Meet Our Chronic Pain Therapists in New Jersey
At Light Street Psychotherapy in Short Hills, NJ, chronic pain therapy is led by two of New Jersey’s most experienced and highly trained therapists — Randi Gelfand, LCSW and Meredith Strauss, LCSW. Together they bring a comprehensive, deeply personalized, and evidence-based approach to helping clients understand, manage, and overcome chronic pain.
If you are searching for a chronic pain therapist in New Jersey, our team offers in-person sessions in Short Hills, NJ and telehealth sessions throughout New Jersey and Florida.
📞 Call us today: (973) 544-8617
✔️ In-person and telehealth sessions available
✔️ Free consultation available
✔️ Serving New Jersey and Florida
Randi Gelfand, LCSW — Chronic Pain Therapist & Pain Reprocessing Therapy Specialist
About Randi Gelfand, LCSW
Randi Gelfand, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of New Jersey and the primary chronic pain specialist at Light Street Psychotherapy. She earned her Masters degree in Social Work from Rutgers University and brings extensive clinical experience helping adults navigate a wide range of mental and emotional health challenges — with a particular focus on chronic pain, anxiety, grief, life transitions, and psychological trauma.
Randi is one of the very few therapists in New Jersey trained in Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) — the most cutting-edge, evidence-based treatment available today for neuroplastic pain. Her training in PRT, combined with her expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy, makes her uniquely equipped to help clients who have been living with persistent pain that has not responded to traditional medical treatments.
Randi’s approach is deeply integrative and entirely personalized. She views every client through a multi-dimensional lens — addressing not just the physical experience of pain but the emotional, relational, and psychological layers that surround it. She believes in the power of a warm, supportive, and non-judgmental therapeutic relationship to facilitate genuine, lasting healing.
Randi Gelfand’s Specialties for Chronic Pain
- Neuroplastic pain and psychophysiological pain disorders
- Persistent back pain, neck pain, and joint pain
- Migraines and chronic headaches
- Fibromyalgia and medically unexplained pain
- Pain linked to anxiety, stress, or emotional trauma
- Anxiety and depression related to chronic pain
- Grief and identity loss following the onset of chronic pain
- Life transitions and relationship challenges affected by chronic pain
Randi Gelfand’s Treatment Modalities for Chronic Pain
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)
Pain Reprocessing Therapy is Randi’s primary and most powerful tool for chronic pain treatment. Developed by Alan Gordon, PRT is a structured, evidence-based approach that targets neuroplastic pain at its neurological root. Through psycho-education, somatic tracking, and cognitive reframing, PRT helps the brain reinterpret pain signals as safe rather than dangerous — breaking the pain-fear cycle and creating the conditions for lasting relief.
Clinical trials have demonstrated significant, lasting pain reduction through PRT for clients with chronic back pain and other neuroplastic pain conditions. Randi is one of very few PRT-trained therapists in New Jersey, making Light Street Psychotherapy one of the most specialized chronic pain practices in the state.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Chronic Pain
Randi uses CBT to help clients identify and change the thought patterns, beliefs, and behaviors that amplify and maintain chronic pain. This includes addressing catastrophizing, fear-avoidance patterns, and the all-or-nothing thinking that often develops when pain becomes a central feature of daily life. CBT helps clients gradually rebuild activity, confidence, and a sense of control over their lives.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Randi’s psychodynamic approach explores the deeper emotional history and unconscious patterns that may be contributing to physical symptoms. This includes examining childhood experiences, suppressed emotions, unresolved grief, and psychological conflicts that research has consistently linked to persistent physical pain. By bringing these patterns into awareness, clients can begin to process and resolve them — often leading to meaningful reductions in physical symptoms.
Interpersonal Therapy
Chronic pain rarely exists in isolation — it affects and is affected by every significant relationship in a person’s life. Randi uses Interpersonal Therapy to help clients understand how their pain impacts their relationships, and how relationship stress and communication patterns may be contributing to their physical experience of pain. This approach also helps clients build stronger support systems and communicate their needs more effectively.
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
Randi incorporates mindfulness throughout her work with chronic pain clients — helping them develop a new, calmer, more curious relationship with their bodies and their pain. Rather than fighting or fearing physical sensations, mindfulness helps clients observe them with openness and equanimity — which is foundational to the PRT process and to lasting pain reduction.
What to Expect Working with Randi Gelfand
- A thorough initial assessment of your pain history, emotional life, and personal goals
- A personalized treatment plan drawing on the modalities most suited to your experience
- Psycho-education about neuroplastic pain and how the brain generates and maintains chronic pain
- Practical tools and skills to use between sessions
- A warm, non-judgmental space where you are seen as a whole person — not just a pain patient
- Regular review and adjustment of your treatment plan as you progress
Randi Gelfand — Credentials and Training
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) — New Jersey
- Masters in Social Work — Rutgers University
- Trained in Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)
- Trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Training in Psychodynamic and Interpersonal Therapy
- Mindfulness-Based Approaches
- Strengths-Based Perspective
📞 Contact Randi Gelfand, LCSW: (973) 544-8617
🌐 Book a Free Consultation
✔️ In-person in Short Hills, NJ | Telehealth available in New Jersey
Meredith Strauss, LCSW — Founder, Trauma and Mind-Body Chronic Pain Specialist
About Meredith Strauss, LCSW
Meredith Strauss, LCSW is the Founder of Light Street Psychotherapy and one of the most highly trained and recognized trauma and mind-body therapists in New Jersey. With certifications at the highest levels of both Internal Family Systems (IFS Level Three) and EMDR (Level Three), Meredith brings exceptional clinical depth to the treatment of chronic pain — particularly when pain is rooted in unresolved trauma, childhood adverse experiences, suppressed emotions, or longstanding psychological conflict.
Meredith earned her Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis and her Masters in Social Work with Honors from Rutgers University. She is licensed in both New Jersey and Florida and is listed among the Best Therapists in Short Hills, NJ. She has been recognized as one of the top providers of EMDR therapy in the country and serves as a Program Assistant at IFS trainings — reflecting her extraordinary level of commitment to and mastery of this model.
Meredith’s approach to chronic pain is holistic, integrative, and deeply compassionate. She merges eastern psychotherapy traditions — including Yoga Psychology and mindfulness — with evidence-based western psychology to create a therapeutic experience that addresses the body, the mind, and the emotional world simultaneously. For Meredith, treating chronic pain means treating the whole person — their history, their nervous system, their inner world, and their relationship with their body.
Meredith Strauss’s Specialties for Chronic Pain
- Chronic pain rooted in trauma, PTSD, or adverse childhood experiences
- Medical trauma and pain following serious illness, surgery, or accident
- Psychophysiological disorders and neuroplastic pain
- Somatic symptoms and medically unexplained physical pain
- Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and widespread pain conditions
- Chronic pain accompanied by dissociation or Dissociative Identity Disorder
- Grief, loss of identity, and depression related to chronic illness
- Nervous system dysregulation underlying persistent physical symptoms
Meredith Strauss’s Treatment Modalities for Chronic Pain
EMDR Therapy for Chronic Pain
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one of the most powerful tools available for treating chronic pain that has a traumatic origin. Trauma — including medical trauma, childhood abuse, accidents, or prolonged stress — creates neural patterns in the brain that can manifest as persistent physical symptoms long after the original event has passed. EMDR helps the brain fully process and integrate these traumatic memories, reducing the neurological charge that drives ongoing pain.
As an EMDR Level Three Certified therapist, Meredith brings the highest level of EMDR expertise to her work with chronic pain clients. She uses this modality to help clients process the painful events, medical experiences, and emotional wounds that are contributing to their physical symptoms — often producing relief that no medical intervention has been able to provide.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) for Chronic Pain
Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a unique and deeply effective lens for understanding chronic pain. From an IFS perspective, pain is often a communication from a part of the self — a protective part trying to draw attention to something that needs care, or a part that is carrying the weight of unprocessed experience. IFS-informed therapy helps clients develop a compassionate, curious relationship with the parts of themselves that hold pain, fear, or suppressed emotion.
As an IFS Level Three Certified therapist and Program Assistant at IFS trainings, Meredith is among a small and elite group of practitioners with the deepest training in this model. Her IFS work with chronic pain clients helps them access their own natural capacity for healing and develop a fundamentally different — and more peaceful — relationship with their bodies.
Yoga Psychology
One of Meredith’s most distinctive offerings is her integration of Yoga Psychology into clinical psychotherapy. Yoga Psychology uses breath awareness, somatic attunement, and body-based mindfulness to help clients reconnect with their bodies in a gentle, safe, and non-threatening way. For chronic pain clients — who have often developed a fearful or adversarial relationship with their own bodies — this reconnection is profoundly healing.
Yoga Psychology helps regulate the nervous system, reduce the physiological stress response that amplifies pain, and rebuild a sense of safety and trust in the body. It is one of the most innovative and effective elements of Meredith’s approach to mind-body healing.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Meredith’s therapeutic foundation is deeply rooted in mindfulness. Mindfulness-based approaches help chronic pain clients develop present-moment awareness and a non-reactive relationship with physical sensations — learning to observe pain without amplifying it through fear or resistance. Over time, this shift in relationship with pain is one of the most powerful drivers of lasting relief.
Psycho-Education About Pain Neuroscience
A core component of Meredith’s work is helping clients truly understand the neuroscience of their pain — why it is real, what is driving it, and how psychological treatment can address it at its neurological root. This psycho-education is often transformative for clients who have been told their pain is “all in their head” — validating their experience while opening the door to a new and hopeful path forward.
Trauma-Informed Care
Everything Meredith does is grounded in trauma-informed care — a deep awareness of how trauma affects the nervous system, the body, and the lived experience of pain. For clients whose chronic pain is rooted in trauma, this means never pushing faster than is safe, always working within the window of tolerance, and ensuring that the therapeutic process itself becomes an experience of safety and healing rather than retraumatization.
What to Expect Working with Meredith Strauss
- A deeply individualized, holistic assessment of your pain history, trauma background, and personal goals
- An integrative treatment plan drawing on EMDR, IFS, Yoga Psychology, and mindfulness
- A therapeutic pace that always respects your nervous system and sense of safety
- Deep psycho-education about the mind-body connection and the neuroscience of pain
- A compassionate, non-judgmental space where your pain is fully validated and understood
- Telehealth sessions available for Florida residents and those across New Jersey
Meredith Strauss — Credentials and Training
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) — New Jersey and Florida
- Masters in Social Work with Honors — Rutgers University
- Bachelor of Arts — Washington University in St. Louis
- IFS Level Three Certified — Internal Family Systems Institute
- Program Assistant at IFS Trainings
- EMDR Level Three Certified
- Trained in Yoga Psychology
- Trained in Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO) — IFS Couples Modality
- Trained in Structural Family Therapy
- Certificate in Clinical Supervision — ACAP Institute
- Listed among the Best Therapists in Short Hills, NJ
- Recognized as one of the top EMDR providers in the country
📞 Contact Meredith Strauss, LCSW: (973) 544-8617
🌐 Book a Free Consultation
✔️ In-person in Short Hills, NJ | Telehealth available in New Jersey and Florida
Why Choose Light Street Psychotherapy for Chronic Pain Therapy in New Jersey?
- One of the only practices in New Jersey offering Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)
- Randi Gelfand, LCSW — PRT trained, CBT, psychodynamic, and interpersonal therapy specialist
- Meredith Strauss, LCSW — IFS Level Three Certified, EMDR Level Three Certified Founder
- Unique integration of Yoga Psychology and somatic mind-body approaches
- Listed among the Best Therapists in Short Hills, NJ
- Fully personalized, collaborative treatment plans
- In-person sessions in Short Hills, NJ
- Telehealth available throughout New Jersey and Florida
- Free consultation available
Start Your Healing Journey Today
You do not have to keep living with chronic pain. Whether your pain is rooted in trauma, stress, or neuroplastic pathways — real, lasting relief is possible. Randi Gelfand and Meredith Strauss are here to help you find it.
📞 (973) 544-8617
🌐 www.lightstreetpsychotherapy.com
✔️ Free Consultation Available
✔️ In-Person and Telehealth | New Jersey and Florida
Areas We Serve — Chronic Pain Therapist Near You
Randi Gelfand, LCSW and Meredith Strauss, LCSW provide chronic pain therapy, Pain Reprocessing Therapy, EMDR, IFS, CBT, and mind-body treatment in-person and via telehealth throughout New Jersey and Florida. We proudly serve the following communities:
In-Person Chronic Pain Therapy — New Jersey
- Chronic Pain Therapist Short Hills NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Short Hills NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Short Hills NJ | IFS Therapy Short Hills NJ | Mind-Body Therapy Short Hills NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Millburn NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Millburn NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Millburn NJ | CBT Chronic Pain Millburn NJ | Trauma-Informed Pain Therapy Millburn NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Springfield NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Springfield NJ | Mind-Body Therapy Springfield NJ | CBT Chronic Pain Springfield NJ | IFS Therapy Springfield NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Maplewood NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Maplewood NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Maplewood NJ | Mindfulness Therapy Maplewood NJ | Trauma-Informed Pain Maplewood NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist South Orange NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy South Orange NJ | IFS Therapy South Orange NJ | CBT Chronic Pain South Orange NJ | Mind-Body Therapy South Orange NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Summit NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Summit NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Summit NJ | CBT Therapy Summit NJ | Trauma-Informed Pain Therapy Summit NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Madison NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Madison NJ | Mind-Body Therapy Madison NJ | IFS Therapy Madison NJ | Mindfulness Chronic Pain Madison NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Chatham NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Chatham NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Chatham NJ | CBT Therapy Chatham NJ | Trauma-Informed Pain Therapy Chatham NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Livingston NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Livingston NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Livingston NJ | IFS Therapy Livingston NJ | Mind-Body Therapy Livingston NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Florham Park NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Florham Park NJ | CBT Chronic Pain Florham Park NJ | Mindfulness Therapy Florham Park NJ | Trauma-Informed Pain Florham Park NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Westfield NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Westfield NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Westfield NJ | IFS Therapy Westfield NJ | Mind-Body Therapy Westfield NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Cranford NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Cranford NJ | CBT Chronic Pain Cranford NJ | Mindfulness Therapy Cranford NJ | Trauma-Informed Pain Cranford NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Whippany NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Whippany NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Whippany NJ | IFS Therapy Whippany NJ | Mind-Body Therapy Whippany NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Berkeley Heights NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Berkeley Heights NJ | CBT Therapy Berkeley Heights NJ | Mindfulness Therapy Berkeley Heights NJ | Trauma-Informed Pain Berkeley Heights NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Union NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Union NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Union NJ | IFS Therapy Union NJ | Mind-Body Therapy Union NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Scotch Plains NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Scotch Plains NJ | CBT Chronic Pain Scotch Plains NJ | Mindfulness Therapy Scotch Plains NJ | Trauma-Informed Pain Scotch Plains NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Morristown NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Morristown NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Morristown NJ | IFS Therapy Morristown NJ | Mind-Body Therapy Morristown NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist New Providence NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy New Providence NJ | CBT Chronic Pain New Providence NJ | Mindfulness Therapy New Providence NJ | Trauma-Informed Pain New Providence NJ
- Chronic Pain Therapist Mountainside NJ | Pain Reprocessing Therapy Mountainside NJ | EMDR Chronic Pain Mountainside NJ | IFS Therapy Mountainside NJ | Mind-Body Therapy Mountainside NJ
Telehealth Chronic Pain Therapy — New Jersey and Florida
- Online Chronic Pain Therapist New Jersey | Telehealth Pain Reprocessing Therapy NJ | Virtual EMDR Chronic Pain New Jersey | Online CBT Chronic Pain NJ | Remote Mind-Body Therapy New Jersey
- Telehealth Chronic Pain Therapist Florida | Online Pain Reprocessing Therapy Florida | Virtual EMDR Chronic Pain Florida | Online IFS Therapy Florida | Remote Trauma-Informed Pain Therapy Florida