Our Response To The Coronavirus

Dear Clients,

To say that our nation is going through a scary and trying time would be an understatement.  The impact of the Coronavirus has and will continue to challenge and compromise all of us in some way.  While I know that there will be moments of stress, anxiety, and fear, I also know that we are incredibly strong and that we will endure and overcome this hardship.  That is a certainty!

On behalf of all Strength for Change therapists, I want you to know that as we cope with this crisis on a personal level (and tend to the safety and needs of our families), your health and wellbeing will continue to be our top priority.  This is the nature of our commitment to you, because in our hearts you are like family and we will always be there for you when needed.

As many of you probably know, Governor Murphy has signed an executive order closing all non-essential businesses in the state of New Jersey.  This order does NOT apply to the health care services we provide.   However, it does speak to the serious nature of this current public health crisis, and our need (as good citizens) to strictly adhere to all virus mitigation recommendations and mandates.

Below you will find our office policies and procedures.  Please review and read over them carefully.  Updates have been made to create extra layers of safety.  With your full cooperation, we are confident that our office will remain a safe place, and that we will be available to you in person throughout the course of this national crisis.  Particularly, should the need for mental health services increase due to the impact of mounting stress.

For the Purpose of Mitigating the Corona Virus:

1 -Switch to telephone or teletherapy appointments if you answer yes to any of the following questions (this applies to both clients and therapists):

1. • Are you experiencing any cold or flu like symptoms, particularly a cough or fever?
   • Have you had any recent (within 21-days) contact with anyone that has been diagnosed with the Corona Virus?
   • Have you had any recent (within 14 days) contact with anyone being monitored for the Corona Virus?
   • Have you recently (within 14-days) traveled outside the country?

2 -Please wait in your car (instead of the waiting room} for the start of your session. Your therapist will text you to come in when he or she is ready for the start of your session.  Once you receive your text, you can walk straight into your therapist’s office thus avoiding contact with all waiting room surfaces and other clients.

3 – The bathroom will be locked indefinitely. If you need to use the bathroom, your therapist will let you in.  This will enable us to disinfect the bathroom after each use.

4 – All office doors (except for therapy room doors) will remain open during business hours. This will enable you to enter and exit our office without touching the doorknobs, and will allow for greater air flow throughout the office.

5 – All payments need to be made electronically through your credit card or bank bill pay. No cash or checks will be accepted.

6 – All office couches will be wiped down with disinfectant prior to the start of every session.  Waiting room chairs, doorknobs, and counter tops will be wiped down with a disinfectant at the start of and multiple times throughout each day.

7 – The waiting room area will be cleared of all community use items including magazines, clipboards, and pens.

8 – Boxes of tissues, hand sanitizer (when available), and soap and water will be readily available throughout the office.

9 – Therapists will follow a no handshake policy and be mindful of maintaining a 6-foot distance from clients during sessions.

10 – Garbage cans will be emptied at the end of each workday.

11 – Our 24-hour cancellation policy is waived indefinitely. If you have any concerns regarding your health or leaving your home, you can cancel any time before your scheduled appointment.  You will not be charged for any last-minute cancellations.

For the Purpose of Stress Management:

If you feel apprehensive leaving your home (which is completely understandable under the circumstances), you are welcome and encouraged to consider the following options:

1 – Have your sessions via telephone or an online teletherapy service. You can begin this right away by letting your therapist know your preference.  Teletherapy sessions are facilitated through Doxy.me, which is HIPPA compliant and insures your privacy.  Your therapist will give you instructions for accessing this service.  It is important to note that if at some point we determine that office visits are an unreasonable risk, or if our government orders a lock down and closing of all businesses, telephone and teletherapy might be our only therapy option.

For Information About Our Teletherapy Services

2 – Suspend your therapy for a time. We can schedule you for a later date and resume therapy should circumstances improve by the scheduled date.  As time goes on, we will continue to change our policies and procedures in order to adhere with the most up-to-date information and response guidelines provided by the CDC and other government agencies responsible for public safety.

Please take good care of yourselves, your families, and communities.  I look forward to seeing everyone safe and healthy over the next few months.

Sincerely – Bernard Ivin, LCSW

Counseling & Therapy Centers

We are a team of compassionate, knowledgeable, and highly skilled therapists specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). We help clients overcome depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other life difficulties in the pursuit of living more successful and happy lives.

Strength for Change (SFC) was founded by Bernard Ivin, LCSW in 2001. His mission was to train and support other therapists in the practice of CBT and make the therapy more readily available within the Mount Arlington & Wayne, NJ communities.  His passion for CBT comes from his own application of the therapy in overcoming personal difficulties and witnessing its transformative power in the lives of his clients.

If you are a parent seeking services for your child, please download our free parent handbook.  Whether you bring your child to SFC or another treatment provider, our handbook will assist you in obtaining the most appropriate care for your child.

A Parent’s Handbook:

The Essential Guide To Obtaining Counseling Services For Your Child

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT has been researched perhaps more than any other psychological therapy.  It is an evidence-based therapy proven highly effective in the treatment of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and many other mental health conditions.  Please visit the National Institute of Mental Health website (www.nimh.com) to learn more about CBT and the importance of evidence-based mental health treatments.

CBT was developed in the 1960’s by Dr. Aaron T. Beck out of the University of Pennsylvania. It is based on the idea that our thoughts determine our emotional and behavioral reactions, and that by learning to control our thoughts we are able to feel good and do good in the pursuit of our life’s goals.

CBT teaches clients how to become their own therapist capable of using a variety of coping strategies to effectively manage their emotional and behavioral reactions. Clients learn skills and strategies for restructuring negative thought patterns, generating self-motivation, changing unhealthy behaviors, and cultivating a “solution-focused” lifestyle. To see if CBT is the right therapy for you, please call us to get more information or to schedule a therapy session or mental health screening at our Mount Arlington or Wayne, NJ office locations.

Motivation-Focused Therapy for Anxiety, Depression & More

The field of psychology has made many advances over the past two decades. From talk therapy to medications and holistic treatments, doctors, and therapists now have a much better understanding of how to effectively treat mental health conditions. Despite these advances, many people still struggle.  Why?

For any therapy to be effective, the individual receiving it must be an active participant in the treatment process.  Simply put, the best treatment plan means nothing without the client’s motivation for implementing it.

Unfortunately, most mental health conditions impair an individual’s motivation for school, work, social life, and self-care. When family and friends try to intervene, they are frustrated by the individual’s lack of responsiveness and view it as a willful act of resistance. Once the individual’s support system is frustrated in this way conflicts arise, and the individual’s mental health gets worse.

At Strength for Change (SFC), we have a treatment model that accounts for the individual’s impaired motivation. Our guiding principle is that we are responsible for helping clients cultivate the motivation that is needed for treatment success. With this in mind, we have developed numerous motivational strategies that are implemented throughout the treatment process.

Individualized & Evidence-Based Treatment

While we specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, we do not have a one size fits all approach to therapy. Instead, we match our therapeutic approach to the client’s symptoms, diagnosis, age, personality, and level of motivation.

This Individualized approach is based on the American Psychiatric Associations Best Practices Guidelines which advocates the use of evidence-based therapies. For example, anxiety disorders are treated with individual CBT, while ADHD is treated with a combination of academic coaching and family therapy. The condition is matched to the therapy that is proven most effective in its treatment.

In addition to raising the effective of therapy, our individualized approach also helps the client feel more deeply understood and valued. These feelings enhance the trust and collaboration between the client and therapist, and make for a more worthwhile therapy experience.

Committed to Providing Exceptional Care

We are committed to providing our clients with the highest quality of care and service possible. This is not just a slogan that appears on our letterhead, but rather a self-imposed expectation that we strive to achieve with every client interaction. This is evident in many ways including our commitment to specialized training, ongoing peer supervision, and the use of client feedback forms. Read our reviews to get a sense of how clients feel about their experience at Strength for Change!