Joshua B. Lerner, LCSW, BCD, FIPA

I have practiced as a Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychotherapist , serving the people of Bergen County for years. I have experience with the differing and diverse population in this area and would like to be able to help you in your time of need.

Joshua B. Lerner, LCSW, BCD, FIPA

Finding a therapist, whether you have been in therapy before, or are looking for the first time, is one of the most important decisions you will make.

When it is effective, therapy is a collaborative experience which can help you in transforming your life, your relationship with your self and with others, and your satisfaction in work and personal pursuits. There are many different forms of therapy and many practitioners from which to choose, making the process of getting started sometimes difficult.

It is worth your while to find a therapist with a style and approach which fits your personality and needs.  If you feel hesitant, consider trying a one-time consultation, just to see how it goes.

It is my goal to provide flexible treatment which meets your specific needs.  I am happy to speak briefly on the telephone or meet for an initial consultation.  Please take a moment to look at the other pages on this website for more information.
 
 I am available for consultation to help you determine what type(s) of treatment may best meet your needs, and if I do not provide that treatment I can assist you with finding the appropriate referral which will work for you.

The services I offer are individual Psychotherapy once or twice or three times per week, Psychoanalysis up to several times a week, couples therapy, child therapy or analysis, parent guidance and family therapy.   My Psychoanalytic background spans the Contemporary Freudian, Independent/Object Relations and Kleinian models.

Child Psychotherapy

I am as well a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and Psychoanalyst with 30 years experience.
Children who have experienced considerable change in their lives or who have survived traumatic events need to express and understand their feelings. Children who have behavioral problems are usually expressing by their behavior the fact that they are experiencing emotional problems they are not able to deal with. These problems may be depression, high anxiety, low self-esteem, anger, fear, feelings of rejection etc. Through the therapeutic use of play and talk, children are given the opportunity to discover and express their feelings in a safe and benign environment. When a child is helped to feel that what they feel can be looked at and they will not be criticized, judged or punished, they can gradually change their feelings and behaviors. Therapy allows children to internalize the message that they are good and not bad and that they are loved. It enables them to change their negative views of themselves and their families with a more positive healthy feeling. The pain, anxiety, depression , fear will gradually change to where a child will feel more positively towards themselves and better able to deal with the problems both within themselves and within their families.

What children need Child Therapy?

• Children who are dealing with parental conflict, separation or divorce.
• Children who have been traumatized (sexual, physical or emotional abuse).
• Children who have been adopted or are in foster care.
• Children who are dealing with issues of loss, such as illness or death of a loved one.
• Children who have been hospitalized or experienced major illness, accidents or disasters.
• Children who express feelings of low self-esteem, sadness, depression or who may feel that they do not want to live anymore.
• Children who experience high anxiety over issues where this anxiety is not realistic.
• Children who are extremely oppositional, unwilling or unable to behave in appropriate ways given their age and developmental stage.
• Children who do not seem to be able to make or keep friends, are lonely and or isolated.
• Children who are not able to perform academically at their potential.
• Children who have witnessed domestic violence.
• Children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
• Children who have experienced serious accidents or disasters.

Signs to be aware of:

• Excessive anger, worry, sadness or fear.
• Aggressive behavior (hurting others or self.
• Inappropriate separation anxiety.
• Excessive shyness.
• Behavioral regression.
• Low self-esteem.
• Learning or other school problems.
• Sleep, eating or elimination problems.
• Preoccupation with sexual behavior.
• Difficulty adjusting to family changes.
• Physical symptoms such as headaches or stomachaches that have no medical cause.

I am comfortable working with difficult-to-discuss areas, and have experience working with trauma and abuse, loss and grieving, parenting issues, questions about what to do with your life and career, problems with your sense of selfhood, repetitive problems finding satisfying relationships, addiction-related concerns, issues with anxiety and depression, and the newly-emerging and as-yet-undefined problems facing young people today.

In addition to the above, I also work with conditions such as bipolar disorder, severe depression, severe anxiety and panic, and other severe problems.

 Making the decision to start on any new venture, including therapy or other steps toward securing emotional wellness, is both fraught with anxiety and uncertainty as well as charged with a positive sense of excitement.  I am realistically optimistic, based on my experience, that under the right circumstances, even in the midst of feelings of hopelessness and despair, change and growth are not only possible, but are practically inevitable.

Please do not delay making arrangements to start addressing your problems, whether or not you choose to contact me.  If you are looking into options, it is likely you are or will be soon ready to take the next step - action, as well as insight, is necessary for change to happen.  Once you overcome your hesitation, you will be glad to have taken action.