+ Anxiety

• Anxiety is designed to help motivate us to manage a threat. However, we may find that our anxiety is triggering a response that is more harmful than helpful. While working with me, you will be guided in better understanding this natural defense mechanism. We will work on finding a way to use the benefits of anxiety but also better manage the maladaptive parts of anxiety. Using a variety of therapy techniques, you will find yourself more in control of this natural defense system.

+ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• I utilize a mixture of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help increase awareness and facilitate change of harmful thought patterns. By reframing thought patterns, it allows for more control over how you cope with feelings and also how you manage behaviors.

+ COUPLES COUNSELING

• Couples counseling can be beneficial at any stage of the relationship. Relationships take a lot of work and understanding to deal with the stressful life situations. Whether you are struggling with communication, infidelity, loss of intimacy, or just feeling plain stuck, couples therapy can be a great tool to help you move forward. You and your partner will be able to better understand the problem, learn how to improve communication, and change problem behaviors in a healthy way. No matter the current situation, counseling can help a couple better understand each other’s needs and learn how to maintain a life of satisfaction and teamwork.

• A recently engaged couple might find it a great opportunity to openly discuss future goals, hopes, and fears for the future, while a couple of many years can use therapy to find ways to help their relationship maintain its excitement and romance. I work to develop a strategy that best fits the needs of each couple. Couples counseling is a great way to strengthen your relationship so you can come together during times of major life change and transition.

• Common areas of concern addressed in couples counseling include issues with:
  • Money
  • Parenting
  • Sex
  • Infidelity
  • In-laws
  • Chronic health issues
  • Infertility
  • Gambling
  • Substance use
  • Emotional distance
  • Frequent conflict

• In my couples counseling work, I use techniques from the Gottman Method, team CBT, psychodynamic therapy and solutions-focused therapy.

• As a couples counselor, I work with couples of all orientations. Each relationship is unique, therefore, I utilize a mixed approach consisting of psychodynamic, CBT, solutions focused, emotionally focused and conflict resolution therapies. When couples find that they are growing apart, bickering, impatient or navigating significant stress, I help provide additional support to help you get what you need out of a relationship and work on yourself as well.

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+ 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 Elena.

+ Life Transitions

• As a counselor supporting you through life transitions, I will guide you in exploring your coping mechanisms and thought patterns. Often we may use coping mechanisms such as avoidance, isolation, catastrophizing, addictive behaviors or worry. Our brain often sees these behaviors as helping us to cope, but many times these responses may be doing more harm than good. Together we will work on building self awareness and then practicing new coping skills to help you navigate change in a healthy way.

+ Psychodynamic Therapy

• As a therapist, I use psychodynamic therapy techniques to uncover how past experiences are impacting present behaviors. We all learn from our experiences, however, sometimes the way we have learned to cope with certain situations is not always the most effective in new situations. By increasing self-awareness of how our past is influencing our present, we can begin to make successful changes to help us grow and manage our lives in new ways.

+ Solutions Focused brief therapy

• I believe in utilizing solution-focused techniques to guide you in identifying ways to move forward through life’s challenges. Amongst other techniques, it is helpful to identify what is happening in the present and what solutions may help you move forward in a healthy and productive way.

+ SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING

• I have extensive experience working with people who have unhealthy addictions, such as substance abuse. Often people turn to substances as a way of dealing with their stress. Therapy can provide you with healthier coping tools that will not only help you better manage your stress, but also will guide you in decreasing your substance use. Through this process you will be able to feel happier and more productive.

• You may have noticed over time that your one glass of wine or one joint at night after a stressful day has increased overtime. Your drinking or drug use may have reached a point that others around you are commenting about it. You may also find yourself feeling worse emotionally and/or physically after using. Drugs or alcohol are no longer helping you to relax at the end of your day and have become a problem in your life. You have reached a point that you cannot go a day without substances or you are finding yourself indulging more than you feel you should.

• Instead of focusing most of your energy on when the next time you will get to use or drink again will be, I will help you use this energy to focus on staying sober.

• I can help you identify the stressors that lead you to using so that we can then prepare a step-by-step plan of the healthy coping techniques you will use to get through that day. I am here to help you figure out what will help you the most and to help keep you accountable through this process.

• Once you are sober, then we will be able to strengthen other parts of your life including your relationships, job/school, health and self-care.

+ TEENS

• Being a teen can be extremely stressful as you have a lot to worry about. Teens are experiencing an increase in anxiety and depression symptoms which parents have to look out for. It’s common for teens to feel a low self-esteem due to what others say on Instagram, Snapchat, anonymous app’s, etc. There may be changes in friendships and relationships which cause stress, anxiety, and sadness. The application process to get into high school in Hudson County can be as stressful as applying to colleges. I personally think every teen could use therapy as it’s such a stressful time in anyone’s life. It is a time they’re trying to figure out their identity, which is stressful enough. I have a great bond with all of the teen clients I see and really enjoy my work with them. I keep up-to-date with social media, pop culture, TV shows, and movies they’re watching so that we can speak the same language. I genuinely enjoy seeing the progress a teen client can make in therapy and find it so rewarding once they “graduate” from therapy with more confidence.

+ 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, New York, or Florida, you are eligible for telehealth services with me. I stay up to date with the latest technology; I’m frequently available, and easy to reach. The best way to reach me is by email or text as I will be able to respond quicker than playing phone tag in between sessions. 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.

+ TRAUMA COUNSELING

• I work with people who have suffered from various forms of trauma. Trauma can leave you feeling lost and confused because it effects the body and mind in different ways. You may have difficulty sleeping at night or feel like your thoughts and emotions are out of your control. Whether it occurred last week or years prior, trauma symptoms can be triggered at any time.

• High rates of depression and anxiety are also common, which sometimes makes it difficult to distinguish from other mental health issues. I use trauma-informed care to help my clients identify and understand the situations in their lives that damaged their sense of safety and wellbeing. I utilize mindfulness, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and Narrative therapy tools to help work through the trauma and regain a sense of control. A wide range of life events can cause trauma, and some are easier to recognize than others.

• Trauma-informed therapy is not just for people with an obvious source such as violence and abuse, but also applies to those with a history of loss or difficulties that have impacted the way you experience the world. Once you are able to learn healthy coping skills, you will be able to see the future with a new outlook.

+ YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

• Young adults (20’s and 30’s year olds) have a hard time adulting as their life transitions. Either you’re in college and having a hard time balancing school and relationships or you are transitioning into the working world and finding that it is not everything you’d hope it’d be. You may find that you’ve found success in your career, but continue to experience relationship issues, anxiety, or depression. Whenever there’s a life event, such as graduating from college, getting married, having a baby, a breakup, a career change, etc.) you will feel some form of stress. I help my clients by coming up with ways they can cope with this stress in a healthy way. This is a time in your life where there are constant decisions that need to be made. You may fear that you’re making the wrong decisions and don’t know what your future holds. That’s a common fear for young adults, or young professionals, to experience.