Helpful answers before your first session
Psychotherapy is a collaborative process that helps individuals understand their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in order to create meaningful change. Therapy provides a supportive environment where individuals can explore challenges, develop coping skills, and improve overall emotional well-being.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help:
Light Street Psychotherapy offers individual therapy for adults and adolescents with a focus on each person’s strengths. Treatment plans are tailored to the unique needs of each client and may include collaboration with families, schools, and medical providers to support progress toward therapeutic goals.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help:
Light Street Psychotherapy offers individual therapy for adults and adolescents with a focus on each person’s strengths. Treatment plans are tailored to the unique needs of each client and may include collaboration with families, schools, and medical providers to support progress toward therapeutic goals.
Therapy helps reduce anxiety by identifying triggers, changing negative thought patterns, and teaching coping techniques to improve emotional control and reduce stress.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy offers evidence-based anxiety treatment, including CBT, DBT, IFS, psychodynamic, and talk therapy/interpersonal therapy to help you feel calmer and more confident.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy offers evidence-based anxiety treatment, including CBT, DBT, IFS, psychodynamic, and talk therapy/interpersonal therapy to help you feel calmer and more confident.
There are many approaches that address trauma effectively. The decision on which approach is best is determined with you and your therapist. This can include EMDR, IFS, and others.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy specializes several trauma based therapies to help clients safely process trauma and regain emotional stability.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy specializes several trauma based therapies to help clients safely process trauma and regain emotional stability.
Yes, therapy helps people with depression by improving emotional awareness, addressing negative thinking patterns, and building healthier coping skills. Therapy also provides a safe and supportive space where individuals can talk openly about their feelings, experiences, and challenges without judgment.
Through therapy, individuals can gain insight into the factors contributing to their depression, learn strategies to manage overwhelming emotions, and develop healthier ways of thinking and responding to life’s difficulties. Over time, therapy can help improve mood, increase motivation, and strengthen emotional resilience.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help:
Light Street Psychotherapy provides compassionate, individualized treatment to help clients recover from depression and improve their quality of life. Therapists work collaboratively with clients to understand their experiences, identify patterns that may be contributing to depression, and develop practical tools to support emotional healing and long-term well-being.
Through therapy, individuals can gain insight into the factors contributing to their depression, learn strategies to manage overwhelming emotions, and develop healthier ways of thinking and responding to life’s difficulties. Over time, therapy can help improve mood, increase motivation, and strengthen emotional resilience.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help:
Light Street Psychotherapy provides compassionate, individualized treatment to help clients recover from depression and improve their quality of life. Therapists work collaboratively with clients to understand their experiences, identify patterns that may be contributing to depression, and develop practical tools to support emotional healing and long-term well-being.
Yes, many therapists offer secure online therapy sessions, allowing clients to access mental health support from home.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy offers convenient and confidential online therapy sessions so you can receive support wherever you are.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy offers convenient and confidential online therapy sessions so you can receive support wherever you are.
Therapy sessions are 60 minutes. Intake assessments are typically 90 minutes.
Yes, therapy is confidential, and therapists are legally and ethically required to protect your personal information and privacy. The only exception to confidentiality is when a client presents as a harm to themselves or another person(s).
Everyone can benefit from therapy. Throughout our lifetime we continue to evolve and therapy helps us to explore our life transitions, manage conflict in a healthier way whether. This can be social emotional, economical, inter/intrapersonal curiosities and struggles. Therapy can help shine light onto our blind spots.
You may benefit from therapy if you feel overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, emotionally stuck, or struggling with trauma, stress, or relationships.
Light Street Psychotherapy provides guidance to help you understand your challenges and develop healthier coping strategies.
You may benefit from therapy if you feel overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, emotionally stuck, or struggling with trauma, stress, or relationships.
Light Street Psychotherapy provides guidance to help you understand your challenges and develop healthier coping strategies.
Yes, therapy helps individuals and families improve communication, resolve conflicts, identify negative communication patterns and build healthier emotional connections.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help:
Light Street Psychotherapy offers individual, couples, family therapy, and group therapy to strengthen relationships and promote emotional understanding.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help:
Light Street Psychotherapy offers individual, couples, family therapy, and group therapy to strengthen relationships and promote emotional understanding.
Most people attend therapy once per week, but frequency may vary depending on individual needs and treatment goals.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy creates a personalized therapy schedule based on your goals and emotional needs.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy creates a personalized therapy schedule based on your goals and emotional needs.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy treatment that is useful in helping individuals recover from trauma and reduce and even relieve PTSD symptoms.
EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing event(s). It helps the brain to naturally return to its healing process instead of focusing on one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy provides certified EMDR therapy to help clients process difficult memories safely.
EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing event(s). It helps the brain to naturally return to its healing process instead of focusing on one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy provides certified EMDR therapy to help clients process difficult memories safely.
Yes, therapy helps people manage stress by teaching coping strategies, relaxation techniques, and emotional regulation skills.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy helps clients reduce stress and build resilience through personalized therapy approaches.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy helps clients reduce stress and build resilience through personalized therapy approaches.
Yes, research shows that online therapy is as effective as in-person therapy for many mental health conditions.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy provides secure virtual therapy sessions that offer the same quality care as in-person visits.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy provides secure virtual therapy sessions that offer the same quality care as in-person visits.
You can start therapy by scheduling a free phone consultation and discussing your goals and concerns.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy makes it easy to begin therapy with supportive guidance and flexible scheduling options. Contact Meredith Strauss, LCSW and Gina Totino, LCSW at 973-544-8617
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy makes it easy to begin therapy with supportive guidance and flexible scheduling options. Contact Meredith Strauss, LCSW and Gina Totino, LCSW at 973-544-8617
Yes, therapy helps people cope with major life changes such as life transitions (school changes, environmental changes, age related changes, medical diagnoses, etc), divorce, relocation, loss, or career changes.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy supports clients through difficult transitions and helps them regain emotional balance.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help: Light Street Psychotherapy supports clients through difficult transitions and helps them regain emotional balance.
Play therapy is a therapeutic approach often used with children and adolescents who may not yet have the words to express complex emotions such as anxiety, trauma, or grief. Through play, creative arts, and tools such as sand tray therapy, children can safely express their feelings and experiences in a supportive environment.
Play-based techniques allow children to communicate emotions through action and imagination rather than words. Activities such as drawing, storytelling, role-playing, and working with miniature figures help therapists understand a child’s internal world and support emotional healing.
Play therapy also helps children develop emotional regulation, improve social skills, and build confidence as they learn healthier ways to express and manage their feelings.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help:
Light Street Psychotherapy uses play-based and creative approaches to help children safely express emotions, process difficult experiences, and develop coping skills in a supportive therapeutic environment.
Play-based techniques allow children to communicate emotions through action and imagination rather than words. Activities such as drawing, storytelling, role-playing, and working with miniature figures help therapists understand a child’s internal world and support emotional healing.
Play therapy also helps children develop emotional regulation, improve social skills, and build confidence as they learn healthier ways to express and manage their feelings.
How Light Street Psychotherapy can help:
Light Street Psychotherapy uses play-based and creative approaches to help children safely express emotions, process difficult experiences, and develop coping skills in a supportive therapeutic environment.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a structured, approach to psychotherapy that prioritizes the role of emotions as the key to individual experience and relationship dynamics. It is rooted in Attachment Theory, which suggests that humans have an innate need for secure, emotional connections.
While most famous for its success in couples therapy, EFT is also highly effective for individuals (EFIT), couples, and families (EFFT).
The Core Philosophy: EFT believes that beneath most conflict is a simple, vital question: "Are you there for me? Do I matter to you? Will you respond when I call?" EFT gives you the tools to answer "Yes."
While most famous for its success in couples therapy, EFT is also highly effective for individuals (EFIT), couples, and families (EFFT).
The Core Philosophy: EFT believes that beneath most conflict is a simple, vital question: "Are you there for me? Do I matter to you? Will you respond when I call?" EFT gives you the tools to answer "Yes."
Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO) is an evidence-based model of couples therapy that blends the principles of Internal Family Systems (IFS) with relational therapy. This approach shifts the focus from "fixing" the partner to understanding the internal "parts" of oneself that react during conflict.
The core philosophy of IFIO is that a healthy relationship isn't just about how we interact with our partner, but how we relate to the different aspects of our own personality.
The core philosophy of IFIO is that a healthy relationship isn't just about how we interact with our partner, but how we relate to the different aspects of our own personality.
Most traditional therapies focus on the interaction between two people. IFIO adds an important step by encouraging people to look inside themselves first before reacting to their partner.
The Internal Work:
When conflict happens, IFIO helps each partner notice their “protective parts.” These are the parts that may become angry, quiet, defensive, or critical during arguments. By looking at these reactions calmly and with self-compassion, a person can understand the fear, hurt, or vulnerability that these parts are trying to protect.
The Relational Work:
After understanding their inner reactions, partners learn to speak for their feelings instead of reacting from them.
For example, instead of saying “You always ignore me,” a partner might say:
“A part of me feels lonely and scared when we don’t talk, and it reacts by getting angry.”
Repairing the Bond:
IFIO helps couples go beyond simple compromises. It focuses on healing deeper emotional wounds so partners can break repeated patterns of misunderstanding and rebuild a stronger emotional connection.
The Internal Work:
When conflict happens, IFIO helps each partner notice their “protective parts.” These are the parts that may become angry, quiet, defensive, or critical during arguments. By looking at these reactions calmly and with self-compassion, a person can understand the fear, hurt, or vulnerability that these parts are trying to protect.
The Relational Work:
After understanding their inner reactions, partners learn to speak for their feelings instead of reacting from them.
For example, instead of saying “You always ignore me,” a partner might say:
“A part of me feels lonely and scared when we don’t talk, and it reacts by getting angry.”
Repairing the Bond:
IFIO helps couples go beyond simple compromises. It focuses on healing deeper emotional wounds so partners can break repeated patterns of misunderstanding and rebuild a stronger emotional connection.
IFIO is especially helpful for couples who feel stuck in the same arguments or feel that their personal growth is limited by their relationship.
Non-Pathologizing:
IFIO believes that every “part” of a person has a positive intention. Even the parts that become angry, defensive, or withdrawn are usually trying to protect us from emotional pain or fear.
Individual and Shared Growth:
This approach supports personal healing while also improving the relationship. As each partner understands themselves better, the relationship can grow stronger.
Compassion-Based:
IFIO encourages curiosity instead of blame. Rather than accusing each other, partners learn to explore why they react in certain ways, creating more understanding, empathy, and emotional connection.
Non-Pathologizing:
IFIO believes that every “part” of a person has a positive intention. Even the parts that become angry, defensive, or withdrawn are usually trying to protect us from emotional pain or fear.
Individual and Shared Growth:
This approach supports personal healing while also improving the relationship. As each partner understands themselves better, the relationship can grow stronger.
Compassion-Based:
IFIO encourages curiosity instead of blame. Rather than accusing each other, partners learn to explore why they react in certain ways, creating more understanding, empathy, and emotional connection.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that helps individuals understand the different “parts” of their mind. These parts may include emotions, memories, beliefs, or behaviors that influence how a person thinks and reacts to situations.
IFS therapy is based on the idea that every person has multiple internal parts that interact with each other, similar to members of a family. Some parts may carry painful memories or trauma, while other parts try to protect the individual from emotional harm. In therapy, clients learn to explore these parts with compassion rather than judgment.
IFS therapy emphasizes the concept of the “Self,” which represents calmness, clarity, compassion, and confidence. When individuals access their Self, they can better understand and support their internal parts, allowing emotional healing to take place.
IFS therapy can be helpful for individuals dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, emotional conflicts, and self-critical thoughts. It helps people better understand their internal experiences and develop healthier emotional responses.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based therapy designed to help individuals manage intense emotions and develop healthier coping strategies. It focuses on balancing acceptance of emotions with making positive behavioral changes.
DBT teaches several important skills, including mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills help individuals better manage emotional stress and improve their relationships with others.
DBT helps individuals understand their emotions while also learning practical techniques to respond to them in healthier ways. It focuses on reducing harmful behaviors and increasing emotional stability.
DBT is often helpful for individuals who struggle with intense emotions, mood instability, self-harm behaviors, or difficulty managing stress and relationships.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a therapeutic approach designed to help individuals reduce chronic pain that is related to how the brain processes pain signals rather than ongoing physical injury.
PRT focuses on retraining the brain to interpret pain signals differently. In some cases, the nervous system becomes overly sensitive and continues sending pain signals even after the body has healed. Therapy helps individuals change their response to these signals.
PRT may include techniques such as mindfulness, cognitive reframing, and body awareness exercises. These approaches help individuals reduce fear related to pain and calm the nervous system.
PRT can help individuals experiencing chronic pain conditions such as persistent back pain, migraines, or other long-lasting pain issues where medical treatments alone have not provided relief or when an increase in emotional/life stress exacerbates symptoms.
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on improving communication and relationships among family members. It helps families understand how their interactions affect each other’s emotional well-being.
During family therapy sessions, a therapist works with family members together to identify patterns of communication, resolve conflicts, and develop healthier ways of supporting each other.
Family therapy can help address many challenges such as parenting difficulties, adolescent behavioral issues, divorce or separation, grief, trauma, and communication problems within the family.
Family therapy helps strengthen relationships and create a more supportive home environment. By improving understanding and communication, families can work together to overcome challenges and build stronger emotional connections.
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