BERGEN COUNTY MOMS

By Jessica Colucci, Psychotherapist, and Dr. Elisheva Cooper, Clinical Psychologist You just spent 30 minutes negotiating with a 7-year-old... over shoes. If every request in your house turns into a debate, take a deep breath. You are not doing it wrong. But here’s the truth: it’s not really about the shoes. Why This Keeps Happening When requests are built on negotiation, the back-and-forth only becomes more persistent. A child who gets their way just 1 time out of 10 learns

In the performance world, it’s not about avoiding setbacks; it’s about dealing with them. Nobody wants to have an injury or backtrack to correct a mistake that was made. However, having a structure and tools to learn how to reframe athletic setbacks could be the game-changer you’re missing. Follow along with me as I take you on a practical journey of life’s ups and downs and help you come back stronger and better than ever. Why Setbacks and Injuries Trigger Automatic Negative

Not sure why your teen has been so irritable, spaced out, or reclusive since school started? Managing teen back to school stress requires understanding how dramatic environmental changes impact an adolescent’s nervous system and learning targeted self-regulation strategies to support them. This is crucial in addressing the unique challenges associated with teen back to school stress. Back to school can be an exciting yet stressful time for parents and teens alike. The transit

World Mental Health Day gives schools, employers, and community groups a shared reason to talk about mental health in public. A well-run event can lower the barrier to asking for help. A poorly planned one can leave someone who discloses distress with nowhere to go. The difference is almost always in the preparation. When an event invites people to reflect on their mood, some attendees will recognize signs of adult depression, anxiety, or burnout for the first time, and they

Anxiety and OCD Are Often Confused Understanding Anxiety vs. OCD can be tricky, as both conditions often involve persistent fear, constant worrying, and cycles of “what if” questions. While they may look similar on the surface, they are driven by very different underlying patterns. You may worry constantly, check things repeatedly, or find yourself caught in cycles of “what if” questions. But how do you know whether what you’re experiencing is anxiety, obsessive-compulsive di

What Are Attachment Styles? Attachment styles describe patterns in how people experience and respond to emotional connection in relationships. These patterns can influence how comfortable someone feels with closeness, trust, vulnerability, reassurance, and independence, as well as how they respond when a relationship feels uncertain or conflict arises. Relationship experiences throughout life can contribute to these patterns and shape expectations about whether closeness feel

If the thought of morning routine battles and back-to-school meltdowns is keeping you up at night, you’re not alone. Navigating the neurodivergent back-to-school transition can feel especially overwhelming. As summer comes to an end, preparing for the neurodivergent back-to-school transition can bring a mix of excitement, anticipation, and stress for both children and parents. Neurodivergent is a term used to describe individuals whose brains process, learn, communicate, or e

If your child is struggling with back-to-school stress, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Lukin Center for Psychotherapy is here to help. Our compassionate clinicians provide support for children, teens, and families. Call us at (201) 409-0393 or visit lukincenter.com to learn more or get started. Until then, let’s dive in. Here are 10 simple ways parents can help. 1. Prioritize Sleep Children ages 6–12 generally need 9–12 hours of sleep,

Fall mental health can be influenced by much more than changing weather. As summer shifts into fall and autumn routines take shape, many families also face a return to school schedules, earlier mornings, homework, extracurricular activities, sports, social demands, work routines, and tighter household schedules. That shift back into structure can take time to adjust to, especially after the flexibility of summer. Children and teens may suddenly be managing more expectations,

Understanding mental compulsions, uncertainty, and how OCD differs from standard anxiety requires looking beyond surface-level worry. While both conditions involve fear and uncertainty, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are maintained by entirely different psychological cycles. To break free from these cycles, it isn’t enough to look at the thought itself, we have to look at what happens next. It’s Not the Thought—It’s What Happens Nex

Life can feel overwhelming, and you don't have to navigate it alone. Whether you're a parent balancing the demands of family life, a mom experiencing burnout, a couple working through relationship challenges, a family facing a difficult transition, or an individual struggling with anxiety, depression, perfectionism, or self-criticism, support is available. Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is an evidence-based therapy that helps people develop greater self-compassion, reduce e

FREE Webinar for New & Expecting Parents on July 30 Welcoming a baby brings immense joy, but it also brings a wave of challenges that catch many moms completely off guard. If you’re quietly navigating postpartum anxiety, feeling overwhelmed by mental health struggles, or dealing with the frustrating reality of pelvic floor issues that no one really warned you about, we see you, and you are not alone. To give you the real, compassionate support you deserve, the Lukin Center fo

If you’re a college student or young adult, summer can feel surprisingly heavy. Between the loss of routine, the "what am I doing with my life" thoughts, and the endless doom scrolling, it’s easy to feel directionless. Lukin Center is dedicated to continually expanding its reach in helping its clients on their journey to better days ahead. That's why they launched a brand-new summer DBT program for young adults, led by professional clinician Shoshana Levie, LCSW. This isn't j

What do gremlins have to do with parenting and kids? A gremlin is something that holds you back from having, being or doing what you want in your life. It's a limiting belief, fear, or other emotion that keeps you stuck and prevents you from making progress with what you want to accomplish. That happens in parenting as well. If you have a belief about the world or that parenting is supposed to be difficult, it will affect your relationship with your kids and keep you and

Many women are surprised to learn that mental health and pelvic floor health are closely connected, especially during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Anxiety, stress, and birth-related trauma can affect the body in ways that extend beyond emotional well-being, often contributing to physical symptoms that impact daily life. In these visuals, the Lukin Center explores the often-overlooked connection between pelvic floor health and mental well-being during pregnancy and pos

Abandonment trauma shapes the way a person relates to themselves and others long after the original experience has passed. It develops when early or repeated experiences of being left — emotionally or physically — create lasting patterns of fear, anxiety, and relational difficulty. For many people, these patterns go unrecognized for years, quietly driving relationship instability, low self-worth, and chronic emotional pain. Key Takeaways It starts early but shows up later: Ab

By Dr. Anne Marie Valinoti There are certain conversations between a woman and her doctor that cannot be rushed. In over 25 years of clinical practice, two topics that frequently concern my patients as they enter their forties and fifties are the effects of perimenopause and how to approach cancer screening as they age. The traditional doctor’s office, where time is a limited commodity, may not be conducive to having these important conversations. Practicing medicine in a sm

Couples therapy works for most people who commit to it — decades of clinical research consistently show that structured, evidence-based approaches help partners reduce conflict, rebuild trust, and strengthen emotional connection. Whether you’re facing communication breakdowns, infidelity, or growing apart over time, therapy gives couples the tools to change patterns that aren’t working. Key Takeaways Research-backed success rates: Studies show that approximately 70% of couple

A student-athlete’s mental health depends on three interconnected factors: their developmental stage, the emotional environment parents create, and how well the adults in their life respond when things get hard. Understanding all three can make the difference between a young athlete who thrives and one who quietly struggles. Key Takeaways Development drives what your child needs: Kids ages 7–11 need adults who reinforce effort and build self-esteem; teens ages 12–18 need spa

By Dr. Karen Hart Since I moved to Harley Street Medical and began scheduling longer visits with patients, I’ve noticed a shift in our conversations. They want to understand their results, not just to be told that everything looks “fine.” They’re thinking about the next decade, not just the visit in front of them. And their trust in the traditional care system — one that feels designed to minimize these conversations and get them out the door — has been evaporating. A growin