IPG provides counseling and psychotherapy in New Jersey to families, children, and adolescents residing in Bergen County NJ, Hudson County NJ, Essex County NJ, Middlesex County NJ, Monmouth County NJ, Morris County NJ, and Union County, NJ. From offices conveniently located in HIGHLAND PARK, JERSEY CITY, FREEHOLD, and satellites in other locations, we are easily accessible from most of northern and south/central New Jersey as well as from lower Manhattan, and we accept most insurance plans.

Family, Child & Adolescent Counseling

Description of the Problem
Like couple relationships (see page on Relationship & Marriage Counseling), families often are at the core of our existence, providing us with a sense of safety and comfort. Therefore, conflicts here can be more troubling than problems we face as individuals. All families have ups and downs, and most can resolve many problems with an individual member, or issues between family members, without the help of an "outsider." However, some difficulties might warrant special attention, and others demand such concern, for example:

• your child or adolescent is not functioning in school, is depressed, or shows symptoms of other mood disorders; he or she is "acting out" with more than usual disobedient or delinquent behavior, or is "acting strange", shows signs of mental confusion or thought disorder
• you suspect your child or adolescent is abusing alcohol or drugs
• your child has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD, AD/HD) and needs "coaching" to cope with this problem
• your child exhibits signs of self-destructive activity such as self-cutting, suicidal gestures, anorexia or bulimia
• you have a ‘blended’ family/step-family and there is a lot of discord
• your family is breaking up due to divorce or separation and one or more family members shows signs of extraordinary upset over this
• family arguments are frequent, uncontrolled, and/or violent
• you face caring for an aging and/or sick parent without sufficient resources or support

Treatment Approaches
Many of our therapists specialize exclusively in work with children and families, and some even restrict their practice primarily to adolescents. Family therapy is typically the preferred treatment when your problem involves arguments between family members. In these situations the counselor acts as a neutral mediator/coach, who can make sure everyone in the family gets heard, help members understand each other, and teach healthy methods of conflict resolution. Family counseling is also frequently used when the initial problem is with a child or young teen. This is because we want to put parents back in charge of their kids’ lives as quickly as possible, so therapy may be a form of "parent training" to help cope with difficult children. Other times – for example, if your child needs coaching to help cope with Attention Deficit Disorder, or if he or she is depressed – one-on-one counseling with the child is called for, or therapy that alternates between family meetings and sessions with the child alone. Some family problems require integration of treatment with schools, other professionals, or other agencies: if your daughter is school-phobic, for example, our therapists will talk with school guidance counselors and teachers to develop an educational plan, advocate for her, and coordinate a return-to-school strategy; if your son has early signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, we will talk to your pediatrician or find a child psychopharmacologist if needed, as well as working with him individually to diminish symptoms. Because our therapists have so much experience with children and families, we can work quickly to help you become a functional family again.

Adolescence is a particularly difficult stage of life - it has been said that teen behavior would warrant institutionalization if exhibited at any other age - and problems in these years can adversely affect the entire course of your child's future. Even teenagers from functional families must grapple with pressure from peers, insecurities about competency, body image and attractiveness to others, pressures to experiment with drugs, alcohol, and sex, and issues involved with the beginnings of adult identity formation. It is all too easy for kids in these years to rebel or withdraw from school, family or community settings. In addition, many more serious disorders, like schizophrenia, mood disorders, addictions, and eating disorders, can begin in adolescence, and these problems are most successfully treated early on. Counseling teens requires particular skills and patience; many therapists dread working with this age group above all. But we have therapists at IPG who specialize in treating adolescents and have a unique ability to establish rapport with and influence teenagers. These counselors are experienced working with relatively ‘normal’ teen problems as well as severe crises: kids who are in trouble with the law, who have been kicked out of school, or whose behavior is life-threatening. We know how to work with institutions that impinge on your teen’s life – e.g. juvenile courts, educational systems – and how to advocate for your adolescent when necessary. Because we gain a teenager’s trust – and because we are not their parent – they confide things to us they would never tell you or most other adults. That gives us an opportunity to influence and guide an adolescent through troubled situations where a mature perspective is needed but rarely available to your teen. A great deal of therapy with adolescents is done on a one-to-one basis, but we always keep in close contact with you, the parent, and work to improve the bond between you and your teen.