SERVICES

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We are trained and experienced in working with individuals with histories of trauma.  From histories of childhood trauma to abusive relationships, from  assaults, car accidents, and traumatic loss to war and first-responder trauma, we have have interventions to help heal the damage and scars from short and long-term trauma.  EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitation and Reprocessing, is an evidence based non-invasive intervention for trauma and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).  It is also used for peak performance training.  EMDR assists an individual in cognitively and emotionally "re-processing" unwanted or memories, thoughts and beliefs associated with a traumatic experience.  Individuals with histories of seizures or detached retinas cannot participate in EMDR.

Hypnosis. clinical hypnosis and hypnotherapy are terms used to describe a deep state of relaxation (commonly referred to as an "altered state of consciousness") which can be beneficial to individuals struggling with anxiety, stress related symptoms, sleep problems, fears, compulsive behaviors, pain and more. This state of deep relaxation is akin to the physical state that one experiences just prior to falling asleep.  During this state the human mind, or psyche, tends to relax as well and be more receptive to suggestions or associations to positive states of mind or experiences. There is no "magic" in the process of hypnosis, the participant is awake and alert, and this type of professional hypnosis should not be confused with the common perception of theatrical hypnosis for entertainment.  

Neurofeedback, also known as EEG Biofeedback,  is a non-invasive, safe and evidence-based training method for improving brain performance and efficiency. Using a computer with highly specialized software, and based on the long established principles of operant conditioning, an individual engages in mental activities (such as watching colorful images on a screen and listening to relaxing music) while receiving “feedback” (often in the form of quick interruptions in the visual or auditory experience) as a result of how the brain is responding.  As the brain is repeatedly engaged in this process, it eventually adopts improved patterns of response, regulation, learning and processing.  Nothing (electricity, vibrations, shock, etc) goes into the brain during the training process.  Neurofeedback is commonly used to address concerns and challenges associated with anxiety, ADHD, stress, sleep problems, and headaches. 

We offer comprehensive and effective behavioral consulting and training including behavior modification, parent coaching,  and home, school or on-site assessments.    Our Behavioral Consultant is highly experienced in working with a wide variety of behavioral presentations ranging from attention or learning challenges to phobias, avoidant behaviors, and high risk acting-out behaviors.  At Bergen County Therapy, we focus on a child or family's strengths and behavioral needs, providing concrete, real life  skills to effectuate positive change.  Our Behavioral Consultant  works collaboratively with our other therapists as well as with schools and other outside supports.  We offer individual, family and group behavioral consulting and training  and also conduct home and on-site assessments and support.

Our Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist provides services for those seeking counseling, education or coaching regarding health, nutrition, weight management, menu planning, special dietary needs and more.  Services are available for those struggling with eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder as well restrictive and avoiding eating, compulsive and emotional eating,  feeding issues and body image or body dysmorphic conditions.  From circumstances  such as weight gain due to medication to diabetes management, our Registered Dietitian is available to counsel and support our clients in their quest for improved health, working from a strengths based perspective drawing on the core philosophies and practices of an "Intuitive Eating" approach.

Often our clients are not in need of psychotherapy but instead are seeking a means by which to create a healthier and more satisfying lifestyle for themselves to combat the fast pace, stress and hectic nature of contemporary life.  We have created a unique approach that we call "Integrative Wellness Coaching"   a fusion of of coaching, education and training in stress management, sleep hygiene, self-care, yoga, philosophy and nutrition.   By combining these various disciplines into one seamless delivery of services, our clients work toward positive change that results in improved quality of life and an increased sense of genuine well-being.  It is our strong belief that when human beings learn and practice the "art" of well-being, all areas of their life improve including relationships. physical wellness, mental health and productivity.   

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is a highly effective evidence based form of therapy that focuses on the relationship between thoughts ("cognitions") and actions ("behaviors").  All of the therapists at Bergen County Therapy have extensive training and are certified in CBT.  This form of therapy enables people to examine and change their negative self-talk patterns, distorted thinking, self-sabotaging behaviors, and many other self-limiting presentations .  CBT is commonly used in the treatment of anxiety, phobias, OCD, PTSD, depression, eating disorders, and much more.  

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, is an evidence based form of psychotherapy that involves a multi-dimensional approach to self-regulation, mindfulness, increased self-awareness and improved interpersonal relationships.  DBT teaches specific cognitive and behavioral skills to improve emotional regulation and impulse control and a plethora of mindfulness skills and practices to increase awareness of self, others and environment and increase inner peace. Several of our therapists have advanced training in DBT and provide this highly effective form of treatment individually or in groups for a wide range of conditions. 

Self harm, or self-injurious behaviors, are highly complex, serious, and often misunderstood phenomenas in mental health.  It is imperative that individuals seeking help for self harm or other high risk behaviors receive professional treatment from a mental health practitioner who is experienced and knowledgable in the theory and treatments specific to these conditions. The type of therapy provided for self-injuring behaviors at Bergen County Therapy is an eclectic union of various forms of treatment, including CBT, DBT, EMDR, Hypnosis, etc., that aims to identify and eradicate the underlying causes of the behavior and develop greater self-regualatory skills, increased discomfort tolerance, and improved self-awareness and affective expression. 

We offer social skills training to children of all ages and with a wide range of emotional and behavioral presentations.  Our social skills groups are comprised of four inter-related components:  skill based education, insight development (that focuses on one's  behaviors and the impact it has on others), skills practice and exposure (through play and group activities that simulate real life social interactions) and parental reinforcement.  Children learn about themselves and others, and develop concrete skills to improve social relatedness and functioning in a fun, safe and supportive environment.  

Whether you're married or unmarried, straight or gay, seeking to save your marriage or find a peaceful means to an amicable separation, we can help.   Several of our therapists are trained in "Imago" couple's therapy, and take a compassionate and eclectic approach  that focuses on identifying and resolving underlying issues that are often at the root of the relationship problems.  We work to empower couple's to take ownership of their relationship goals through improved communication, intimacy, trust and problem solving. 

At Bergen County Therapy, we understand the challenges facing individuals,  as well as their family members, who are in recovery.  Whether a person is recovering from a traumatic childhood,  substance abuse dependency, an unhealthy relationship... or all of the above and more... we provide individual therapy, education, family counseling and group therapy to help support your journey.  Recovery is a process and often requires multiple supports to sustain one's growth.  Your success, growing self-awareness and concrete skills for recovery are always our first priority. 

At Bergen County Therapy, we believe that parenting is not only the most important job in the world,  but the most difficult as well.  We provide our own unique brand of what we call "Peak Parenting Skills and Education" that we believe is an accessible and realistic approach to parenting education.  Our primary philosophy is the belief that the most important and effective tool you have as a parent is the relationship you build with your child.  In other words, in order to utilize proven interventions such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement, consistency, positive discipline, etc., you must first establish a meaningful and empathically based relationship with your child in which to communicate effectively and set reasonable goals.  We provide education regarding age appropriate behaviors and expectations, models for positive change, and communication skills training as part of our Peak Parenting Skills and Education. 

Consistent with the holistic trends in treatment today, we are finding more frequently that clients of all ages benefit from receiving multiple services with our various clinicians and specialties.  Providing a group of clinically sound services enables us to comprehensivly address the demands of some of our client's complex conditions.  We are excited to be able to create personal "mini-programs" to meet our client's unique and multi-dimensional needs.  Bergen County Therapy, in combination with our affiliate company, Bergen Peak Performance, offers a myriad of evidence based and/or cutting edge services that together can address different symptoms or goals at the same time.  We may, for example, provide individual therapy with yoga, nuerofeedback, tutoring and nutritional counseling for a child with ADHD or school anxiety and high absenteeism.  This is just one example of a personal multi-service program.  We are happy to speak with you about your personal needs and goals.  

Our therapists are experienced and  welcoming in providing a safe and effective healing environment for even the youngest of our clients through play, art, creative and activity based therapies.  When young children (and often adolescents) come for therapy, they cannot be expected to sit on a couch and simply talk about their feelings.  We take a very active, engaged, talkative and reciprocal approach to working with children.  We recognize that children's emotional worlds are represented in their play and creativity and focus on these activities as a means to establish safety and trust in the therapeutic relationship and foster open expression.  For teens, we work hard to "meet them in their world," which is often about music, friends, journals, art and so forth.  All of our therapists are trained in a "Family Systems" approach and parents are often invited into sessions for communication and feedback. 

We offer a host of therapy and educational groups for clients of all ages and with a full range of conditions.  From groups that are strictly "therapeutic" in nature, such as support and treatment groups for people with depression or anxiety, to wellness and mindfulness groups for women that integrate yoga, nutritional and philosophy... from adolescent girls' groups that focus on  self development and navigating social challenges, to college readiness groups for young adults transitioning from high school, we continually offer time limited and open ended groups.  Our group therapy is always supportive in nature, commonly has an educational component, provides skills teaching and opportunities for positive socialization, and draws on the healing effect of human relatedness and connectedness.  Please refer to our "Events" page for a full list of groups that are currently running or will soon be provided.  

We place tremendous value on the scientifically proven benefits of a yoga, mindfulness and meditation practice.  These benefits include improved or increased  physical health, psychological wellness, satisfaction with life, longevity, sleep, focus, performance, and overall well-being.  We understand that learning to meditate can be a difficult and daunting task for many people.  We are trained in several different approaches to teaching meditation and also utilize cutting edge technology to make learning how to meditate a fun and successful endeavor!

Yoga is provided at Bergen County Therapy by registered yoga teachers who also have degrees and training in social work, psychology, sociology or nutritional science.   Yoga serves as a valuable and effective component in many of our client's treatment and self-evolution process.  From learning to simply manage one's day to day stress more effectively to playing an integral role in healing from trauma, loss, depression or even school or social anxiety, our mindfulness training ntegrates components of Eastern philosophy, yoga, meditation, spirituality and self-awareness into the healing process.

The social workers and various clinicians at Bergen County Therapy are available to individuals, families, businesses and schools to serve as consultants, advocates and case managers.  We are available to work on-site with schools and businesses to provide trainings, facilitate groups or help design and implement services or programs.  Families that are struggling with a member who is suffering from severe mental illness, chemical dependency, or who have a child with special needs or learning challenges, may need case management or advocacy to make difficult treatment decisions regarding hospitalizations, IEPs, out of district placements, rehabilitation referrals, etc.  We are also experienced public speakers for programs, workshops, conferences and educational training.  

Sleep disorders or impairments are among the most common health problems faced by Americans today.  Due to over-scheduling, fast pace, poor diet, lack of exercise, and increased stress, the Center for Disease Control  estimates that one-third of all American adults, and nearly that many children, have a diagnosable sleep disorder.  This statistic is particularly alarming due to the fact that insufficient sleep is linked to a plethora of  serious health and medical conditions.  Sleep disorders are also regarded as among the hardest to treat by health and mental health practitioners.   Both Bergen County Therapy and Bergen Peak Performance provide services to help our clients improve the quality of their sleep or address sleep challenges.  Often combined services are successful in alleviating sleep challenges.  These services may include behavioral counseling, neurofeedback, hypnosis, EMDR, yoga, meditation training and nutrition counseling.  A good night's sleep may only be a call away!

At Bergen County Therapy we love, respect and welcome diversity! We truly honor every person who crosses our threshold as an individual with unique and special gifts and needs who is on a personal journey towards greater health, happiness and well-being.  We provide supportive and respectful care to our lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer and intersex clients and their families in a compassionate and professional manner.  From helping a teen come out to his or her parents, to battling stigma and bullying at school.... from helping parents understand their transgendered child's needs at home and at school, to providing group counseling and positive socialization, we offer many services and supports for the LGBTQI community.  Of special interest may be our LGBTQI teen group and parent support that is offered on an on-going basis (please see our "Events" page for scheduled groups).

Our second company, Bergen Peak Performance, was born out of our long established therapy practice.  Bergen Peak Performance is housed in the same lovely Victorian house that our therapy practice is; BPP provides state of the art, technology driven trainings and services for athletes, musicians, creative and performing artists, first responders, students, medical and business professionals and... well, just about anyone with a brain!  We offer neurofeedback, FITLIGHT training, Neurotracker, Muse meditation training and more.  Our state of the art facility is somewhat of a "fitness center for the brain" and our trainings help improve focus and attention, cognitive and visual processing, mental agility and precision, impulse control, decision making under pressure, memory, and so much more.  Visit us at www.BergenPeakPerformance.com or call us at (201) 250-0209 or more information!