Not currently taking on new patients.
Is your child anxious, withdrawn, or prone to moodiness and melt-downs?
Is your child struggling with social cues or peer relationships?
Is your child having difficulties with following instructions, maintaining structure, or transitioning from one task to the next?
Are you up at night worrying because your child is receiving negative feedback from school?
Do you wonder if your child suffers from ADD, ADHD, low self-esteem, anxiety or depression?
It is incredibly painful to watch our children struggle...
It is heartbreaking to want to help, but not know what to do...
We all want to do the very best for our children- but sometimes it is not clear what that is.
Here at Clifton Psychotherapy Associates we can help you make sense of the difficulties your child is experiencing and make a comprehensive game plan to address them. We tailor our services to meet your family's needs and facilitate your child's success from the inside out.
Our child and adolescent specialist, Joanna Buset, LPC, is dedicated to fully understanding your individual child's strengths and weaknesses. Joanna never uses cookie cutter approaches or labels children as if they were " a diagnosis" instead of a vibrant, multifaceted human being. Joanna is an experienced therapist who is also a mother, and really "gets" how important it is to look at the whole picture.
Like all Clifton Psychotherapy Therapists she views medication as a last resort, and believes in combining as many natural approaches as possible to help your child develop the skills to navigate life in an age-appropriate, well-adjusted way. If your child is already taking medication, she will work with you to add in other therapies so that dosages can be kept as low as possible, or possibly reduced further and discontinued.
Joanna is trained in a wide variety of child-oriented therapy approaches.
With younger children she often uses play therapy to help children express their fears and worries, communicate their needs, develop confidence, overcome frustration, improve impulse control and develop better social skills. She is extremely warm and personable and children generally look forward to their sessions. Children usually love coming to play therapy because it is truly fun!
Slightly older children may also be encouraged to make a picture journal of their feelings or difficult life experiences, use art to express themselves, act out interpersonal difficulties as if they were in a play, or practice creative stress relieving exercises that help with better mood regulation and focus.
Adolescents are helped to articulate their feelings, build self-esteem, improve body image (often an issue- especially for girls!) and navigate the difficulties of peer relationships.
Joanna is a strong believer in the importance of the parent-child relationship, and will help you learn to tailor your parenting responses to your child's specific challenges.
Since YOU live with your children 24/7, she aims to empower you with skills that will improve your relationship and your ability to shape their moods and behavior.
What kind of skills can Joanna help you- the parent- tweak?
* If your child has experienced trauma or is temperamentally anxious, you may need help learning to validate your child's feelings while providing a sense of security and calm. It can be difficult to truly feel for your child, yet not let your own worry get in the way of healthy processing and problem solving.
* If your child has attention or behavioral difficulties, you may need help assessing appropriate expectations, modeling and teaching self-regulation techniques, and creating incentives for target behaviors that are realistic and maintainable.
* If you grew up in a household with high conflict, you may find it helpful to review healthy communication skills and learn techniques for ensuring your child feels valued and understood. Healthy communication can prevent small issues from escalating and interfering with the warm, “happy place” feelings that should mostly permeate family time.
* If you lack assertiveness or are unsure of the right way to speak with your child’s teachers, Joanna can help you advocate for your child and facilitate better home- school cooperation.
Joanna loves helping children and adolescents! She attends ongoing professional workshops, reads current research on children's issues, and has a strong interest in integrative approaches. She is able to knowledgably discuss possible natural supplements that may be of help, and will never make light of new approaches you may want to explore. She is also educated on related issues such as sensory integration difficulties, and can make appropriate referrals when needed.
As a member of the team, Joanna is also very familiar with the neurofeedback techniques offered in our office, and can work in tandem with our neurofeedback technicians as desired. Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback which naturally trains the brain to better regulate itself for improved mood, attention and impulse control. it is especially helpful for anxiety and ADHD. It is like physical therapy for the brain- training weaker areas to work harder and stronger.
Please call our office today to get your child on the road to a healthier, more well-adjusted future.
973-815-0777, ext. 101. Please let our office manager know that you would like your child to be seen by Joanna Buset, LPC
We will NEVER judge you or your child- we are hear to provide insight, understanding, problem-solving tools and help!