When talking about art as therapy, it can be difficult to conceptualize the idea if not versed in the medium. For most of us, our core memories of using art lie with school or play, a sense of long lost childhood that may appear forgotten, intangible. As adults, the...
Little Falls Office Therapists
Our licensed professionals bring with them deep clinical experience and a wealth of knowledge from their prior therapeutic settings. Please scroll down to learn more about each therapist. Most therapists offer virtual as well as in-person sessions.
Freda Martin, LCSW
Clinical Supervisor
With many years of experience in the mental health field including Director at the Carrier Clinic, Belle Meade, and Lead Social Worker and Clinical Supervisor at Hackensack University Medical Center.
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Freda Martin specializes in medical psychology, assisting people to enjoy their lives regardless of their medical limitations. Ms. Martin uses an eclectic approach, including cognitive behavioral therapy techniques (CBT), to help people make positive changes in how their thoughts and feelings impact behavior patterns. These techniques, either in individual or group therapy, help people resolve issues that may interfere with daily functioning and enjoyment, such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and bereavement. Freda’s style involves forming a partnership with her patients while working on positive reframing of how they view their world.
Sara Shapiro, LCSW
Clinical Supervisor
Sara Shapiro is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her Master’s degree in Social Work, with a concentration in Family dynamics, from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Sara’s professional style when working with individuals, couples, families and groups is supportive, empathic and non-judgemental.
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She incorporates a strength based, client-centered approach with her clients. Sara utilizes multiple treatment modalities including cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, solution focused therapy, motivational interviewing and systems theory. Sara’s experience includes working with a diverse population including children and families involved in custody disputes, individuals with dementia and their caregivers, and people grieving the loss of a loved one. Sara’s currently treats clients presenting with anxiety, depression, parenting issues, trauma, grief, relationship issues, executive functioning difficulty, life transitions, intergenerational issues, fertility journeys and caregiver stress. Sara values creating a safe space to empower her clients as they navigate their personal life journeys.
Erin Mickelwaite, LSW
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Erin Mickelwaite is a Licensed Social Worker who received her master’s from Rutgers University School of Social Work. With over a decade of experience, Erin believes in creating a warm, non-judgemental space in which clients can feel safe to share their concerns and struggles.
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She treats anxiety, OCD, grief, depression, relational issues and life transitions. She has experience working with older adults, adults, adolescents and families using a trauma-informed, holistic approach. Erin draws on her training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy along with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness and a psychoanalytic approach to help clients gain awareness and insight that leads to feeling better. As a former massage therapist and yoga teacher, Erin works with a mind-body awareness approach that seeks to facilitate inclusion of the whole person. Having facilitated and participated in women’s circles over the past decade, Erin also has a particular interest in helping women through the perinatal and postpartum period with the myriad of new challenges and identity shifts that parenthood brings. When appropriate, Erin also uses a neurodiversity-affirming approach that seeks to empower neurodivergent individuals through fostering acceptance and understanding.
Brandon Lee, LSW
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Brandon is a Licensed Social Worker who received his Master’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers University and is also a professional life coach with certification from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. Brandon works with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, chronic illness, grief, trauma, work/life challenges and life transitions.
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He believes in a holistic and conversational approach to create a non-judgmental space where clients can feel seen, heard, and understood. Brandon treats a broad range of clients including young adults, adults, and older adults, in a variety of formats including individual therapy, as well as Family and Couples Counseling. He also specializes in the treatment of both teens and adults with ADHD. Brandon uses elements from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness and Person-Centered Therapy, in addition to coaching techniques, to support client progress.
Ashley Banks, LAC, Ed.S.
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Ashley Banks is a Licensed Associate Counselor. After obtaining her Masters in Counseling and an Educational Specialist Degree in Professional Counseling, Ashley worked with various age populations spanning from children to adults. Her specialty is in counseling young children and adolescents.
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Ashley’s work can best be described as hands-on and interactive, utilizing techniques from play therapy during which the child is a hands-on participant in the session often utilizing toys and art for emotional expression. With teens, Ashley’s approach focuses strongly on emotional processing and borrows theory from ACT and CBT to help correct and maintain healthy thought processing. Ashley takes a holistic approach to counseling and understands the mind – body connection and helps her clients and their families opt for healthy lifestyle choices that aims for wellness both for the mind and body. Areas of specialty include anxiety disorders, depression, emotional dysregulation, ADHD, behavioral problems, academic concerns, crisis intervention, family issues including but not limited to grief and divorce and survivors of abuse.
Frank Jacob, LSW
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Frank is a Licensed Social Worker who earned his Master’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. Frank works with individuals and couples struggling with functioning and emotional regulation difficulties. Frank is a caring, empathetic therapist who believes each individual has their own unique story to tell. Using a supportive, inquisitive approach, he meets individuals where they are to help people discover themselves, so they can begin to move forward.
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With the Person-in-Environment (PIE) theory perspective in mind, Frank understands that, although we are individuals, we are connected to and affected by our interactions with others and our environment, both past and present.
Prior to his therapeutic work, Frank was an educator working with teens and caregivers in and out of the classroom. This unique perspective and life experience enables him to connect with both teens and adults in various stages of life.
Frank utilizes Psychotherapy approaches that involve aspects from Person-centered therapy, Interpersonal psychotherapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and mindfulness to help individuals grow and reconnect to themselves and to others.
Marie Mazzola, LAC
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Marie Mazzola is a Licensed Associate Counselor who earned her Master’s in Professional Counseling and Education Specialist degrees from Seton Hall University. With a deep commitment to providing compassionate care, Marie works alongside clients to navigate their unique experiences in a warm, open-minded, and non-judgmental space. Drawing from a Person-
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Centered Theory (PCT) approach, she helps clients address challenges such as anxiety, depression, intimacy and attachment concerns, life transitions, grief, and trauma.
Marie is passionate about supporting others in transforming obstacles into opportunities for personal growth, empowering them to tap into their innate strengths and abilities. Before transitioning to her counseling profession, she developed valuable management expertise in a Fortune 50 environment, where she assisted individuals with work-life balance and career development. This background allows her to offer a holistic, empathetic approach to each client’s journey, helping them achieve a healthier, more balanced life.
Brigitt Yermakov, LAC, ATR-P
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Brigitt is a Licensed Associate Counselor and Provisional Art Therapist dedicated to supporting clients on their journey toward healing and self-discovery. She earned her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an Art Therapy specialization from Caldwell University.
Brigitt has experience working in a variety of settings, including psychiatric hospitalization,
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community outreach, and PHP/IOP levels of care. Her therapeutic approach is grounded in person-centered, existential, and psychodynamic theories, allowing for a flexible and intuitive process that meets each client where they are. She does not believe in pressuring clients or forcing change—rather, she trusts that whatever emerges in a session is what is necessary for that moment.
Brigitt specializes in working with individuals navigating anxiety, depression, self-esteem challenges, ADHD, LGBTQ+ identity exploration, and life adjustments. She takes a holistic perspective, integrating mind, body, and spirit while honoring authenticity, creativity, and a trusting relationship as powerful tools for healing. Her goal is to provide a welcoming, supportive space where clients feel safe to explore emotions, learn coping skills, deepen self-awareness, and uncover their unique path forward.
Brigitt works with children, adolescents, and adults, striving to nurture each client’s inner compass and empower them to navigate life’s challenges with clarity, purpose, and resilience. She looks forward to walking alongside her clients on their journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
Alexa Gelfand, LSW
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Alexa Gelfand is a licensed social worker who earned her Master’s degree in Social Work at Rutgers University. She provides one-on-one psychotherapy to adolescents, adults, couples, and families using a Family Systems modality and a strengths-based approach.
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She treats clients struggling with depression and anxiety resulting from interpersonal and attachment issues, as well as trauma, grief, loss, mood disorders, addiction-related issues, LGBTQ+ issues, and other mental health challenges. Alexa’s experience includes crisis counseling, case management, and work at a crisis hotline in non-profit community settings, as well as partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient (IOP) mental health group programs for adults with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. When working with clients, she takes a collaborative approach, helping her clients identify goals and tailors a course of treatment formed from various theoretical models, including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, attachment-focused therapy, and relational and systems perspectives. Alexa believes that providing her clients with an empathetic and safe therapeutic environment will promote growth, healing, and an enhanced sense of well-being as well as emotional recovery.
Grace Santangelo, LAC
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Grace, a Licensed Associate Counselor, earned her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Montclair State University. She specializes in working with preteens, teens, and young adults, providing a safe and supportive space where clients can show up as they are—without judgment or pressure.
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Grace uses a person-centered approach, incorporating evidence-based therapies such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), tailoring each session to fit the unique needs of the individual. Her experience in Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) settings has allowed her to support individuals during some of their most difficult moments.
Grace works collaboratively to foster confidence and a sense of control in her clients on their journey. She believes that therapy isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about learning how to move forward, even when the path feels unclear. She maintains that life can often feel like navigating a dense forest—sometimes the path is clear, and other times, it’s easy to feel lost, unsure of which direction to take. With warmth, guidance, and the right tools, she helps individuals find their way through life’s challenges.
Recent Blog Posts
Read what some of our therapists have been thinking about…
Social Media’s Effects on Mental Health Stigma
As part of my senior project this semester at Muhlenberg College, I had the opportunity to investigate social media’s effect on mental health stigma (understood as negative attitudes and biases towards people with mental illness and/or those in treatment). My research...
How and Why Group Therapy Works
Efficacy of Group Therapy I https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/11/power According to the American Psychological Association (APA), recent research suggests that group therapy works as well as individual therapy. Group therapy helps people heal as it allows people to...
To Schedule An Appointment
If you are interested in scheduling an appointment, fill out our Appointment Request form. We will work together to set you up with the right therapist at a time that works for you.