Innerspace Counseling, LLC

Innerspace Counseling, LLC NJ’s Premiere Mental Health IOP & PHP Specialist Offering Tracks for Children, Teens, and Adults. Specialty Tracks for OCD & Anxiety & Perinatal Wellness.

Brainspotting services. Consultation Services, Education & Training. Call for a FREE screening.

Social media is a huge part of teen life, but it can also impact teen mental health in ways we don’t always see.Constant...
02/18/2026

Social media is a huge part of teen life, but it can also impact teen mental health in ways we don’t always see.

Constant comparison, pressure for validation, disrupted sleep, and fear of missing out can quietly increase anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.

If you notice mood changes, withdrawal, irritability, or obsessive checking, it may be time to start a conversation, not just take the phone away.

Ask:
“How does social media make you feel?”

Open dialogue builds trust. Support builds resilience.

If your teen is struggling, therapy can help them strengthen confidence and develop healthier coping skills, both online and offline.

02/17/2026

Melissa Maranzano, MA, Ira Hays, LCSW, and Ajita Shah, LPC, NCC, ACS, PMH-C come together to break down the lack of awareness many people have of the different levels of mental health care, including Intensive Outpatient Programs and Partial Hospitalization Programs (IOP/PHP). By building knowledge and strengthening community education, we can increase awareness of these critical step-up options from the weekly outpatient therapy model and help prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. When families, educators, and providers understand the full continuum of care, we create safer, more supportive pathways to healing.

Valentine’s Day can bring connection, but it can also bring anxiety, pressure, loneliness, or relationship stress.Your m...
02/14/2026

Valentine’s Day can bring connection, but it can also bring anxiety, pressure, loneliness, or relationship stress.

Your mental health matters just as much as your relationship status.

At Innerspace Counseling, we help children, teens, adults, and families build stronger relationships, manage anxiety, and create emotional resilience from the inside out.

If this resonates, save it. Share it. Send it to someone who needs the reminder.

🏈 The Super Bowl isn’t just about football, it’s about feelings.Big games bring big emotions: excitement, stress, joy, d...
02/07/2026

🏈 The Super Bowl isn’t just about football, it’s about feelings.

Big games bring big emotions: excitement, stress, joy, disappointment, connection. And all of that is normal. Events like the Super Bowl can boost mental health by creating shared experiences, strengthening relationships, and helping us feel part of something bigger 💛

At the same time, it’s okay if today brings anxiety, overstimulation, or post-game letdowns, especially if crowds, noise, or competition feel overwhelming.

🧠 Gentle mental health reminders for Super Bowl Sunday:
✨ Take breaks when you need them
✨ Set boundaries around alcohol, noise, or social pressure
✨ Focus on connection, not perfection
✨ Check in with yourself both before and after the game

Your mental health deserves attention every day, even on game day.

💬 Watching the Super Bowl? Drop your favorite snack or team below
🔁 Share this with someone you’re watching with


💜 February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month 💜Teen relationships have a powerful impact on mental health, even whe...
02/05/2026

💜 February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month 💜

Teen relationships have a powerful impact on mental health, even when the harm isn’t physical. Emotional control, constant monitoring, and unhealthy attachment patterns can increase anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem in teens and young adults.

At Innerspace Counseling, we see how early relationship experiences shape emotional health and future relationships. That’s why this month we’re raising awareness about the connection between teen dating violence and mental health and how parents and teens can recognize the signs early.

🧠💬 We just shared a new blog exploring:
✔️ warning signs of unhealthy teen relationships
✔️ how relationship stress affects teen mental health
✔️ when therapy can help support teens and families

📖 Read the full blog on our website and learn how support can make a difference.

📍 Serving New Jersey families | In-person & virtual therapy available




We’re proud to spotlight Ira Hays, Director of Clinical Services at Innerspace Counseling, for the incredible work he’s ...
02/04/2026

We’re proud to spotlight Ira Hays, Director of Clinical Services at Innerspace Counseling, for the incredible work he’s doing with our local school districts. 👏

Through trainings and consultation services, Ira is sharing his deep knowledge and practical expertise on school avoidance and phobia, as well as OCD and anxiety in children and adolescents, helping educators better understand, support, and respond to students who are struggling.

Supporting youth mental health takes collaboration, and we’re grateful to partner with schools that are committed to learning and growing in this area.

📚 School districts: If your team would benefit from training, consultation, or additional support around anxiety, OCD, or school avoidance, we’d love to connect. Please reach out to learn more about how Innerspace Counseling can support your staff and students.

Together, we can make schools a safer, more supportive place for every child. 💙

Winter can ask a lot of us.Shorter days, colder weather, and less energy can all affect our mental health and that’s com...
01/30/2026

Winter can ask a lot of us.
Shorter days, colder weather, and less energy can all affect our mental health and that’s completely normal.

At Innerspace Counseling, we often remind clients that winter self-care isn’t about “pushing through.” It’s about listening inward and responding with compassion.

✨ Gentle self-care ideas for cold weather:
• Create moments of warmth (tea, soup, cozy blankets, hot showers)
• Move your body kindly with stretching and walking
• Step outside for daylight, even briefly
• Stay connected to safe people, even when hibernation feels easier
• Notice your mood and energy without judgment
• Let rest be productive

Self-care doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful. Sometimes the most healing thing you can do is slow down and tend to your inner space.

If winter feels heavier than expected, you don’t have to carry it alone. Support is here. 🤍

🤝 Professional collaboration matters.Today, our Innerspace Counseling team had the opportunity to connect with Cathy Lan...
01/28/2026

🤝 Professional collaboration matters.

Today, our Innerspace Counseling team had the opportunity to connect with Cathy Lane from Center for Discovery at in Old Bridge to talk about how our organizations can work together to better support the mental health needs of our community.

We believe that strong relationships between providers lead to more coordinated care, better outcomes, and fewer gaps for clients and families.

When professionals collaborate, everyone benefits. Especially the people we serve. 💙

✨ You can look “fine” and still be struggling. ✨High-functioning anxiety doesn’t always look like panic.Sometimes it loo...
01/28/2026

✨ You can look “fine” and still be struggling. ✨

High-functioning anxiety doesn’t always look like panic.
Sometimes it looks like:
✔️ Getting everything done
✔️ Being “the reliable one”
✔️ Smiling through stress
✔️ Never feeling like you can fully relax

If your anxiety fuels productivity but steals your peace, you’re not alone and you don’t have to keep pushing through it silently.

🧠 Our newest blog breaks down:
• What high-functioning anxiety really is
• Signs people often miss
• Why it so often goes untreated
• How therapy and higher levels of care can help

👉 We also offer FREE screenings to help you learn whether:
• Outpatient therapy
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
• Or Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

might be the right next step for you or your child.

You don’t have to be “struggling enough” to ask for support.

💬 Read the blog (link in comments)
🔁 Share with someone who needs this
📩 Follow us for mental health education & support
📞 Schedule a free screening today

🧠 OCD isn’t always what people think it is.When most people hear Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, they picture visible com...
01/27/2026

🧠 OCD isn’t always what people think it is.

When most people hear Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, they picture visible compulsions like excessive handwashing, checking locks, or arranging items “just right.”
But for many people, OCD lives almost entirely in the mind.

There are many types of OCD that center around intrusive thoughts and mental obsessions, including:
• Harm OCD
• Relationship OCD
• Religious or moral OCD
• Sexual or taboo intrusive thoughts
• Health or contamination fears (sometimes without obvious rituals)

Because these thoughts can feel distressing, confusing, or shame-inducing, many people don’t recognize them as OCD or feel afraid to talk about them. Instead of thinking “This is OCD,” they may believe “Something is wrong with me.”

✨ The truth? You’re not broken. And you’re not alone.

At Innerspace Counseling, our OCD & Anxiety Track within our Intensive Outpatient Program and Partial Hospitalization Program (IOP/PHP) helps clients understand intrusive thoughts, reduce shame, and learn evidence-based tools to interrupt the OCD cycle and find relief.

Support is possible. Clarity is possible. Healing is possible. 💛

Growth Mindset: Progress Over PerfectionAt Innerspace Counseling, we often remind clients that growth doesn’t happen all...
01/23/2026

Growth Mindset: Progress Over Perfection

At Innerspace Counseling, we often remind clients that growth doesn’t happen all at once, it happens through small, intentional steps.

A growth mindset is the belief that skills, emotions, and coping strategies can be developed over time. It allows space for learning, setbacks, and self-compassion. Instead of asking “Why can’t I do this?” a growth mindset encourages the question, “What can I learn from this?”

For children, teens, and adults alike, this shift can be powerful. It reduces shame, builds resilience, and helps people see challenges as opportunities rather than failures. Whether someone is working through anxiety, navigating life transitions, or strengthening relationships, growth mindset creates room for hope and change.

Therapy isn’t about being “fixed.” It’s about building awareness, skills, and confidence one step at a time. Progress may look messy, uneven, or slow, and that’s okay. Growth is still happening.

If you or your child are feeling stuck, support can help open new possibilities. At Innerspace Counseling, we’re here to walk alongside you as you grow.

Follow our page for mental health content and information about our in network Intensive Outpatient Program and Partial Hospitalization Program (IOP/PHP).

School refusal, school avoidance, or school phobia?They can look the same on the outside… but the cause can be very diff...
01/20/2026

School refusal, school avoidance, or school phobia?
They can look the same on the outside… but the cause can be very different.

If your child is struggling to get to school and is crying, panicking, shutting down, or feeling physically sick in the mornings, you’re not alone. And most importantly: this isn’t “just behavior.”

At Innerspace Counseling, we specialize in helping kids and teens who are overwhelmed by anxiety, fear, OCD, or emotional distress that shows up as school avoidance.

💡 What makes our approach different?
We don’t treat every case through just one lens.

We provide expert assessment to determine:
✅ Is this school refusal—or a school phobia?
✅ Is OCD involved?
✅ Does your child need exposure-based support (ERP)?
✅ Or emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills (DBT)?
✅ Or both?

Because our clinical team is trained in both DBT and ERP, we can build a truly custom treatment plan and place your child in the right level of care, whether that’s Intensive Outpatient Program or Partial Hospitalization Program (IOP/PHP).

✨ Your child deserves support that actually fits.
You deserve answers, a plan, and a team that understands.

📍 In-person in Old Bridge, NJ + virtual throughout NJ
📩 Click the link in comments/bio to learn more or get started.

Address

Old Bridge, NJ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17323328270

Website

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