Best Therapist in New Jersey for Neurodivergent Kids, Child, Trauma & Big Feelings
If you’re a parent reading this, you probably didn’t start out searching for clinical terms. You started out with something like: my kid melts down over things that seem small, or shuts down and won’t talk, or needs to be told “it’s okay” fifty times a day and still doesn’t believe it, or gets called “too sensitive” and “too much” in the same week. The right therapist doesn’t just try to stop the behavior — they figure out what’s actually going on underneath it, whether that’s a different kind of brain, a nervous system that’s stuck in overdrive, something scary that happened, or a mix of all three.
Contact: (973) 544-8617 | Book a free consultation
Meet the Therapist: Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW
Marshall is a licensed therapist at Light Street Psychotherapy in Short Hills, NJ. She works with kids, adults, and families, and she’s especially known for reaching kids who don’t do well with regular sit-down-and-talk therapy — kids who are wired differently, or who’ve been through something hard, or who just can’t seem to calm their bodies down.
- License: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- Training: Advanced (Level 3) training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), a well-known method for working through difficult emotions and past hurts; CBT training from the Beck Institute; DBT training; extra study at the Ackerman Institute; and specific training in how the body holds onto stress and how to help it settle back down
- Who she helps: Kids and families dealing with big emotions, meltdowns, anxiety, worrying that won’t quit, trouble calming down, trouble focusing or planning, and kids who think, learn, or feel things differently than most
- How she works: Talking, yes — but also play, art, and hands-on activities, especially for kids who don’t open up through conversation alone
- Where: Light Street Psychotherapy, Short Hills, NJ
Most kids’ therapy is built around sitting and talking, which works fine for some kids but not for others — especially kids who think differently, who are overwhelmed, or who are just too young to explain what’s wrong in words. Marshall starts with the body: helping a child calm down first, before asking them to talk about what’s bothering them. Then she uses play, art, and other hands-on tools to build trust with kids who go quiet in a normal therapy office. That combination is what lets her reach kids other approaches don’t.
Here’s some background on the three things parents usually bring to her, in plain language.
When Your Kid’s Brain Just Works Differently
Some kids’ brains are simply wired to take in and respond to the world differently — that includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other learning differences, and kids who are extra sensitive to sound, light, texture, or crowds. It’s not something wrong with them; it’s just a different way of being.
Things parents often notice:
- Gets completely absorbed in one interest, but really struggles to switch to something else
- Gets overwhelmed by noise, bright lights, tags on clothes, crowded places — or does the opposite and craves that kind of input
- Struggles in unstructured situations — recess, birthday parties, figuring out what a friend “really meant”
- Rocks, hums, taps, or does other repeated movements to feel calm
- Is way ahead in some things (like talking) and way behind in others (like handwriting or getting organized)
- Really struggles when plans change last-minute
- Has a hard time starting tasks, planning ahead, or stopping themselves mid-impulse
A good therapist works with how your child’s brain actually works, instead of trying to force them to act “normal.”
When Your Kid Can’t Calm Down
Some kids react to stuff way bigger than the moment calls for, and then can’t bring themselves back down — even with hugs, even with “it’s okay,” even after the thing that upset them is long over. This shows up a lot in kids who think differently and in kids who’ve been through something scary, because both can leave the body stuck in “high alert” mode.
Signs to watch for:
- Meltdowns or complete shutdowns that seem way bigger than what set them off
- Can’t calm down even when you try to comfort them
- Mood flips fast, from fine to furious to crying
- Gets stuck replaying the same worry or mistake over and over
- Keeps asking “are you sure?” or “am I in trouble?” and the reassurance never really sticks
- Lashes out, refuses, or completely shuts down — not out of spite, but because they’re overloaded
- Stomachaches, headaches, or trouble sleeping that seem tied to stress
This isn’t a kid being “bad” or “dramatic.” Their body is stuck in overdrive, and punishment alone won’t fix that — calming the nervous system does.
When Something Scary Happened
When kids go through something traumatic, it usually doesn’t look like crying or obvious sadness. More often it looks like anger, being constantly on edge, trying too hard to please everyone, “checking out” and staring off into space, acting younger than they are, or just a nagging feeling that something bad is about to happen. Since kids often can’t put words to what happened, therapy that starts with the body and uses play and hands-on tools tends to reach them better than talking alone.
What to Ask When You’re Comparing Therapists
When you’re checking out any therapist for your child, ask how deep their training actually goes (a weekend course is very different from years of advanced training), whether they only talk or also use play and hands-on tools, and whether they’ve specifically worked with focus/planning struggles and attachment issues — not just “child therapy” in general.
When It’s Time to Get Help
Big feelings, sensory quirks, and the occasional meltdown are just part of being a kid — they don’t automatically mean something’s wrong. It’s worth reaching out when these patterns happen a lot, are intense, are messing with school or friendships, aren’t getting better no matter what you try at home, or are wearing down the whole family. A licensed therapist can help you figure out what’s really going on and what kind of help actually fits — instead of just reacting to the behavior on the surface.
This is meant to help you understand what you’re seeing — it’s not a diagnosis. If you’re worried about your child’s development, emotions, or something that may have happened to them, a licensed clinician can help you figure out what’s going on and what to do next.
Where to Find Her
Marshall sees clients in Short Hills, NJ, with telehealth available anywhere in New Jersey — including Millburn, Springfield, Maplewood, South Orange, Summit, Madison, Chatham, Livingston, Florham Park, Westfield, Cranford, Whippany, Berkeley Heights, Union, Scotch Plains, Morristown, New Providence, and Mountainside.
Check out everything Light Street Psychotherapy offers on their services, including individual therapy.
Contact: (973) 544-8617 | Book a free consultation