CBT Center

"We work together on what matters to you." We are a small private practice who utilizes state-of-the-art treatments to help.

The Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) Center provides individual and couples therapy and focuses on evidence-based practices, including CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. We specialize in stress, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.

02/13/2026

You deserve a brain that feels safe to come home to. It would be our honor to help. 💙

Curious about starting CBT with our 5-star team? Fill out the patient interest form on CBTCenter.org under the tab "Work With Us". We’d love to see if we’re a good fit for what you’re looking for.

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02/11/2026

Expert Care, Human Connection 💙

Our clinicians are experts with credentials to back that up. Across our team, we hold more than a dozen advanced certifications in evidence-based approaches (CBT, CBT-I, Motivational Interviewing, DBT, ERP for OCD, PE for PTSD, etc.), reflecting rigorous, demonstrated expertise, not one-off workshops. We are sought after as trainers, sharing our knowledge with clinicians across the country and giving back to the field that shaped us.

At the same time, our work is grounded in what matters most to our patients: "evidence-based treatment in a warm, friendly environment." In 2025 alone, we volunteered our time to host over 25 free consultation and support groups, with more planned for 2026. At the end of the day, our credentials matter because our patients matter. We’re proud to offer care that is both deeply informed and deeply human.

02/06/2026

Pause for a second 🛑
Before jumping into advice, ask yourself (and them): Do they actually want feedback right now?

If the answer is yes → collaborate on next steps.
If the answer is no → lead with empathy and validation, not fixes.

This is the CBT way of giving feedback—supportive, respectful, and actually helpful.

Was this useful? Let us know below 👇

02/03/2026

A little radical acceptance this Tuesday. Some things are out of your control—and you don’t have to wrestle with them.

02/01/2026

Celebrating 4 years with Dr. Lara Aunio 🎉

Dr. Lara Aunio is one of our most valuable clinicians and yet she sees the fewest patients. Not because her work is small, but because her time is. She spends most of her week as a full-time clinician at Children’s Specialized Hospital and then “stops by” the CBT Center 1 to 2 days a week to see a lucky human who was able to get on her caseload when there was an opening.

Lara brings deep CBT expertise, a big heart, and a real sense of play into her work. She shows up with a bag full of thoughtful, creative tools and an even bigger smile. Her presence is grounding, warm, and quietly powerful, and she makes our team better simply by being part of it.

We are so grateful that Lara joined us and even more grateful that she has stuck around for four years. Thank you, Lara, for the care, creativity, and humanity you bring to our patients and our team. 💚

01/30/2026

Five years ago, we shared an announcement welcoming Jamie to our practice. 💙

Looking at it now feels a bit like opening a time capsule.

Back then, we were the CBT Center of Central NJ. Today, we’re simply the CBT Center (CBTCenter.org), which feels more aligned with how we work and the community we serve, both within our Central NJ home and across NJ, NY, and PSYPACT states. Along the way, Jamie has also opened a space in Riverhead, NY, bringing in-person care to Long Island.

Jamie joined us with deep expertise in CBT and ACT, a steady and collaborative presence, and a real love for working with kids, teens, young adults, and parents. All of that is still true. What’s changed is how much her clinical depth has continued to grow.

Over the years, Jamie has expanded her expertise in meaningful ways, including developing deeper specialization in sleep and insomnia, with advanced training in CBT-I. She brings even more nuance and confidence to her work, especially with anxiety, panic, ADHD, and sleep-related challenges that so often travel together.

What hasn’t changed is how she shows up. Thoughtful. Warm. Practical. Deeply collaborative. Always focused on helping patients build skills they can actually use in their real lives.

Watching clinicians grow within a practice is one of the quiet joys of this work. This old announcement is a reminder that when you build something around shared values and real expertise, growth happens naturally.

Grateful for Jamie, then and now. 💙

01/26/2026

For clinicians, supervisors, leaders, and anyone curious about how change actually happens:
Dr. Michelle Drapkin will be leading a live, interactive Motivational Interviewing workshop, hosted by MINT, that breaks MI down in a practical, human, and usable way.

If you’ve heard of MI but still wonder what it sounds like in real conversations, this session is for you. Expect real-life examples, demonstrations, and a focus on supporting change without pressure or resistance.

👉 Learn more and register at the link below.

https://mint.thinkific.com/products/live_events/pathtochange

01/19/2026

Here’s to healing in a world that could use a lot more therapy. Who can relate? 🤍

01/15/2026

PSA: Brighter days are coming! 🌞

01/11/2026

What if??

01/09/2026

Consider this your permission to breathe. Follow along with Dr. Contrastano and start the weekend with a more regulated nervous system.

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01/06/2026

Back to real life, powered by coffee ☕
Ease in—you’re doing just fine.

Address

1164 Raritan Avenue
Highland Park, NJ
08904

Telephone

+17324559662

Website

http://drdrapkin.com/, http://CBTCenter.org/, https://cbtcenterofcentralnj.com/workshops/, http://CBTCenter.org/, https:

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