Innerspace Counseling, LLC

Innerspace Counseling, LLC NJ’s Premiere Mental Health IOP & PHP Specialist Offering Tracks for Children, Teens, and Adults. Specialty Tracks for OCD & Anxiety & Perinatal Wellness.

Brainspotting services. Consultation Services, Education & Training. Call for a FREE screening.

December mornings can feel tough. ❄️As winter break gets closer, anxiety often gets louder.Not because your child is goi...
12/20/2025

December mornings can feel tough. ❄️

As winter break gets closer, anxiety often gets louder.
Not because your child is going backward.
But because uncertainty is rising.

It can look like:
• Stomachaches
• Avoidance
• “I can’t go today.”

If you’re reassuring or negotiating more than usual, that’s not failure.
That’s parenting.

For kids with anxiety or OCD, support sometimes needs to shift.
From more reassurance to calm validation.
From less empathy to confident direction.

ERP, the gold standard treatment reminds us:
The goal isn’t to remove discomfort.
It’s to help kids move with it.

3 Helpful scripts you can use:
1. “I know this is hard, and I know you can take one small step.”
2. “Your brain is giving you an alarm, not a command.”
3. “We don’t wait to feel ready. We build readiness by moving.”

This season isn’t about pushing through.
It’s about building courage gently.
One morning at a time. 💚

➡️ Follow us for more insights and parent support
📱 Call us to learn more 732-332-8270

12/19/2025

Listen to our Director of Program Planning & QA, Melissa Maranzano, share what happens on your first call to Innerspace Counseling for our Intensive Outpatient Program and Partial Hospitalization Program.

The holidays can intensify feelings of grief, loss, and longing even when everyone else seems to be celebrating. If this...
12/18/2025

The holidays can intensify feelings of grief, loss, and longing even when everyone else seems to be celebrating. If this season feels heavy, you’re not alone 💙

At Innerspace Counseling in Old Bridge, NJ, we support individuals navigating grief at every stage. Whether you’re looking for therapy or need a higher level of care through our Intensive Outpatient Program or Partial Hospitalization Program, help is available—and we’re in network with commercial insurance plans.

Save this post 🤍 Share it with someone who may need it 🤍
Click the link in comments for full blog post

📚✨ Back-to-school after the holiday break isn’t just hard, it’s real.When routines slow down and comfort expands over th...
12/17/2025

📚✨ Back-to-school after the holiday break isn’t just hard, it’s real.

When routines slow down and comfort expands over the holidays, returning to schedules, alarms, and expectations can feel overwhelming for many students. That “comfort cliff” effect can show up as morning tears, stomachaches, resistance to getting ready, and anxiety about the day ahead, especially for kids whose nervous systems shifted into rest mode over break. 

But here’s the good news: this response is predictable and manageable. With compassion, structure, and a plan to rebuild routine step by step, students can shift from cozy back into capable. 

❤️‍🧠 If your family is navigating this transition, you’re not alone and understanding what’s happening can make all the difference.

👉 Read more: Why the Holiday Break Makes Returning to School So Hard

🔗 [link in comments]

12/15/2025

Meet our Primary Therapist Jacqueline Koren, LAC, NCC! Jackie discusses her favorite DBT skill - TIPP and why. What's your go to DBT skill?

🎉 Meet Two of the Friendly Faces Supporting Our Clients at Innerspace Counseling! 🎉We’re excited to spotlight two incred...
12/12/2025

🎉 Meet Two of the Friendly Faces Supporting Our Clients at Innerspace Counseling! 🎉

We’re excited to spotlight two incredible members of our on-site client support team: Jessica and Katie.

✨ Jessica – Front Desk Admin
Jessica is the first person you see when you enter our offices! She warmly welcomes new clients, assists with onboarding, and helps coordinate provider schedules.
And fun bonus — Jessica also decorated our beautiful office tree featured in our recent photo! 🎄💙

✨ Katie – Clinical Support Staff
Katie plays a vital role in supporting the teens in our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) in their educational groups. She collaborates with both our administrative and clinical teams, helping ensure our programs run smoothly and our clients feel supported every step of the way.

We’re so grateful for Jessica and Katie. Their compassion, dedication, and teamwork help make Innerspace Counseling a welcoming and supportive environment for all. 💛

12/12/2025

December can make anxiety feel heavier. You’re not broken, your brain is trying to protect you by steering you toward comfort. But sometimes that comfort becomes a trap. We call it the Comfort Cliff: the more relief we feel at home, the harder school feels in January.

You are not alone if…
• you avoid school because the thought of going feels overwhelming
• your stomach drops on school mornings
• you rely on reassurance to get through the day
• routines feel “required” just to function

Try this today:
• Delay a reassurance question by 2 minutes
• Approach one tiny school-related fear for 10 seconds

Hope grows each time you take one small, brave step.

Tap link in bio to start 💚
👉 Refer clients to our OCD & Anxiety Track at 732-332-8270
🌱 See how we teach ERP & mindfulness on IG

Understanding the continuum of mental health care — a must-read for providers, educators, and parents.At Innerspace Coun...
12/11/2025

Understanding the continuum of mental health care — a must-read for providers, educators, and parents.

At Innerspace Counseling we know how hard it can be for families to navigate the “levels of care” for youth mental health. That’s why our latest post, “Understanding the Levels of Mental Health Care: How to Know What Your Child Needs,” by our Director of Program Planning & Quality Assurance Melissa Maranzano breaks down outpatient therapy, IOP, PHP, and inpatient/residential treatment.

✨ Why this matters: Matching care level to the young person’s needs can significantly improve outcomes, avoiding both undertreatment and unnecessary escalation.

Whether you’re a school counselor, pediatric provider, or mental health professional, this guide offers a helpful framework for when to refer to Intensive Outpatient Program, Partial Hospitalization Program, or consider more intensive intervention.

See full blog linked in bio and comments.

12/10/2025

💚 When your feel “too big,” your body might need help before your mind does.
In this clip, Britney, one of our DBT , shares her favorite DBT skill: , especially the “intense exercise” part.

Because sometimes the fastest way to calm your mind… is to move your body.

Here’s why intense exercise works:
🌿 It burns off the adrenaline fueling
🌿 It helps your breathing slow down
🌿 It signals your that the emergency is over
🌿 It creates a sense of control when everything feels overwhelming

Try this the next time you feel flooded:
Do 20–30 seconds of fast movement: sprint in place, stairs, jumping jacks.
Pause and notice your breath shifting.
Let your body tell your brain: “I’m safe enough.”
You’re not “too much.”
Your nervous system just needs .

💚 If emotions feel overwhelming or unpredictable, our team teaches skills that help you stay grounded, steady, and in control, one small step at a time.

📲 Learn more at the link in bio
📞732-332-8270

OCD doesn’t trap people because they’re not trying hard enough.It traps them because the brain gets caught in a loop. 🧠💭...
12/09/2025

OCD doesn’t trap people because they’re not trying hard enough.
It traps them because the brain gets caught in a loop. 🧠💭

And when that loop tightens, even ERP — one of the most effective treatments — can feel overwhelming.

That’s where Brainspotting comes in.

It helps the nervous system settle…so ERP feels less like a battle, and more like a path forward. 🌿

When both approaches work together:
🌱 Exposures feel more doable
🌬️ Compulsions carry less physical urgency
🔄 Intrusive thoughts lose some of their “stickiness”
✨ Confidence grows as the brain learns a new rhythm

These aren’t quick fixes. They’re gentle shifts that help people feel less trapped and more able to breathe again.

If this brings up questions or reflections, we’d love to hear what’s coming up for you. ✨

Read the full blog post linked in bio (instagram)/comments (facebook).

12/05/2025

Progress rarely feels loud.

Whether it’s a founder or a teen, it almost always starts the same way:

- Small hard things.
- Done consistently.
- Create meaningful change.

Growth mindset isn’t a slogan. It’s a skill.
One that turns avoidance into courage, and overwhelm into something workable. 💪

At Innerspace Counseling, we see this every day.
- When someone speaks up in a group setting even though their voice is shaking a little.
- When a leader chooses to listen fully instead of rushing to solutions in a hard conversation.
- When a team member steps into an initiative just outside their comfort zone and lets themselves learn in real time. 🌱

At Innerspace Counseling, we believe in excelling in what truly matters - courage, resilience, community impact, and the willingness to grow even when it’s uncomfortable.
That’s where confidence is built.
That’s where people transform.

If you’re committed to becoming exceptional in your work, your relationships, or your purpose, you’re walking the same path we guide people through every day. 🚀

🎥View this clip from a fireside chat with some of our fearless leaders, Ajita Shah and Ira Hays.
🌟 Follow us for more insights
📲 Call us to learn more: (732) 332-8270

When Anger Tries to Speak 🗣️Anger isn’t a “bad” emotion, it’s a signal.A sign that something inside needs attention, saf...
12/04/2025

When Anger Tries to Speak 🗣️
Anger isn’t a “bad” emotion, it’s a signal.
A sign that something inside needs attention, safety, or support. 🧡

Our latest blog, by Ira Hays, LCSW, Director of Clinical Services, explores how we see this in our IOP and PHP services. At Innerspace Counseling, we help people separate feeling anger from acting on it, so life feels less reactive and more grounded. 🌱

You’re not alone. And there are tools that help. 💚

👉 Read the full blog in the comments.
➡️ Follow us for more insights
📱 Call to learn more: 732-332-8270

Address

Old Bridge, NJ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17323328270

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