Christopher Thompson, Ph.D., L.P.C., A.C.S. Licensed Psychotherapist
Providing evidence-based therapy
for trauma, anxiety, insomnia, substance use, and marital distress.
“The nurture of dialogical capacities is essential to human liberation.”
Welcome!
Thanks for stopping by! Starting therapy can come with a lot of uncertainty. How do I know if the mental health therapist I choose is the right fit? Will they understand what I’m going through? Do they have the training and experience to meet my specific needs? Can I afford therapy and how much would my insurance cover? These are all important questions to consider when finding a provider who you can feel comfortable working with.
Hopefully my page will provide some clarity and assist you in finding a mental health provider that meets you where you’re at. If you’re interested in learning more, I offer a free 15-minute virtual consultation where you can ask questions about practical concerns regarding access to care, learn my approach to therapy, and get a sense of what working with me might look like.
In the initial stages of therapy, getting to know you is my primary focus. We all come from different cultural experiences, identities, and circumstances that impact our mental health and wellbeing. Honoring your lived experience is essential to getting to know the real you. You've taken an important step in your healing journey by being curious about treatment options. I look forward to potentially meeting with you!
Online & In-Person Therapy Services Montclair, New Jersey
In-person and virtual clinical services are offered at this time. All virtual consultations and appointments are provided via a secure, HIPPA-compliant video platform.
Individual Therapy
I specialize in treating anxiety, addiction, insomnia, and trauma-related symptoms in teens and adults. If you experience low self-esteem, guilt, shame, social isolation, fears or avoidance, intrusive or racing thoughts, or difficulty sleeping, I may be a good fit to treat the difficulties in your life. During the initial stage of therapy, the goal is to collaboratively identify the core difficulties that are impacting you, as well as your treatment goals. This process can vary depending on the complexity of your distress. Thus, it’s recommended that we initially meet once a week for at least 8 sessions. Once we’ve assessed your progress, we can discuss your preference for session frequency based on how you’re feeling since initiating therapy. Research suggests that higher frequency of therapy sessions early on in treatment is associated with a faster recovery and greater likelihood of sustained mental heath improvements. Although weekly therapy is recommended to start, that may not always be feasible for some folks due to financial, work, and other demands. Session frequency can always be adjusted at the start of therapy to meet your individual needs.
Couple & Marriage Counseling
Many couples who deal with relationship conflict share one similar experience: feeling unheard or unacknowledged by their loved one. You may be angry or frustrated with your partner because you’ve been hurt or betrayed in the relationship. Or maybe the fighting and arguing persist, despite every effort you’ve made to resolve conflicts. Perhaps you feel disconnected and/or experience a lack of sexual intimacy in your relationship. All of the above challenges can be common issues that couples face. I’m passionate about helping couples (including LGBTQIA+, monogamous, and non-monogamous) effectively navigate distress and rediscover ways to rekindle their connection by cultivating empathy for one another. I have experience working with couples from diverse backgrounds across race, ethnicity, class, age, religious faiths, gender, immigration status, and sexual identity. I’ve treated couples who face a wide range of challenges, including distrust due to infidelity, problems with sexual intimacy, strained gender roles, power inequity, intimate partner violence, co-dependency, co-parenting issues, and couples who have difficulty navigating their own or a loved one’s mental health concerns. I use an emotionally-focused couples therapy approach. This involves assisting you in identifying your attachment needs in the relationship, connecting with and expressing your emotions, and helping you become more in tune with your partner’s needs so that you can relearn how to bond and feel supported in the relationship.
“An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior.”