Bernard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with extensive knowledge and experience in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in treating numerous mental health conditions. To date, Bernard has treated over 1200 clients.
Bernard’s passion for CBT started when he was in his twenties and struggling with personal difficulties. Through his application of CBT, Bernard overcame his challenges and achieved many of his life’s goals. In the process, he gained a deep empathy for the pain and suffering of others and became an advocate for CBT and the importance of evidence-based mental health treatments.
Bernard has extensive training in CBT and was fortunate to receive some of his training from two of the therapy’s founders, Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis (Rational Emotive Therapy).
Bernard founded Strength for Change in 2001 to train other therapists in CBT and make the therapy more readily available within the communities he served.
Bernard has authored the following materials: A Parent’s Handbook: The Essential Guide To Obtaining Counseling Services For Your Child, Relationship Centered Parenting, and The 1-2-3 Succeed Program – Helping The Capable, But Disorganized & Unmotivated Student. His 1-2-3 Succeed Program is currently being piloted at a NJ school district with the hope that it will be as effective in the classroom as it is in the therapy setting.
Personal Statement
“After two-plus decades in private practice, I have learned that the human spirit is strong, resilient, and capable of greatness. It is this knowledge that keeps me eternally optimistic. Given the opportunity, I will do everything I can to help you discover this truth.”
Credentials
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of New Jersey
- Masters in Clinical Social Work, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
- BA, Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA
- Certified Clinical Supervisor
- Certified School Social Worker, State of New Jersey
- Certified Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapist
- Extensive Training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Extensive Training in Substance Abuse & Addiction Treatment
- Extensive Training in Interpersonal & Marital Therapy
Relevant Work Experiences
20-plus Years of Clinical Experience
- 2001-Present: Program Director, Clinician, Strength for Change, LLC, Mt. Arlington, NJ
- Clinician, Family Services of Morris County, Flanders, NJ
- Student Assistance Coordinator, Mountain Lakes & Randolph School Districts, NJ
- Crisis Counselor, New York City Board of Education, Bronx, NY
- Mental Health Associate, Fair Oaks Hospital, Summit, NJ
Clients
- Individual, Couples, & Family Treatment
- Adolescents/Teenagers (10 to 17) and Their Families
- Adults (18 to 75)
Presenting Difficulties
- Depression (Major Depression, Dysthymia, Bi-Polar Disorder)
- Anxiety (Social Anxiety, General Anxiety, Phobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Sexual Abuse, Natural Disasters, Accidents, the Death of a Loved One)
- ADHD (Inattentive Type, Hyperactive Type, Combined Type)
- Eating Disorders (Anorexia, Bulimia)
- Substance Abuse Disorders (All Forms of Addictive Behavior)
- Marital Problems
- Life Stressors (Family, Academic/Learning, Social, Employment, and Developmental Problems)
Treatment Philosophy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Supplemental Therapies
- Motivational Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy
- Gottman Marital Therapy
- Family & Parent Coaching Therapy
- Network Therapy for the Treatment of Substance Abuse
- Motivational Interviewing
* Please note that our therapists are independent contractors and not employees of Strength for Change, LLC. Each therapist is independently licensed and insured and takes sole responsibility for their clients and the quality of care.
