Find a Therapist in Montvale, NJ

My approach in therapy is collaborative, supportive, and goal oriented.

I work with people who are thoughtful and self-aware, but feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward. You might find yourself caught between who you are and who you feel you’re “supposed” to be—driven more by pressure or anxiety than by a clear sense of what actually feels right. In our work together, the focus is on helping you understand yourself more deeply while also creating meaningful change. Sessions are active and collaborative, often incorporating humor and metaphor, with a balance of insight and practical movement forward. I draw from relational cultural theory, narrative therapy, and solution-focused approaches, adapting to what feels most helpful for you. My work is trauma-informed and identity-affirming, and I approach your story with curiosity, care, and respect. As a cis, queer man from the evangelical South, I bring lived insight into how power, privilege, and systems shape identity and mental health. I’m mindful of how these dynamics can show up both in your life and in the therapy room. Over time, clients often feel more grounded in who they are, more confident in their choices, and better able to move through uncertainty without losing themselves. If you’re considering therapy, I offer a free consultation to talk through what you’re looking for and see if we’re a good fit.

I specialize in helping individuals overcome gambling problems, alcohol use, substance use, and the emotional challenges that often accompany them, including anxiety, depression, stress, shame, and relationship difficulties. My approach to therapy is practical, supportive, and focused on helping you create meaningful and lasting change. Drawing from evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing, and relapse prevention, I help clients understand the patterns that keep them stuck, strengthen their motivation for change, and develop healthier ways of coping with life's challenges. I believe that for therapy to be effective, people often need to work through the obstacles that are preventing them from moving forward. In my experience, these barriers are frequently rooted in fear, shame, or pride. Whether it is fear of change, shame about past mistakes, or pride that makes it difficult to ask for help or be vulnerable, these obstacles can keep people trapped in unhealthy cycles. My goal is to work collaboratively with you to identify what is holding you back and help you develop the strength, confidence, and willingness to do the things that may feel difficult or uncomfortable. Recovery and personal growth often require stepping outside of your comfort zone, but you do not have to do it alone. I provide a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where you can gain insight, build practical skills, and take meaningful action toward a healthier, more fulfilling, and purpose-driven life.

In my over 25 years of experience in offering psychotherapy to individuals, families and couples, I have seen, time and time again, the inherent ability each person has for healing and change that can be stimulated and helped through therapy. My work is to support you in this process, employing my advanced training in an array of successful therapeutic approaches including mindfulness therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, to design and facilitate a treatment plan to meet the personal needs of each client individual, family or couple.

My approach is the product of over a decade of experience working collaboratively with clients in an environment of non-judgement. I believe in taking an introspective and collaborative approach when working with adults and adolescents. I believe this kind of treatment approach allows the patients to recognize their own ability to heal based on their own experiences and judgement. Every day we bear the burden of deep emotional wounds and pain that can often cause us to become disillusioned with ourselves, others and the world at large. Avoiding these struggles is a natural way of coping for most of us. But despite the temporary relief it brings, coping in this way often maintains unhealthy and irrational beliefs, negative feelings, and unproductive, or even destructive, behaviors. I believe that the therapeutic relationship is the healing factor and work to be authentic, transparent as well as professional. By providing a safe, supportive and compassionate environment, my clients can find the strength to explore and process their issues without judgement, being stigmatized or pathologized. Encouraging and empowering clients to turn towards and explore these areas of difficulty in their lives can lead to lasting change and new ways to relate to themselves, others and the world.

We tend to withdraw and silence ourselves when we actually should talk and discuss our concerns and issues... Our lives are so complicated by ourselves and by others surrounding us and we often are lost in the dynamics of past or present fears, sadness, dependence and co-dependence...It is extremely difficult to gain full awareness of such dynamics and integrate it on our own - while fighting feelings of inadequacy, fear of rejection and sense of abandonment...Very often a warm and understanding psychotherapist becomes the only point of emotional anchorage in the fight for one's integration necessary on the path to one's peace of mind, self-realization, and happiness.

I provide practical tools and guidance to help you understand the brilliance of your nervous system and the wisdom it holds. By creating a space rooted in fierce compassion, curiosity, accountability, and even a little humor. Together, we'll work to gently shift the stories, beliefs, and habits that no longer serve you—whether from your personal experience, your lineage, or from the collective. Our work is a holistic partnership where we honor every part of your experience: • Mind: We’ll explore how your thoughts shape your world, influence your feelings and behaviors, and build strategies to shift your mindset. • Body: Moving beyond just ‘talking,’ we will also listen to what your body is telling you, practicing real-time techniques in session to help you manage emotions and find a sense of safety to help you have a different relationship with fear and pain. Ultimately, we will work on rewiring your brain for more calm and resilience. • Soul: To support your deepest self, we explore how a connection to the natural world can foster a profound sense of belonging. We can also integrate the power of ritual—creating intentional, meaningful practices that call our attention to mark what is. These practices help you truly connect with yourself, honor your transitions, and release the old as you ground into a new way of being. Throughout our time together, we will regularly track and measure the impact of our work. This ensures we are making a tangible, positive difference in your symptoms and moving you steadily toward the goals that matter most to you. If this resonates with you and you’re interested in the possibility of working together, please message me to schedule a consultation call. I currently offer in-person psychotherapy in Westchester, offer telehealth sessions to clients living anywhere in New York State and New Jersey, and offer life coaching nationwide.

I believe that a successful path to achieving growth and change in therapy starts with feeling a comfortable and collaborative connection to your therapist. I strive to help my patients establish goals and feel a sense of progress in therapy. I meet my patients where they are emotionally and help guide them in the direction they hope to be. I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, and Interpersonal Therapy in my practice. I also use CBT-I for insomnia as well as EMDR for trauma work. I provide a relaxed, judgement-free environment. In today's world, the level of anxiety and depression has been on the rise, especially in the younger generations. I strive to remove the stigma of mental health treatment for my patients. I also utilize teletherapy to assist patients who cannot get to the office regularly. My practice also provides parent training to assist parents with their child's symptoms or diagnosis. I conduct neuropsychological, psychoeducational, and psychological evaluations to examine symptoms, diagnose, and provide thorough and detailed recommendations. I work with children ages 6-12, adolescents ages 13-17 and adults ages 18 and up.

Deciding to enter psychotherapy is one of the most compassionate choices you can make for yourself. In fact, it can represent an essential turning point in your life. However, it can also sometimes feel uncomfortable to talk to someone you don't know well. That's why I provide a caring, safe environment where I will listen to you carefully and where we will work together to understand and resolve the issues with which you are struggling--both in terms of how they affect your life now and in terms of how they became issues for you in the first place. I work with adults and adolescents who are struggling with a wide range of concerns, including relationship difficulties, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, loss, low self-esteem, and many more. When you enter my office, we will talk together about what you are having difficulty with and where you are feeling stuck. I strongly believe that therapy should be an interactive process, where we work together as a team. I received my bachelor's degree in psychology from Yale University and my master's degree in clinical social work from New York University. My theoretical approach is eclectic, but grounded in a psychodynamic approach to therapy, which means that we will work to establish benefits that not only help you right now, but can also stand the test of time. I look forward to hearing from you!

We are a collaborative team working on your health and well-being. In the interest of enhanced communication between us, I'd like to take the time to explain the process of counseling. The process of counseling can be both exciting and scary, as you reach within yourself to achieve your full potential. It often takes a "leap of faith" to begin the counseling process, and you've already achieved that difficult goal. You will set and achieve many other difficult goals in our time together! In counseling, I work primarily from three different viewpoints. The first is called cognitive-behavioral, which is really just a term to describe the fact that I believe that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are very intertwined, and that sometimes our problems are caused by the way we think, feel, and/or behave. This gets complicated because all of these things become mixed with one another, so after a while it may become difficult to sort out what started the problem in the first place. One of the things I will do in therapy is to help you sort out your thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and which of these may contribute to your problems. Sometimes simply restructuring the way we think is enough for us to work through our problems. A second viewpoint I work from deals with the family in which you grew up. Many of the things we experience in our childhood affects us throughout our lives, and, in fact, help to shape the personalities we have as adults. One of the things we will do in therapy is explore your family history to look for patterns and themes that may affect you and play out in your life today. Sometimes simply recognizing your family's patterns, whether currently, or how you think and feel about them in the past, can help you to work through your issues. Finally, I work from a systemic point of view. Simply put, I acknowledge that each one us is embedded in a greater context than ourselves. We have families, friends, school, work, community, and other life situations that greatly affect how we function. I will work with you to discover if there are any systemic difficulties in your life, and help you to resolve them. These are my primary ways of helping you in counseling, though I will utilize a variety of techniques to help you in any way that I can. One of the things that you can expect, though, is that I will be giving you 100% in our work together. If you put the same amount of effort into this process, you will be amazed at what you can achieve!

I practice a problem focused, short-term, and distinct form of cognitive behavioral therapy. I am an active directive therapist. I teach people how to change what can be changed and to accept what cannot be changed about themselves, others and life. I teach rational thinking. This approach is called Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). It was created by Albert Ellis a famous psychologist who I worked with for many years. This is a no nonsense approach to emotional and behavioral health. I actively show you how not to upset yourself when you encounter difficulties so that you can then go about attempting to modify what can be changed. I teach people how to control their emotions and behaviors. I work with individuals and couples. I show people how to adopt sensible beliefs so that they can achieve their potential. Please go to my website and watch my video and read more about this very pragmatic, fast acting and direct form of psychotherapy.

Are you feeling emotionally overwhelmed or stuck? If so, notice that you've already moved in a positive direction by searching for a therapist to help you overcome obstacles and guide you toward greater fulfillment. Change is not always easy, but it is always possible. Often, uncomfortable feelings or aspects of ourselves that we'd rather not confront get in the way. We hope to protect ourselves through avoidance, and yet avoidance is often the very reason we can't move forward. Whether you're dealing with anxiety or depression, relationship difficulties, family conflict, life transitions, job or school stress, or painful experiences from your past, we can work together to address your concerns. We will uncover the meaning you attach to your thoughts, feelings and experiences so that you can consider alternative perspectives and choices to help you progress. I'll work with you to clarify your goals, identify steps to get there, and meet challenges along the way. We will take it one step at a time and work at a pace that feels comfortable to you. I invite you to take the next step to contact me via phone or e-mail, or visit my website: www.drleesaltzman.com and simply click the "Schedule a Consultation" link. I look forward to meeting with you to determine how I can help you get on track.