Michael Moran, LCSW, CST

“Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.” - Rainer Maria Rilke.

"Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space, we have the power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." - Victor Frankl

I'm a therapist because therapy changed my life. I know the power of effective, insightful, and enriching psychotherapy intimately. Psychodynamic in orientation, emotionally focused, and cognitive-behaviorally trained, I'll utilize my whole person & all my skills to help you move toward vitality, appreciation, and joy -- I'll help you reclaim your Authentic Self. My passion and focus are collaborating with people looking to create deeply fulfilling connections in their relationships. If you are struggling as a couple, or you are single and looking to create a meaningful connection, I can help. My training/expertise have been centered around relationships.

I'm a Certified EFT Therapist (Emotionally Focused Therapy), a highly respected and empirically validated modality of working with couples designed by Dr. Sue Johnson. EFT gets to the heart of relationship distress & helps us cultivate the capacity to speak our truth in loving ways that bring our partner closer to us rather than pushing them away. I've also undergone extensive training with relationship expert Dr. Margaret Paul and am a Certified Inner Bonding Facilitator, which dovetails perfectly with EFT. Inner Bonding is an inspired modality of healing created by Drs. Margaret Paul and Erika Chopich, see Inner Bonding. I've also trained directly with Dr. John Gottman in Gottman Method Couples Therapy in Seattle, another empirically validated approach to working with couples. I'm an AASECT- certified sex therapist, which enables me to responsibly and thoroughly address all sexual issues when needed. I'm also an Adjunct Professor and teach the graduate courses Marriage & Family Therapy as well as LGBTQ Issues in Contemporary Society at Rutgers University.

I have specialized training in helping couples recover from infidelity and addiction, as well as advanced training in EMDR, a powerful and empirically researched modality for treating the effects of trauma. I've also undergone post-graduate training at the NIP (National Institute for Psychotherapies) and obtained a Certificate in Spiritually-Informed Psychotherapy. I work with many people who have a spiritual life that is deeply important to them. I've also trained with Dr. Marilyn Sorenson in her Sorenson Method For Self-Esteem, as well as with Dr. Diana Fosha in AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy). Lastly, I hold a Certification in Creative Arts Therapy from the New School for Social Research, as I love working with people who want to bolster their creativity (and we are ALL creative!). I invite you to peruse my site. Please call or email for a free phone or Skype consultation to discuss your needs in greater detail. I genuinely enjoy the work of helping people thrive.