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Christine Batra is a Licensed Associate Counselor who is an honors graduate from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently in pursuit of her professional counseling license in the state of NJ.

As a therapist, Christine believes that deep within each individual lies the potential to live a fulfilled, joyful life. However, through the rigors and challenges of life, along with maladaptive beliefs from childhood, these latent qualities lie dormant waiting to manifest. Utilizing an Integrative Psycho-therapeutic approach, Christine helps to remove emotional blocks to achieve lasting harmony and balance.

This therapeutic approach employs theory and research from Emotion Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and, when integrated, offers tailored treatment for children, adolescents, adults and couples. Her practice can assist clients who experience anxiety, depression, relationship/marital conflict, addiction, personality disorders, and/or existential inquiry and purpose.

Christine offers a supportive environment where empathy and understanding are paramount. She paces treatment on each client’s unique need in order to help them discover emotional freedom.

Janice is a psychotherapist and an eclectic individual with a broad range of experience. She believes that during the cycles of ones life - as part of the human condition - individuals are presented with challenges and conflict. At times, one can get "stuck".

Using a team approach, Janice and her clients work together in a dedicated partnership to work through distress and conflict. Janice has years of clinical experience and is continuously updating her skills.  She is comfortable with all age groups. She specializes in trauma therapy, mood disorders, conduct disorders (with adolescents), and runs both groups and workshops. Janice believes that utilizing these tools and modalities foster change and personal development.

Throughout her career, Janice has found that conflict, turmoil and personal distress respond positively to the application of various clinical modalities.

Leigh has been working with adolescents and individuals with a myriad of issues for 15 years. For 16 years she was a high school teacher for emotionally disturbed adolescents and students with autism (in addition to coaching three sports.) Five years ago, Leigh began her journey to reach beyond education and help individuals struggling with addiction and other mental health-related challenges.

She is passionate and committed to helping people who want to overcome addiction and move beyond self-defeating behaviors into a life of sobriety. In addition to addiction, Leigh works with related issues like codependency, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and self-defeating belief systems. Every client is unique, therefore, the therapeutic approaches used will vary depending upon the needs and stage of change for the client.

Leigh is compassionate and willing to help clients see the best in themselves and change their negative thought patterns. Recovery is not an easy journey, but it is one that does not have to be taken alone. Leigh will be there to support you through any stage of recovery.

Lisa is a licensed psychologist who works with children, adolescents, and adults of all ages.  She recognizes that at times anyone can experience anxiety and/or depression as they navigate through life’s challenges, whether it is struggles with school or career, relationship difficulties, parenting challenges, or coping with illness, trauma, loss, and aging. These challenges can sometimes lead to detrimental behavioral changes, especially for children and adolescents. In an atmosphere of collaboration and empathy, Dr. Farkas aims to help clients find joy in their lives, using a variety of empirically based treatment techniques.  She employs psycho-education to help clients identify negative thoughts and beliefs that create barriers to their own happiness and fulfillment. She firmly believes that most issues can be addressed in a short-term therapy model when both the client and therapist are motivated to affect change.

Cort helps his clients break unhealthy and unhelpful patterns in their lives.

He believes that being “stuck” is often due to being caught in a stagnant cycle where thoughts, actions, and feelings reinforce each other in ways that prevent a person from moving in the direction they want in their lives. Cort assists clients in discovering which part of the cycle is most accessible to them, and then helps them to focus their efforts in changing that part of the cycle in order to promote positive results in the others areas. He also helps clients discover their inner narrative, i.e., their story of Self, and works to help clients understand how powerful their story is. He supports his clients in speaking to and about themselves in positive, reaffirming ways.

Cort has a Master of Science (M.S.) in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Chestnut Hill College and is pursuing his Licensed Professional Counselor (L.P.C.) in New Jersey. He also has a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Theological Studies from Boston College and is very comfortable integrating a spiritual perspective with clients if it is their desire to do so.

Although his original bachelor’s degree was in psychology from St. Joseph’s University, Cort spent 10 years in the Information Technology field before re-directing himself into counseling.

Theresa is a licensed clinical social worker who began her career in 1992 working with caregivers of elderly and disabled people.

She has since counseled elderly people in their homes and worked with the severe and persistent mentally ill in a partial care setting.  She earned her clinical license in drug and alcohol counseling while working with individuals with co-occurring disorders.

She has built a reputation in the community as a client-centered therapist who focuses on “unconditional positive regard and the client’s unique world view.”  She has experience with various populations and mental health disorders.  Her social work background has taught her that people are predisposed to illnesses and that one’s environment plays a critical role in how these illnesses impact an individual’s life.

Theresa works with individuals, couples and families suffering from trauma, self-esteem, family crisis, and anxiety and mood disorders.  She accepts private insurance and private payment.

 

Lori interned here before choosing to practice at The Starting Point. A graduate of Neumann University, she is currently in pursuit of her professional counseling license in the state of New Jersey.

Placing high value on the dignity of the human person, Lori’s empathic approach creates a safe space for both individuals and couples. She welcomes them with compassion and understanding in their journeys towards change. Lori believes that the client is the expert of his or her life and customizes a treatment plan based on each individual’s unique therapeutic needs and goals.

Lori’s education in pastoral counseling also enables her to work with clients who want to incorporate spirituality into therapy as a holistic approach to ongoing growth and change. All spiritual beliefs and religious affiliations are honored and welcomed.