IFS Therapy, Play Therapy & Neurodivergent Care Explained
If you’ve searched “what is IFS therapy,” “what is play therapy,” or you’re looking for a neurodivergent-affirming child therapist near me in Short Hills, Millburn, Summit, Westfield, or Maplewood, NJ, this guide answers those questions in plain language.
Light Street Psychotherapy is a child, adult, and family therapy practice located in Short Hills, NJ, offering in-person and telehealth sessions across New Jersey and Florida. You can reach us at 📞 (973) 544-8617 or ✉️ meredithstrausssocialworker@gmail.com.
What Is IFS (Internal Family Systems) Therapy?
IFS is a therapy model built on the idea that the mind is made up of different “parts” — protective parts, wounded parts, and a calm, grounded core “Self.” Instead of treating anxiety, anger, or avoidance as problems to eliminate, IFS helps a person understand why each part developed and build a relationship with it, rather than being controlled by it.
How our therapists help: Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW is a Level 3 IFS-trained therapist through the IFS Institute, using this approach with both children and adults navigating trauma, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation.
What Is Play Therapy?
Play therapy uses play, art, and creative expression to help children process emotions and experiences they don’t yet have the words for. A trained therapist observes patterns in how a child plays, gently guiding it to build emotional vocabulary, coping skills, and a greater sense of safety.
Play therapy is commonly used for:
- Anxiety and phobias
- Emotional dysregulation (big reactions, meltdowns)
- Difficulty expressing feelings verbally
- Attachment and relationship challenges
How our therapists help: Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW uses relational play therapy and process art to help children build trust, emotional awareness, and resilience in a way that feels natural to them.
What Is Attachment-Based Therapy?
Attachment-based therapy focuses on how a person’s earliest relationships shaped the way they connect, trust, and regulate emotions today. For children, this often means working directly with the parent-child relationship; for adults, it means understanding relationship patterns that trace back to early attachment experiences.
How our therapists help: Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW integrates attachment-based approaches to help clients build secure, trusting relationships — both in and outside of the therapy room.
What Is Process Art Therapy?
Process art therapy uses the act of creating art — not the finished product — as a tool for emotional expression and regulation. It’s especially useful for clients (particularly children) who find it hard to talk directly about difficult feelings.
How our therapists help: Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW incorporates process art as part of a creative, supportive therapeutic environment for children, adults, and families.
What Is Polyvagal-Informed Therapy?
Polyvagal-informed therapy draws on the neurobiology of the nervous system to explain why the body reacts the way it does under stress — shutting down, becoming anxious, or feeling unsafe — and teaches practical ways to regulate that response over time.
How our therapists help: Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW has advanced training in the neurobiology of traumatic stress and polyvagal nervous system regulation, integrating this into trauma-informed care for children and adults.
What Is Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy?
Neurodivergent-affirming therapy works with a child’s or adult’s neurodivergent traits rather than trying to eliminate them, while still building coping tools for anxiety, executive functioning, and emotional regulation.
How our therapists help: Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW has a particular ability to connect with hard-to-reach or neurodivergent children and adults, while skillfully managing complex diagnostic cases.
What Is Executive Functioning Therapy?
Executive functioning refers to the mental skills involved in planning, staying flexible, managing impulses, and following through on tasks. When these skills are underdeveloped or disrupted by anxiety or trauma, it can look like disorganization, meltdowns, or difficulty completing everyday tasks.
How our therapists help: Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW works with children and adults on executive functioning difficulties — including planning, flexibility, and impulse control — as part of a broader emotional regulation approach.
What Is CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)?
CBT is a structured therapy approach that helps clients identify unhelpful thought patterns and replace them with more balanced, realistic ones — often reducing anxiety, rumination, and reassurance-seeking behaviors along the way.
How our therapists help: Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW trained at the Beck Institute in CBT and uses it alongside creative, attachment-based approaches depending on each client’s needs.
Serving Families Across Northern New Jersey
Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW provides in-person sessions from our Short Hills office and telehealth sessions throughout the surrounding communities, including:
- Child therapist in Millburn, NJ — play therapy and attachment-based support for kids
- IFS therapist in Summit, NJ — Internal Family Systems therapy for teens and adults
- Neurodivergent-affirming therapist in Westfield, NJ — support for neurodivergent children and adults
- Play therapy in Maplewood & South Orange, NJ — creative, trauma-informed care for young children
- Executive functioning support in Madison & Chatham, NJ — for kids and teens with planning or focus challenges
- Anxiety therapy in Livingston & Florham Park, NJ — CBT and IFS-based approaches
- Family therapy in Springfield & Union, NJ — attachment-based and process art techniques
We also serve Cranford, Whippany, Berkeley Heights, Scotch Plains, Morristown, New Providence, and Mountainside, NJ, with telehealth also available throughout Florida. Contact us to check availability in your area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age does play therapy work for? Play therapy is most associated with young children, but creative approaches like process art can be adapted for older children, teens, and even adults who find verbal processing difficult.
How do I know if my child needs therapy? Signs to watch for include frequent meltdowns, persistent worry, trouble at school, withdrawal from friends or family, or reactions that seem out of proportion to the situation.
Do you work with neurodivergent children and adults? Yes. Abigail Cooper Marshall, LCSW specializes in working with neurodivergent children and adults, along with complex diagnostic cases.
Is IFS only for adults? No. IFS concepts can be adapted for children, helping them understand and name the different “parts” of themselves involved in big emotional reactions.
Where is Light Street Psychotherapy located? Light Street Psychotherapy is located in Short Hills, NJ, serving Millburn, Springfield, Maplewood, South Orange, Summit, Madison, Chatham, Livingston, Florham Park, Westfield, Cranford, Whippany, Berkeley Heights, Union, Scotch Plains, Morristown, New Providence, and Mountainside, with telehealth also available in Florida.
Ready to Get Started?
If your child — or you — could benefit from a creative, neurodivergent-affirming approach to therapy, schedule a free consultation with Light Street Psychotherapy.
Light Street Psychotherapy 📍 Short Hills, NJ 📞 (973) 544-8617 ✉️ meredithstrausssocialworker@gmail.com
If you are in crisis or experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 immediately.