Adults: Wake up, go to school/work, come home, cook, clean, watch TV, go to bed. Repeat. Your life has become a redundant cycle of endless responsibilities that you can never catch up to. You survive paycheck to paycheck, sick and tired of those bills piling up in your mailbox. Everything has become so expensive. You may be trying to establish a family or have a family you need to take care of. You know you need to manage your social relationships but barely have time for yourself. You are so stressed about needing to figure everything out all the time; you can never relax because you are always thinking about what you need to do next. Then, the years are flying by and you are anxious about running out of the time to meet those deadlines you initially planned out for your life. You are getting older—your body feels different and your mindset on the world is changing. Your loved ones are getting older with you. You are scared because you feel like you are losing a sense of who you used to be, after getting so lost in all that needs to get done.

 

Adolescents/Teens: Have you been feeling lost with your life lately? You’re craving to have a healthy school-work-life balance but don’t know how to get it. You either may be flooded with school assignments that you can never catch up to or would rather scroll on your phone instead of getting the work done. You don’t know who your true friends are and suddenly you’re feeling lonelier than ever when you want to hangout with someone. You may be walking around the halls of school sleep deprived, annoyed, depressed, and anxious, wondering why your middle school and/or high school years are taking an eternity to finish. You stopped caring about what you’re eating and wearing. You don’t like yourself and you’re surrounded by obnoxious classmates who act like they have it all figured out. You try picturing your future as an adult and think, “Is it always going to be like this?” You’re having a hard time expressing your feelings to loved ones you trust, but feel like they wouldn’t listen to you anyways.

 

Parents: You start to recognize that your adolescent/teen is really struggling during this critical time of their lives. Your adolescent/teen is spending an excessive time in their rooms; you try to get them out of there to spend time with them, but it’s like pulling their teeth. Your adolescent/teen is increasingly irritable. They are always giving an attitude to everything, including the smallest things such as asking them what they want to eat for dinner. You see your adolescent/teen experimenting with their image, but they are never content with themselves. They are overwhelmed with school, tired of dealing with people, and anxious about the future. It has become almost unbearable to watch your adolescent/teen go through this rough time, and you can’t do it anymore. You may start to question how effective your parenting is. You want to help, but don’t know how. 

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I help adults, teens, and adolescents establish self-compassion, where they learn to feel confident enough in themselves that everything will turn out okay. My clients will experience an insightful journey of empowerment that will lead them to being more positive, self-loving, and hopeful for the future. Together, we can tackle any concerns or worries that feel like they cannot be done alone. By doing therapy, adolescents and teens have my priority in being listened to, supported, and understood.  To the parents—your adolescent/teen is in good hands. They will learn to address their emotions, communicate to you more effectively, and continue growing as the extraordinary individuals you know them to be. As for the adults: you become masterful in enjoying the present, putting yourself first more often, and setting necessary boundaries without feeling guilty about it.

 

I am a warm, bubbly person who would relieve any fears or discomfort my clients may feel during the therapeutic process. Therapy does not always have to be serious; we will have the occasional laughs, board game fun, and discussion of any interests/hobbies. I believe if you cannot bond with your therapist about the little things, it will be difficult to discuss the more serious circumstances. Once trust is established, we will gradually dive into issues at your pace and get to the root of it all to resolve them. Our therapeutic relationship will be perceptive with a twist of enthusiasm while having me by your side!

 

I am a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling from Centenary University. I have a diverse professional background in counseling, crisis intervention, leadership, non-profit, childcare, and sales. My specialties include anxiety, depression, anger, ADHD, relationship issues, school/work stress, childhood/family issues, and identity issues. I work with clients from ages 11 and up using the following approaches: psychodynamic therapy, CBT, conflict resolution, attachment theory, psychoeducation, mindfulness, existentialism, identity development, communication skills, and boundary setting. I also fluently speak English, Bosnian, and Croatian. I look forward to providing you with a healing and satisfying therapy experience.

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If you are ready to find the support that you need, please feel free to contact our office at (201)-749-1750 to schedule an initial session. We can also do a 15 minute consultation to address any discuss if you think we'd be the right fit to work together.