Hi and Welcome! Life can be extremely busy and trying at times, especially now with all of the sudden stressful changes in our lives, and we can feel as though we have too many roles to fill at once. This can create anxiety, depression, stress, and family issues. Having someone to help work through these difficulties with can be extremely beneficial. I have much experience with various populations and age groups and can help you to navigate some of life's challenges. I have many years of experience providing in-home and office-based counseling services to children, adolescents, adults, and families who have needed assistance with child behavioral issues, parenting, family conflict, parent-child conflict, relationship issues, stress related to life transitions, self-injurious behaviors, depression, anxiety, infertility stress, and trauma. I currently own and run a company where myself and my clinicians provide in-home counseling services to high risk children and families. I use a person-centered approach in treatment where I provide treatment "where you are currently at" and I let you lead where you need and want treatment to go. I use various evidence based techniques including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused counseling. My counseling style is warm, engaging, personable, and down-to-earth. I provide respect and sensitivity and we will identify your treatment goals together so that you can get the most out of our time together. It is an extremely brave step to seek help for any challenge that you are struggling with and I am happy that you are here! I look forward to working with you!

Welcome to BetterHelp, if you are reaching out for help it shows your are interested in recovering your life and starting to work toward solutions to challenges. My name is Michelle Defino, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 12 years experience. I graduated from Binghamton University in 2008 and have worked primarily worked with substance abuse/co-occurring clients. I have worked with clients experiencing depression, anxiety, bi-polar and other more severe mental illness. I have worked with a Federal Re-entry Substance Abuse Program for the last 3 years. I use many forms of therapy to meet the needs of my clients including motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and solution focused. I use these modalities to help to change thinking and behaviors that lead to many of the issues in daily life. Another modality I use is mindfulness to increase focus and concentration. I realize how difficult it can be to ask for assistance and how important it is for you and I am looking forward to working with you and helping you to gain the life you are hoping for. I will consider different ways to work with you, however prefer video, since we will be able to see and get to know each other easier. I am looking forward to meeting and working with you.

My approach to therapy offers guidance in your journey of rediscovering your unconditional love for yourself and your world. I help you have compassion for challenging feelings by acknowledging how these feelings are separate from our inner spirit and therefore don’t define our self worth. It becomes easier to accept these feelings by also acknowledging that they have a purpose of self protection and therefore come from a place of love. Acceptance of feelings allows us to return to nurturing our bodies through somatic practices and reach a state of joy in the present moment for our blessings. I hope I can reignite the light that is already in you so it can shine brighter for yourself and for your world. My undergraduate degree/masters degree are from Boston College. I have had clients as young as two and as old as 87! I’ve worked with all ages in outpatient. My focus was children/families in partial hospitalization and in-home. I’ve primarily supported those finding challenge with anxiety, sadness and anger. I am passionate how physical health intertwines with mental health. Therefore I nourish my body with plants and move every day! I have found joy as a boxing instructor and runner. I hope to expose myself to more cultures through travel. I studied abroad in Ecuador and participated in service trips to El Salvador, Mississippi, New Orleans, and the Appalachian region. I live a spiritual life with the belief that we and all “things” are connected by a shared energy of love. Some of my blessings include my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and four-year-old nephew. “You'll never find a rainbow if you're looking down.”

As a licensed therapist in New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee, I specialize in supporting individuals through life's most challenging transitions and emotional landscapes. My professional approach centers on helping clients navigate complex personal experiences, including grief, self-esteem challenges, and significant life changes. I am deeply committed to creating a compassionate, supportive environment where individuals can explore their inner world, heal from past experiences, and develop stronger emotional resilience. My expertise spans a wide range of sensitive areas, including attachment issues, caregiver stress, posttraumatic experiences, and transitions across different life stages—from pregnancy and postpartum periods to midlife and aging. My therapeutic work focuses on empowering clients to cultivate self-love, overcome isolation, and rediscover their sense of purpose. I understand that each person's journey is unique, and I approach every client with genuine empathy, respect, and a collaborative spirit. Together, we can work to transform challenging experiences into opportunities for growth and meaningful personal development.

I am licensed in New Jersey with 11 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, family conflicts, & motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I also have experience working with depression. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in New Jersey with over 12 years of experience working with individuals and families. I will work collaboratively with you to facilitate a process of change and to help you to reach your personal goals. I help individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to develop effective coping skills and resolve core concerns. I believe in a person-centered process and use an eclectic approach based on the individual. My philosophy is that good mental health only occurs within a cultural context. I employ a strength-based culturally sensitive approach that allows me to support you through conflict and change. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

The helping profession which is often referred to as therapy or counseling has been my life-long goal. My desire has made me a patient, attentive, and non-judgmental listener and has shaped my approach to understanding clients’ needs better. I am also supportive and seek positivity in every situation presented. I thrive to make clients feel safe including even reluctant clients to find their own way during treatment but also help clients to learn how to take personal responsibility to take charge of their behavior. I facilitate, encourage, empower, and help the client discover their potential to overcome barriers to treatment and find solutions and subsequently heal. I utilize approaches that are tailored to the client dependent on the issues, goals, and outcomes. Clients must be willing to participate to reach enlightenment to help them understand themselves in a new way and break from their own poor mindset and maladaptive behaviors. I hold a master’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in mental health counseling and am a licensed professional counselor in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey with 10 years of experience helping children, adolescents, adults, and families. I am a multicultural counselor who believes that endogenous factors can control individual behavior. Hence, when clients realize and acknowledge the inside factor, it eventually can bring about healing. That is, I am not there to prove my client wrong but help them find their own way out of their self-entanglement or damaging belief. No one approach fits all clients. The therapeutic alliance that is the client-therapist relationship will become the greatest change agent-Trust, genuineness, and participation.

As a clinician, I have 20 years experience working with clients to identify underlying issues to current challenges and effective coping strategies. Together, we explore your goals and any habits and behaviors that may no longer be serving you. Change isn't always easy and I provide my clients a safe and supportive space to help find their answers within and a path forward. I take a cognitive-behavioral and person-centered approach with a focus on motivational interviewing. In addition to being a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC), I hold a certification as a Behavior Change Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and am studying to be a Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I utilize the structure of talk therapy to explore how the mind-body connection can help clients make changes, reach goals and sustain progress. It takes a lot of courage to reach out for help and I am so glad you are here. I look forward to working with you.

I am licensed in New Jersey with 28 years of professional work experience. Certified under The Board of Marriage and Family Therapy, I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, parenting issues, depression, & coping with life changes. My clinical background includes working with children, adolescents, and adults in community mental health, residential and school settings. Nearly three decades of mental health experience has given me a wealth of experience over a wide range of areas within the field of mental health. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. My therapeutic approach is cognitive- behavioral, with an emphasis on client-centered and solution-oriented perspectives. Developing a trusting and empathic therapeutic relationship will be essential to devising a treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Congratulations on considering mental health therapy as part of your plan for self-care! It takes courage to embark on the first step towards seeking support and treatment with the intention of creating a more healthy and fulfilling life. I would be honored to help empower you on this journey if you allow me the opportunity. I look forward to working with you!

I am licensed in New Jersey with 12 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, anger management, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & career difficulties. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I am licensed in New Jersey with over 5 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & depression. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

I am licensed in New York with 7 years of professional work experience working with both acute and non acute populations. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, substance abuse, family conflicts, & trauma and abuse. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

As a licensed therapist in Florida, and New Jersey, I specialize in supporting individuals navigating complex emotional landscapes. My professional approach centers on helping clients develop self-compassion, improve communication, and overcome challenging life experiences. I have extensive expertise in addressing depression, anxiety, stress, and addiction, with a deep commitment to supporting women's mental health and wellness. My therapeutic work focuses on guiding clients through transformative healing journeys, particularly for those experiencing isolation, workplace challenges, trauma, and relationship difficulties. I am dedicated to creating a compassionate, non-judgmental space where individuals can explore their emotions, rebuild self-esteem, and rediscover their sense of purpose. Drawing from evidence-based practices, I support clients in developing healthier coping mechanisms, processing difficult experiences, and cultivating meaningful personal growth. Whether you're struggling with mood disorders, life transitions, or seeking deeper self-understanding, I'm here to walk alongside you with empathy and professional support.

Welcome, I am Dr. Susan Schaming, a psychotherapist licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania with 38 years of professional experience. My journey is diverse with practice in PK-12 schools, mental health, university, and hospital settings. I assist clients with relationship challenges, depression/anxiety, coping with life changes/transitions, school related topics, parenting issues, and executive/professional coaching. I was trained in cognitive and dialectical behavior therapy, yet that does not solely inform or limit my work. I believe that YOU are the expert of your life story; I help you identify your strengths that will assist you in meeting challenges create the life you want. My clients leave their first session with homework to begin their journey to living their best life. Conversely, I consider my strengths [compassion, empathy, and active listening] extremely useful when supporting individuals to heal after grief or when suffering from depression. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy takes courage; I am proud of you for getting started! I have been in therapy at different times throughout my life; hence, I believe counseling and therapy are pathways to better living. I look forward to meeting you and let's begin your journey today. [I am willing to schedule early evening and weekend appointments on limited basis if necessary to meet client schedules].