Individual Therapy
- CBT Center
- > Individual Therapy
You’re not looking for generic, one-size-fits-all. You’re looking for a clinician who knows what they’re doing, has the right tools, and actually gives a damn about your progress.
At The CBT Center, we specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the full range of approaches under its umbrella: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT). Yes, all the acronyms — because different problems call for different tools, and we have all of them.
We treat anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, trauma, PTSD, and alcohol and other substance use disorders. We see clients in person in central New Jersey and via telehealth throughout New Jersey, New York, and 40+ states through PSYPACT.
Full hour sessions. Small caseloads, by design — we want to know who our patients are. We think about you between sessions, check in when it matters, and support you on every step of your path toward change. Private pay, full fee — because this kind of care is worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Treatment at the CBT Center generally begins with a free consultation with our Founder/Director, Dr. Michelle Drapkin. She will briefly ask about your needs and see which of our therapists is a good fit for your goals. You can read about our background here. If our Center is not a good fit, we do our best to provide referrals to other trusted providers. Complete our New Patient Interest Form to get started!
CBT is intentionally goal-focused, which means we’re not trying to keep you in therapy forever. For anxiety, OCD, or a specific phobia, many people see meaningful progress in 12 to 20 sessions. More complex presentations — trauma, longstanding depression, co-occurring conditions — typically take longer. We’ll give you a real sense of timeline early on, not a vague ‘it varies.’
Our standard sessions are full 60 minutes — enough time to actually get into the work, not just warm up and wrap up. That said, we tailor session length to what makes clinical sense. Some patients benefit from shorter, more frequent sessions depending on what they’re working on. We’ll figure out the right structure for you.
CBT and its related approaches are the gold standard for anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, trauma, PTSD, and substance use. If you’ve tried therapy before and felt like you were just talking in circles — CBT is different. It’s active, skills-based, and focused on real change. If you’re not sure whether it’s the right fit, reach out. We’ll tell you honestly.
We love our office — it’s a warm, beautiful space and we love welcoming people into it. And we love meeting you where you are.
Research consistently shows that telehealth therapy produces outcomes comparable to in-person treatment for most conditions. A lot of our patients prefer it — no commute, more flexibility, easier to fit into a full life. Others do better in a dedicated space with a clear boundary between therapy and the rest of the day. We offer both and are happy to talk through what works best for you.
We see clients in person at our central New Jersey office and via telehealth throughout New Jersey, New York, and 40+ states through PSYPACT.
No. Our team are psychologists, therapists, and clinical social workers — not psychiatrists. We don’t prescribe medication, but we regularly collaborate with psychiatrists and prescribers when medication is part of the picture. We’re happy to coordinate care and make referrals when needed.
Yes — and depending on what you’re dealing with, CBT combined with medication isn’t just fine, it’s often the BEST path. For conditions like OCD, severe depression, and PTSD, research consistently shows the combination outperforms either treatment alone. Medication can help manage symptoms enough that you can actually learn and practice the CBT skills — which is the whole point. We don’t prescribe, but we regularly collaborate with psychiatrists and prescribers and will tell you honestly if we think medication is worth exploring. Good care is coordinated care.