Hello!
My name is Mike and I’m here to help!
I founded Grounding Root Therapy in 2017 with the intent to sharpen my clinical skills with a small practice on the side. However, it has lead to an even better and eye-opening journey. It is a New Jersey based outpatient private practice located in Bergen County that centers on a mindfulness based approach to therapy while integrating other evidence based practices for individualized approach to treatment. I founded Grounding Root Therapy to offer a more hands-on, holistic, multi-faceted approach to therapy.
“As a healthcare professional, I work with all clients to facilitate a sustainable balance in all areas of life, and specialize in working with other mental health professionals to help create a ‘lifestyle equilibrium’.”
Education & Training
What have I done to be able to be qualified as your therapist? To start, let me first explain what those letters mean after my name.
Licensed Professional Counselor (L.P.C.) NJ License: 37PC0058420
This means I have completed my master’s degree, passed the National Counselor Exam, and completed 4,500 clinical supervised hours (3 years full time) that allows me to practice counseling independently in the state of New Jersey. Please feel free to read more HERE for further information regarding the requirements and statuses of my current license.
Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (L.C.A.D.C) NJ License: 37LC00237300
This means I have completed my masters degree, passed the written and oral state exams, and completed 3,000 clinical supervised hours (2 years full time) in a substance use treatment program that allows me to practice substance use counseling independently in the state of New Jersey. Please feel free to visit the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs - Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee Website for further information regarding the requirements and statuses of my current license.
Approved Clinical Supervisor (A.C.S.) Certificate Number: 3315
This credential allows me to supervise clinicians looking to obtain their clinical license in the State of New Jersey. For more information on this credential please visit HERE.
I received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and psychology from King's College and my master's degree in forensic mental health counseling from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Mindfulness Based Training
I am not a meditation teacher. I am a clinically trained psychotherapist that has had a life experiential practice with mindfulness that has found it to be very beneficial to the patients I treat.
We all have experience with mindfulness in some form or another, as I have been modeled the essence of it through my upbringing both in a religious and informal context. I have been formally practicing mindfulness for over a decade. I was first exposed to utilizing mindfulness based techniques in a therapeutic setting in graduate school and have been studying it ever since.
I have completed the The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course Ramapo College which you can find more information here.
