About Roberta
Roberta Gelfand is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, parenting challenges, grief, trauma, and related concerns. She works with clients facing life changes, mood concerns such as bipolar and ADHD, and struggles with intimacy, eating or sleeping, anger, and self-esteem. Roberta offers straightforward and compassionate care for people who need practical support.
Her style is warm and down-to-earth. She listens closely and speaks plainly.
Background and approach
Sessions aim to identify what is getting in the way and to try small, doable changes that fit each person’s life. Roberta uses a mix of evidence-based approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness-based tools, Motivational Interviewing, and client-centered work. She adapts techniques to match a person’s goals and pace, combining short-term skills with deeper reflection when useful.
In the first meetings she focuses on clear goals and practical steps. Together she and the client map obstacles, notice unhelpful thinking or habits, and practice alternative ways of responding. Roberta emphasizes self-compassion while keeping work direct and goal-oriented.
She brings five years of clinical experience in New Jersey to her practice. Roberta aims to help people build routines that support better sleep, eating, mood, and relationships. Her approach balances problem-solving with learning to tolerate difficult feelings so clients can move forward.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions because it focuses on small steps toward a meaningful life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing patterns of thinking and behavior that keep problems going. It is practical and helpful for anxiety, mood symptoms, sleep, and eating concerns. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a nonjudgmental, collaborative relationship where the therapist listens closely and follows the person's lead to build insight and confidence.Finding the right approach is part of therapy. The therapist works with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and comfort level. That process is collaborative and can shift as trust and progress develop.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions are useful when lower bandwidth or no camera is preferred. Live chat and text messaging offer shorter check-ins or flexible ways to stay connected between sessions. These options help people fit therapy into busy lives and keep contact consistent when schedules or locations change.
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Parenting issues
Also works with
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Eating and food-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 5 years
- Licensed
- New Jersey
- Languages
- English