child's behavior. Treatment is a collaborative approach. Typical goals for behavioral disorders are to develop better coping skills, set better boundaries, and learn how to effectively and assertively communicate one’s feelings. I can help decrease behavioral issues while increasing parental-child attachment.

+ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for children, teens, and adults to help with a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, behavioral disorders, difficulty with emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationships. My approach is to create a safe and non-judgmental environment in which to assist clients in creating a picture of their current problem, how it has impacted them and those around them, and explain how CBT might work for them. My sessions are structured but allow for flexibility, intending to bring awareness of inaccurate or negative behavior patterns that cause distress so they can view challenging situations clearly and respond to them using newly developed strategies and coping skills.

+ Depression Counseling

• I have worked with many clients of all ages to address depression. Depression can create significant difficulties in peoples’ lives. Utilizing individual therapy sessions to process through depression and other life difficulties, you will find you or your child's depressive symptoms decrease in intensity and frequency. Once there is a decrease in symptoms, clients can continue to work on developing tools to cope with future negative or uncomfortable feelings.

+ LGBTQIA+ POPULATION

• I can help clients with their coming out process, parenting a child who came out, gender or sexual identity questioning, transgender counseling, experiencing discrimination/bullying, and any other stressors that may arise.
• Your identity may not even be a stressor, but you may be looking for a therapist who you can feel comfortable seeing which is why I think it’s important to express my comfort and knowledge in working with this population. I am an ally, prefer She/Her pronouns, and prefer to be called Carmen.

+ Life Transitions

• I can help support children, teens, and adults through different life transitions. I help clients identify and reframe self-limiting beliefs regarding change, while empowering clients to feel more confident and use coping skills. Some life transitions that I can help with include applying for school, getting a new job, getting pregnant, having a baby, getting married, and more! I recognize and and normalize the complex emotions regarding change.

+ Parenting

• I provide parenting support and training for all types of families, including blended, intact, single, and co-parent families. I work with parents to understand underlying factors contributing to parenting difficulties, whether it is a one-time event or a recurring situation. During these sessions, parents explore their experiences that may affect how they relate to their children and how they see their roles as parents. With some caregivers, parenting support and training may also help parents better communicate with each other to maintain a cohesive and structured parenting approach, develop coping and communication skills, and develop discipline strategies to become more effective parents.

+ Play Therapy

• I use Play Therapy with children to help process experiences, understand and manage emotions, build self-esteem, improve social skills, and target developmental issues. My approach is to join the child in play while observing and following their lead. I have found play therapy to be effective for clients who have experienced trauma, as it allows them to express themselves. It is also beneficial for children struggling with ADHD, providing support and practice in developing coping skills, self-control, and social skills.

+ TELEHEALTH

• Are you looking for the option of virtual therapy? I offer the option of telehealth sessions (video and phone counseling). If you are residing in New Jersey, you are eligible for telehealth services with me. 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.