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.

🎉 Congrats Gabriela Valentino, LCSW! 🎉We’re thrilled to share that Gabriela (Gaby) Valentino has officially earned her L...
11/21/2025

🎉 Congrats Gabriela Valentino, LCSW! 🎉

We’re thrilled to share that Gabriela (Gaby) Valentino has officially earned her LCSW credential, a milestone that reflects her heart, discipline, and the way she continually shows up for the people she supports.

Gaby is known for her dedication, warmth, and unwavering commitment to the people she supports. She’s always learning, always refining her skills, and always finding new ways to help clients feel seen, understood, and supported.

Whether she’s sitting with someone one-on-one or guiding a group, Gaby brings calm, clarity, and genuine care. Her impact is felt every day in the small breakthroughs, the hard moments, and the quiet progress that defines meaningful change.

We’re so proud to have her on the Innerspace team and excited for all the lives she’ll continue to positively impact.

💚 Join us in congratulating her on this significant professional accomplishment. 💚

Mindfulness isn’t about being calm 💚A lot of us were taught that mindfulness means “relax, quiet your mind, feel peacefu...
11/20/2025

Mindfulness isn’t about being calm 💚

A lot of us were taught that mindfulness means “relax, quiet your mind, feel peaceful.”
But that’s not true, and it can make you think you’re failing the moment anxiety shows up.

Real mindfulness is simply being present without judging what you feel, even when your body is loud and your thoughts are intense.

Think of it like standing in the middle of a busy street.
You don’t have to stop the traffic.
You just have to notice it’s there.

When you stop trying to force calm, something shifts.
You start giving yourself space.
You stop fighting your feelings.
You move through moments instead of getting stuck in them.

Mindfulness isn’t about changing your state.
It’s about staying connected to yourself inside it.

💚 If this feels new or hard, that’s okay. Most people learn it for the first time in treatment.

You’re not behind. You’re just beginning.

📖 We just published a blog by our Clinical Director Ira Hays, LCSW, for anyone who wants to go deeper. Check it out in our comments as it breaks down what mindfulness really is and why it matters so much in treatment.

📞 Call us: 732-332-8270
🟩 Follow us for more insights

School avoidance rarely comes from opposition.More often, it’s a child’s nervous system saying, “I don’t feel safe right...
11/19/2025

School avoidance rarely comes from opposition.
More often, it’s a child’s nervous system saying, “I don’t feel safe right now.” 💚

If your child has morning melt downs, stomachaches, or begs to stay home, you’re not dealing with a “bad attitude.”
You’re seeing a scared, overwhelmed brain trying its best to cope.

OCD and anxiety in kids can look like fear, panic, stomachaches, tears, intrusive thoughts, or a quiet shutdown where everything suddenly feels “too much.”
ERP helps children rebuild confidence by facing small fears, resisting rituals, and learning that they they’re stronger than they feel in the moment.

And today, we’re proud to highlight someone on our amazing team who makes that support feel possible.

Meet Jackie, one of our superstars, specializing in ERP.

Jackie has a way of meeting kids exactly where they are with her steady, compassionate, and patient in the moments when everything feels hard.

She helps children turn “I can’t” into “I did it,” one small exposure at a time.

With the right support, kids can get back to school and back to themselves, one small step at a time.

👉 Call to learn more: 732-332-8270
🌱 Follow us for more insights

If the changing season is affecting your mood, you’re not alone.When daylight fades and cold settles in, many adults fee...
11/19/2025

If the changing season is affecting your mood, you’re not alone.

When daylight fades and cold settles in, many adults feel their energy dip.
Motivation shifts. Moods feel heavier. Even simple things require more effort.

None of this means you’re failing.
It just means you’re human, moving through a season that asks more of your mind and body.

Here are a few gentle reminders as you move through this time of year:

🍂 Your energy might dip. That’s real, not laziness
🍂 You may need more rest and fewer commitments
🍂 Light, movement, and routine can help stabilize mood
🍂 Reaching out for support is a strength, not a burden
🍂 You deserve to care for yourself without guilt

If this season is feeling especially tough, you don’t have to manage it alone. Innerspace offers supportive IOP and PHP services with evidence-based treatment for depression and seasonal struggles helping you regain balance, even in the darker months.

You deserve brightness, even during the darkest months. 💛

🌟 New Blog for Parents 🌟Middle school can feel like an emotional rollercoaster for kids and parents.The good news? You c...
11/17/2025

🌟 New Blog for Parents 🌟

Middle school can feel like an emotional rollercoaster for kids and parents.

The good news? You can support your child at home with simple, research-backed Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills we teach in our adolescent programs.

In our latest blog, you’ll learn how to:
✨ Help your child name and understand their feelings
✨ Create a “pause plan” before big reactions
✨ Build a personalized coping toolbox
✨ Validate emotions while setting healthy boundaries
✨ Know when DBT therapy might be helpful

With the right tools, middle school doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Together, you can build confidence, resilience, and emotional control.

👉 Read the full blog: Link in comments ⬇️
🧠 For more insights, follow us.
📲 Want to speak to someone about DBT? We’re here to help.

Every time we face a fear (even in the smallest way), confidence grows.That’s the power of ERP. 💪🏼It’s not about doing b...
11/14/2025

Every time we face a fear (even in the smallest way), confidence grows.

That’s the power of ERP. 💪🏼

It’s not about doing big scary things all at once.
It’s about approaching instead of avoiding, one “small hard thing” at a time.

Today we’re proud to highlight Britney, one of our amazing ERP-trained specialists, whose compassionate and empowering approach is helping clients turn those “small hard things” into real progress.

Small hard things build confidence. 💚

If you or your child struggle with OCD, school anxiety, emetophobia, or panic, our ERP specialists are here to help.

📞 Call us to learn more at 732-332-8270.
🌱 Follow us for more insights

When your child says, “You just don’t get it."Pause.Take a breath.Try: “You’re right, I might not get it but I can tell ...
11/14/2025

When your child says, “You just don’t get it."

Pause.

Take a breath.

Try: “You’re right, I might not get it but I can tell this really matters to you.” 💚

That’s validation, the foundation of healing in DBT.

Our new blog, “DBT as a Bridge Between Parents and Clinicians,” shares how families can use acceptance and change to strengthen connection and communication together.

📖 Read the full blog in the comments.
📲 Call 732-332-8270 or DM “DBT” to learn more.
🌱 Follow us for more insights.

Mindfulness isn’t about clearing your mind. 🧘‍♀️In DBT, mindfulness means:• Noticing your thoughts and feelings• Naming ...
11/13/2025

Mindfulness isn’t about clearing your mind. 🧘‍♀️

In DBT, mindfulness means:
• Noticing your thoughts and feelings
• Naming what’s happening right now
• Letting go of judgment

Try this today:
• Pause. Notice one sound around you.
• Name it (bird sounds, traffic, laughter).
• Let it pass without judgment.

Mindfulness is about practice, not perfection.

💚 Our DBT program starts here. One calm breath, one small step at a time.

💬 How do you bring yourself back to the present?

📲 Call 732-332-8270 to learn more.
🌱 Follow Innerspace Counseling, LLC for more ways to find calm.

More moms are saying, ‘I don’t feel like myself anymore.’ 😞You’re not imagining it. A national study found fewer mothers...
11/12/2025

More moms are saying, ‘I don’t feel like myself anymore.’ 😞

You’re not imagining it. A national study found fewer mothers today describe their mental health as excellent.

You are not alone if you’ve felt:
• Numb instead of joyful
• Anxious about everyday tasks
• Guilt for needing help 🌱

Try this today:
• Take one deep breath before scrolling news
• Text someone: “Can we talk for five minutes?”
• Remind yourself: This is temporary; support helps

Even strong needs a place to heal. 💪🏼

💚 Our Perinatal Wellness Program offers intensive mental health treatment with perinatal-trained clinicians, both virtually and in-person.

📲 Our team offers free phone screenings to help you find the right level of care w/no commitment, just a conversation.
🌿 Check out our latest blog on this topic in the comments.

The only way out of fear… is through. 💚 Picture this —your shoulders drop, one breath at a time,as you stand near someth...
11/11/2025

The only way out of fear… is through. 💚
Picture this —your shoulders drop, one breath at a time,
as you stand near something you’ve been avoiding.

You don’t run. You stay.
Your brain whispers, I can handle this.

That’s Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) —
tiny, brave steps that build confidence. 🌱✨
Small hard things, practiced gently, create big change.

Think about one thing you’ve been avoiding.
Take the smallest step toward it today.
Then notice, you’re stronger than you think. 💪

What’s one fear you faced this week? 🏔

💬 DM “ERP” or call 732-332-8270 for support.

“You can’t pour from an empty cup — but too many of us keep trying anyway.”This week, our CEO and Founder Ajita Shah LPC...
11/08/2025

“You can’t pour from an empty cup — but too many of us keep trying anyway.”

This week, our CEO and Founder Ajita Shah LPC, NCC, ACS, PMHC took the stage at the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) Convention to talk about something every educator and helping professional needs to hear -- Compassion Fatigue in the Classroom.

She didn’t just share research — she shared truth.
The truth about what happens when your heart gives endlessly but your energy runs dry.
The truth about burnout hiding behind “I’m fine.”
And the truth about how to rest, recover, and rise again.

Because caring deeply shouldn’t cost you your peace. 💚
Because empathy deserves boundaries. 🧡
Because recovery is not weakness — it’s wisdom. 💙

To every educator and helping professional who showed up — thank you for showing up for you. 🌿

Let this be your sign. You’re allowed to refill your cup. ☕

Tell us — what’s one way you give yourself grace? 💬

Long weekends sound amazing, right?Until Monday hits — and your child’s school anxiety feels brand new again.That’s not ...
11/07/2025

Long weekends sound amazing, right?
Until Monday hits — and your child’s school anxiety feels brand new again.

That’s not regression.
That’s how anxiety works.

➡️ Every day at school builds courage.
➡️ Every day away gives anxiety a little room to grow.

In our new blog, Ira Hays, LCSW, Director of Clinical Services at Innerspace Counseling, explains why this happens — and what parents can do to keep progress steady.

No jargon.
Just real, practical tools that help.

👉 Read it in the comments.

P.S. Do long weekends throw your child’s routine off too? How do you help them get back on track?

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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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