Find a Therapist in Westfield, 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.

At Peace and Wellness Center, we are committed to meet the emotional needs of our clients and to help them achieve a renewed sense of wellbeing. We believe that all people have the potential to achieve fulfilling and satisfying lives. The Center provides an array of behavioral therapy services to clients of different ages and backgrounds. Our psychotherapeutic services are tailored to our clients' needs in a nurturing and supportive environment. We are committed to providing compassionate and confidential care to our clients while they embark on a journey to achieve personal and emotional growth. Our goal is to always inspire and guide clients to identify their own inner peace, to harness it, and to use its tremendous power throughout the good and bad times in their lives. Therapy is most effective when there is a feeling of trust and when a strong connection is felt between therapist and client. Through experience, I have found that the client benefits from a first session where they can walk in and discuss their primary concerns and feelings without any pressure. Therefore, we offer an initial consultation. The initial consultation provides you the opportunity to ask questions, learn about the services we provide before you are asked questions about why you are seeking therapy. This initial consultation is also essential for us to assess what we need to know about the prospective client and to determine if the client and therapist are a good fit before we make an agreement to work together. Clients who have had an initial consultation approach their first session of therapy with a greater sense of comfort, commitment, and readiness. Each person has unique needs and goals for therapy. As skilled therapists, we bring a broad range of best practice knowledge gained from training, clinical and personal experiences. Therapy is a collaborative experience that develops as trust is established in an empathetic and nurturing therapeutic alliance. A well-prepared therapist understands just how challenging life can be and will help clients overcome the challenges that are impacting their quality of life.

Adult and Adolescent Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner I am a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and have been treating mental health conditions since 2023. I earned my PMHNP degree at National University in San Diego, California, and I serve people in San Diego, CA. I’m comfortable treating a range of psychiatric concerns across the lifespan. My passion is supporting people with personality-related challenges, anxiety, and depression. I believe it takes compassionate listening to find the right treatment, and each person’s journey is unique. I use a person-centered psychiatric approach so you feel heard and understood.

My passion for helping others heal is rooted in empathy, compassion, and a thorough understanding of the complexity of trauma. I specialize in working with individuals and couples who have experienced the profound impact of complex PTSD, also known as developmental or relational trauma, on their emotional and psychological well-being and relationships. The effects of cPTSD can leave you feeling unsafe, disconnected, powerless, ashamed, defective, and overwhelmed. You may also find yourself engaging in self-abandoning behavior, experiencing emotional flashbacks, or struggling to overcome your harsh inner critic, toxic shame, and guilt. As your therapist, I strive to create a safe and supportive space for you to heal and grow. My approach is tailored to your unique needs, integrating evidence-based techniques such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Somatic Experiencing (SE) to help you break free from the cycle of trauma and build the skills you need to thrive. Whether you are seeking individual or couples therapy, my ultimate goal is to empower you to reclaim your life, heal from the past, and create a fulfilling future where you can experience meaningful connections with yourself and others. Whether you're struggling to navigate the challenges of a relationship as a complex trauma survivor, or working to heal on your own, I'm here to support you every step of the way. I believe that healing from complex trauma is possible, no matter what you've been through. Together, we'll work to break free from the cycle of pain and create a fulfilling, meaningful life full of connection, joy, and authenticity. Whether you're struggling with patterns of self-sabotage, difficulty trusting others, or simply feeling stuck in your past experiences, I'm here to provide the support and resources you need to make real progress toward healing and growth.

I am an integral psychotherapist with thirty years of experience in private practice in NYC. I currently offer sessions via telehealth, and I am out-of-network insurance reimbursable. My approach is integrative and holistic, addressing mind, body, and spirit. My specialty is combining psychology and spirituality, utilizing Eastern and Western teachings. The emphasis is on compassion, joy, warmth, wisdom, peace, and love. My approach is supportive and positive.

I’m Sami, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and art therapist dedicated to helping people feel truly seen and heard. Throughout my career, I’ve supported children, teens, and adults navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, and complex family dynamics. I also use dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in my sessions to help clients work through extreme emotions and what can feel like the aftermath of intense situations. This has shaped my belief that healing begins in a space where your story is honored, and your emotions are met with compassion rather than judgment. Together, we can work toward helping you get back in control of your story.

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!

I don’t use a “one size fits all” approach; What works for one person may not work for another. My style is integrative, blending approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic. At times, I may bring your attention to how your thoughts and emotions align with your body as a means to stay present and decrease anxiety. Building a therapeutic relationship can take some more time for one person than another. Therapy is not a race, but more so a journey. I encourage you to be patient with yourself. Together, we can work towards restoring and maintaining your emotional well-being.

I work with clients to create an environment that feels supportive, helpful, and safe. I tailor the therapy experience to each person. Sessions can be whatever you need them to be in that moment. There's no "right" way to do therapy! I treat clients holistically, as I believe that physical, mental, and social health are all connected.

It may be a little unorthodox to introduce my practice to you on a negative note. But the truth is that what brought me to Goodtherapy was..."not-good therapy"! My own, as patient. With an intelligent, highly trained practitioner, who knows how to practice good therapy...and didn't. This got me thinking: How is it that good therapists go...off track? Gold standard skills, compassion, caring, empathy...are, evidently, not enough. I believe I found the missing piece. To be a good therapist is to be humble. Humility in action is the foundation of safety and success in treatment. Humility keeps a therapist open, curious, and honest - and keeps this honesty respectful. It acknowledges your power as a patient - to really let me know how my words and actions affect you, knowing this helps me help you. Emotional pain is rooted in lived experience, and only new experience can touch it. Symptoms are distressing, but feeling trapped, alone, or unreachable within them is...unbearable. It's likely that the emotional events that caused your distress were experienced in this way: Alone and unbearable. Therapy is a healing conversation, and it heals by giving you a new experience, one that unfolds as you relate your experience to me, and I relate to you. So we undo your aloneness together; you'll find me respectfully wondering about little things I notice, moment to moment, as you tell your story - the glimpses of feeling that accompany your words - the music of your problem, so to speak. This is a gentle process, and very, very powerful. It orients you to yourself and your "problem" in a new way - with safety, sometimes surprising speed, and depth. Humility in action give me the power to heal, and is the basis of the two models I rely on to help others (Sue Johnson's EFT for couples and families, and Diana Fosha's AEDP for individuals. "Undoing aloneness" is a term of Dr. Fosha's). This site provides good information on both.

You look like you’re handling it. Inside, your mind is running tabs you can’t close. You’ve probably spent a long time trying to figure things out on your own. Maybe you’re overthinking, second-guessing yourself, or holding yourself to impossible standards, managing fine on the outside while exhausted by the effort it takes. Therapy with me isn’t about sitting in silence while you do all the talking. Most of my clients arrive saying some version of the same thing: “I know what I should do. I just can’t seem to do it.” That gap, between understanding your patterns and actually changing them, is exactly where my work lives. Together, we’ll explore why certain patterns keep showing up, where they came from, and what to do differently. We’ll pair insight with practical strategies so you can spend less time stuck in your head and more time trusting yourself and your decisions. I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in New York, and I work with adults navigating attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, relationship challenges, and major life transitions. My style is warm, direct, and collaborative. I’ll challenge you when it helps and support you when you need it, but therapy with me will always feel like a conversation, not a lecture or a checklist.