Our Services

We provide high-quality therapy and wellness services to tweens, teens, and adults. Proudly serving New Jersey. Easily accessible from Essex County, Passaic County, and Bergen County. Accepting in-person and virtual appointment requests.

Adult Therapy

Many adults come to us seeking therapy for the first time in their lives or the first time since childhood. The adults we see are courageous even if they would not describe themselves this way. We say this because it takes bravery as well as self-love to take the time – even if you do not have much free time – to work on YOU.

Teen Therapy

“Teenage-hood is tough” is the understatement of the century. Especially today with constant connection (or disconnection) – both in-person and online. Couple this with academic demands, family life, emerging sexuality, and chaotic news headlines, and it’s no wonder teens are feeling more stressed than ever before.

Rates

Out of Network rates range from $150 -180 for LCSW therapists and $125-145 for LSW therapists.

 
In-Network Coverage

We now accept the following New Jersey insurance plans: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna. A couple of our therapists also accept United Health Care, Oxford, and Oscar plans. At this time, we do not accept Medicaid or Medicare. Inquire to determine your coverage with us.
 
All prices listed are out-of-pocket costs in U.S. dollar amounts. Payment options include credit/debit card, Zelle, or online bill pay.

 

Insurance Billing

Our staff will verify your insurance benefits and submit claims for in-network coverage. We will also provide you with your own copy of receipts for paid services.

For a monthly or yearly estimate, please discuss with your therapist prior to beginning services. Verne is proudly participating in the “Good Faith Estimate/ No Surprises” policy. Your therapist will break down estimated costs per week, month, or year to give you a comprehensive understanding of out-of-pocket payments.

 
Cancellation Policy

We have a strict cancellation policy of 24 hours notice. Your spot is reserved in advance which means other people are unable to reschedule in your place without adequate notice. Our cancellation fee is the cost of one session. Please note that insurance companies DO NOT cover canceled or missed sessions. This is the responsibility of the client.

Adult Therapy

We create a warm and welcoming environment to reflect and process emotions. Together we will work on goals to help best meet your needs. Typically this involves meeting on a weekly basis at first. Once we have beginning goals, we can come up with specific strategies (by using evidence-based treatments) to work on. All of our therapists are trained in psychodynamic therapy and in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

We are passionate about helping adults…

• Achieve better work/life balance
• Recover from “burnout”
• Process a loss or breakup
• Process traumatic experiences
• Get strategies specific for overcoming anxiety, panic, or OCD
• Heal from perfectionism
• Gain confidence
• Find fulfilling lifestyles (including relationships)
• Integrate wellness techniques
• Process grief/loss
• Address unique stressors associated with BIPOC identity
• Address sexuality (LGBTQIA) and any associated stressors

 

Therapy for Anxiety and Depression

Sometimes standalone and many times together, Clinical Anxiety and Depression can make day-to-day tasks seem impossible. Both disorders can greatly affect how you function, how you feel about yourself, and your relationships.

Depression in adults
Depression may occur in adulthood due to situational factors such as a traumatic event, a life cycle milestone, financial hardship, grief, or social hardship. Or it may be biological and recurrent from younger years. Regardless of the onset, depression is a treatable condition. While there is no “cure”, there are ways to have your major depressive symptoms go into remission so you can begin to enjoy your life again. We treat depression using a “wholistic” approach. Meaning we look at your physical/medical health, your lifestyle, and your relationships. Our therapists utilize evidence-based practices to help with your mood. Some theoretical approaches include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Therapy. If indicated, our therapists may incorporate trauma-informed approaches in addition to the above. 

Anxiety in adults 
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health illness in adults- about 40 million US adults per year. Anxiety can come in many forms: social, generalized, panic, or phobias. Anxiety disorders are characterized by persistent fear and or worry that exceeds that person’s ability to cope effectively. This fear or worry may be triggered by a situational factor or could appear to occur out of the blue. Anxiety, although common, can be debilitating. 

 

Emotional symptoms of anxiety include:

• Feeling dread, on edge, or restless
• Overwhelm
• Irritability
• Hyper-vigilance
• Being in a fight-flight-or-freeze state

 

Physical symptoms of anxiety include*:

• Shortness of breath/shallow breathing
• Increased sweating
• Headaches or upset stomach
• Fatigue and trouble sleeping

*Please note these symptoms can be present in other situations and is not a substitute for a professional diagnosis for an anxiety disorder 

 

The good news about anxiety disorders is they are highly treatable in psychotherapy. At Verne, we utilize evidence-based interventions to get you back on track. Our therapists are trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Exposure Response Prevention techniques.

 

Therapy for OCD/Panic

Panic and OCD can be crippling, especially when the shame attached to them starts holding you back. We understand that it can be tough to “catch a break” amongst all of your anxious thoughts, but we’re here to help.

At Verne Wellness, we utilize ERP (exposure response prevention), which is the gold standard treatment for both OCD and panic. ERP is a behavioral therapy exposing people to situations that provoke their obsessions and/or fears and the feelings of distress that accompany these experiences. This is done with a trained therapist who will help you fight your urges to engage in compulsive or avoidant behaviors. Our therapists will do this in a gradual way by creating a hierarchy with you, starting with lower-end fears/obsessions. The end goal of ERP is to help you feel in control of the obsessive-compulsive cycle, intrusive thoughts, and/or panic.

 

Therapy for Helping Professionals

Helping professionals – which include teachers, therapists, aides, nurses, healthcare personnel, coaches, guidance counselors, mentors, etc. – oftentimes go into these professions to make positive impacts on other people’s lives. These individuals are dedicated, emphatic, and feel drawn to being in a helping profession.

These same professionals may also find themselves in high-stress, emotionally draining situations at times, making therapy a helpful outlet for de-stressing and finding techniques to cope with the unique stressors that come with being in these professions.

 

Parenting Support

Whether you are a new parent, in the process of becoming a parent, or an empty-nester – parenting is tough and comes with a range of emotions. These days, everyone seems to have an opinion on how to do it “right,” but all of the differing opinions can be overwhelming.

Do any of these sound like you?

• Your relationship with your significant other is taking a back seat, and you feel exhausted trying to put any energy into it.
• You are sleep-deprived and doing all you can to simply check the boxes off of your to-do list.
• Or maybe you are battling with infertility, loss, or Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (postpartum anxiety/depression).

Verne Wellness is here to help.

 

Navigating Young Adulthood

Millennials and Gen Z-ers are being launched into adulthood at a challenging time, with COVID-19, the high cost of living, high debt-to-income ratios, and tons of competition in the workforce. On top of that, relationship fulfillment is at an all-time low, while the hookup culture and non-committal dating is ramping up, leading to all kind of rejection, loneliness, and heartbreak.

All of this turbulence can make it difficult to:

• Decide which career or life path to take.
• Heal from childhood experiences in order to move forward in life.
• Transition from living with others to independent living.
• Handle financial stress and how to navigate “real world” money management.
• Deal with traumas and distress relating to your identity (cultural background, gender identity, sexual identity etc.).

Our therapists will help you with the skills and confidence to face the challenges of daily life head on.

 

Trauma-Informed Therapy

Trauma therapy or any trauma-focused therapy revolves around the knowledge of how a traumatic experience can affect the individual’s life through mental, emotional and physical aspects. When seeking trauma-focused therapy, you will essentially be receiving guidance specifically toward a goal of healing from the effects of your trauma.

It may be difficult to note what type of trauma you have experienced so keep in mind that there are three main types of trauma that you can be dealing with now:

• Acute Trauma: This trauma is established from a single traumatic experience such as a death, a natural disaster, or maybe a motor vehicle accident.
• Chronic Trauma: This trauma is experienced when you have lived multiple or long-term traumatic events. This may be long-term sexual abuse, domestic violence, addiction, or bullying.
• Complex Trauma: This trauma is typically the result of many different traumatic experiences that lasted for a long period of time similar to childhood abuse/neglect or domestic violence/abuse.

Let’s consider some ways in which these types of trauma can be impacting your current life:

• The amygdala plays a major role in processing memories, making decisions, and responding emotionally. When it’s overstimulated, it can become highly alert and activated, looking for and perceiving threats everywhere.
• The prefrontal cortex impacts decision-making abilities, personality, and even the will to live. When the medial prefrontal cortex is not functioning properly, it negatively affects impulse control, nervous system regulation, the ability to communicate and empathize with others, self-awareness, and fear modulation.
• The hippocampus consolidates short-term memories into long-term memories. Smaller hippocampal volumes indicate that cells in the hippocampus have been killed, and this makes it less effective in making important synaptic connections. When that happens, the sympathetic nervous system stays on high alert, which creates fatigue in the body, particularly in the adrenal system.

So can this be helped or fixed? Absolutely!

There are a couple of therapy techniques that specifically focus on trauma which include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP), Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), etc. It’s important to find a trauma-focused therapist who understands the nature of your trauma and what needs to be done to overcome the impacts it has left on your life and your brain! When doing so, there can be many benefits to trauma-focused therapy which include:

• Reducing or eliminating the symptoms of trauma
• Shifting your focus from the past and toward your present
• Improving daily functioning
• Improving regulation of the nervous system
• Finding and claiming your personal worth and power
• Learn coping skills and techniques to deal with trauma and prevent it from recurring

If you are struggling with unresolved trauma, seeking trauma-focused therapy can be the very first step you take to begin the healing process, learn coping skills, and begin to rebuild a life free of the symptoms of trauma!

*Disclaimer: Please note that we have 3 therapists with a trauma specialty. However, not all have the same training. If you would like a specific trauma technique, please specify so in your initial phone call.

Teen Therapy

Sometimes feelings of overwhelmingness can turn into not wanting to go to school, making self-critical remarks, plummeting grades, and behavioral changes. At Verne, we create a non-intimidating environment for teens to feel heard and empowered. We are culturally sensitive and gender inclusive.

Our therapists help teens with:

 

Therapy for ADHD

We understand how misunderstood a diagnosis of ADHD can be. We work to help teens:

• Discover effective time management strategies
• Cope with big emotions
• Accept their diagnosis and feel less alone
• Communicate their needs effectively
• Navigate social situations
• Come up with solutions to help remember, focus, and relax

 

Therapy for Self-Esteem

Navigating social situations:

Peer relationships are often at the center of a teen’s value system. When friendships come easily, it can be quite fulfilling. However, if your teen is experiencing fallouts, social anxiety, or low self-esteem, it can be isolating. Our therapists provide a nonjudgmental approach to helping teens process their emotions while learning how to cope with their situations.

Assertiveness skills:

Our therapists are adept at teaching teens how to politely – but directly – communicate needs and boundaries.

Confident building:

Discovering positive qualities and using inherent strengths to feel more confident are the cornerstones of fostering positive self-esteem in our teenaged clients.

 

Therapy for Anxiety

Health Anxiety

Does your teen scour Google and WebMD, thinking that something is terribly wrong with their physical health? Have they gone to the doctor and gotten a clear bill of health, but they’re still convinced they are sick? Your child may have health anxiety – a common manifestation of anxiety in children, tweens, and teens.

The good news about health anxiety is it is highly treatable with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques. Our therapists can help your teen learn ways to respond to health triggers without going into a panic.

Social Anxiety

We’ve all had moments where we replayed social scenarios in our heads (“Did I come across awkward?”). Those with social anxiety have thoughts like these frequently, and it impairs their confidence in social settings. Perhaps they freeze at the idea of talking to their teacher to ask a very normal question. Or maybe they avoid talking to new people in fear of not knowing what to say or how they will be received. Social anxiety is common for teens, especially considering that so much of their lives revolve around friends and peers.

Therapy can help teens reframe the way they think of themselves in social interactions and gain the confidence to get outside of their comfort zones.

 

Therapy for Panic

Panic attacks can be debilitating, and no one should have to go through them alone. Many people report that it feels like they cannot breathe or that their heart is racing so fast they fear for their own safety. If your teen is describing intensive episodes of shortness of breath, racing heart, feeling dizzy, tightness in their throat, etc., it could be a panic attack, and it may be a good idea to consult a professional.

 

Therapy for OCD

Panic and OCD can be crippling for teens, and the shame that’s often attached to it may be holding them back, especially when they find it hard to “catch a break” amongst all of their anxious thoughts.

At Verne Wellness, we utilize ERP (exposure response prevention), which is the gold standard treatment for both OCD and panic. ERP is a behavioral therapy exposing people to situations that provoke their obsessions and/or fears and the feelings of distress that accompany these experiences. This is done with a trained therapist who will help your teen fight their urges to engage in compulsive or avoidant behaviors. Our therapists will do this in a gradual way by creating a hierarchy with your teen, starting with lower-end fears/obsessions. The end goal of ERP is to help them feel in control of the obsessive-compulsive cycle, intrusive thoughts, and/or panic.

 

Therapy for Depression

Tweens and teens can experience depression the same way adults do, and it can begin in childhood. If your child is mentioning feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or numbness, it should not be discounted as a “phase.” If you would like a consultation to see if therapy can benefit your child’s mood, please call us at 862-330-1727.

Some of the most common symptoms of depression to look out for in children and teens are:

• Loss of interest in activities
• Social withdrawal
• Oversleeping/ insomnia
• Substance use
• Decrease in performance (dropping grades)
• Decline of self-care (eating habits, showering, etc.)
• Drastic changes in weight

 

Family Relationships

Family dynamics often change as the individuals in the family go through different life events. Sometimes this can cause strain on relationships within the family and lead to tension and conflict. Maybe there is tension between siblings, between parents, or between the parent-child relationship. Or perhaps there has been a separation between family members (such as in parents splitting up, family members losing contact, or loss). Regardless of the changes, you know for sure that the family relationship is stressful and it is affecting your mood. You want to be able to communicate, feel understood, and be more at peace with your family member(s).

Individual therapy can be a great place to process family stressors and relationships. Your therapist will listen to your needs and provide a supportive and open environment to talk about the hard stuff. Your therapist will make sure to keep your information confidential (private). They will help you come up with coping strategies as well as problem solving strategies. If you would like, they can involve other family members (completely up to you!).

 

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