Ridgewood, NJ
Your child is struggling. You have been waiting to see if it gets better on its own. It has not. We know what to do next.
Years of Clinical Experience
Anxiety Conditions Treated
Evidence-Based Methods
Parent Training Protocol
Years of Clinical Experience
Anxiety Conditions Treated
Evidence-Based Methods
Parent Training Protocol
No Waitlist
Years Experience
Telehealth NJ and NY
Our Focus
Your child is struggling and you are not sure what you are dealing with or who to call. Maybe you have already tried a few things that have not worked. Maybe you have been watching this get worse and you are done waiting to see if it gets better on its own.
Aspire Psychological Group is a specialty child and family psychology practice based in Bergen County, NJ. Children’s anxiety and the parents working to support them is our focus. Not one of many things we do. It is what we do.
We see families in person in Ridgewood and throughout Bergen County, including Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Waldwick, Midland Park, and Wyckoff. We offer telehealth for families anywhere in New Jersey and New York.
Serving Ridgewood families and all of Bergen County
About Ridgewood Families
Ridgewood is a community that cares deeply about its kids. Parents here are engaged, informed, and proactive. And yet anxiety does not care about zip codes or family involvement. It shows up in the children of the most attentive parents just as readily as anywhere else.
What we tend to see in Ridgewood families is a particular pattern: high academic expectations, a socially competitive peer environment, and children who have learned to perform well on the outside while struggling significantly on the inside. The child who never misses school but dreads every morning. The child who makes the team but cannot stop rehearsing social situations. The child whose grades are fine but who wakes up at 2am with a mind that will not stop.
These kids are often labeled as perfectionists, over-thinkers, or “sensitive.” What they are is anxious. And anxiety in high-achieving environments tends to go unrecognized longer because the symptoms look like effort rather than distress.
We also work closely with Ridgewood families whose children attend the local schools. If coordination with teachers, school counselors, or your child’s pediatrician would help, we make that a standard part of how we work.
What We Treat
Anxiety in children does not come in one shape. We specialize in comprehensive, evidence-based treatment for the full range of childhood anxiety disorders.
Relentless worry about school, health, friendships, family, and everything in between.
Intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated in social situations.
Consistent inability to speak in certain settings, like school, despite speaking normally at home.
Unwanted intrusive thoughts and compulsive rituals the child feels compelled to perform to feel safe.
Extreme fear of particular things like vomiting, animals, choking, or medical procedures.
Overwhelming distress when separated or anticipating separation from caregivers.
Difficulty attending school driven by anxiety rather than defiance.
Sudden, intense episodes of physical fear that feel like they come out of nowhere.
Recognition
Childhood anxiety rarely announces itself clearly. These are the signals parents most often describe when they call us.
Stomachaches before school Headaches with no causeTrouble falling asleepFrequent bathroom tripsRacing heart or chest tightnessMuscle tension or restlessness
Avoiding school or activitiesClinging to parentsTantrums or meltdownsRituals or checking behaviorsRefusing new situationsExplosive or shutting down
Excessive reassurance-seekingCatastrophic thinkingIrritability or mood swingsFear of making mistakesDifficulty tolerating uncertaintyCrying without clear reason
Difficulty speaking at schoolRefusing social eventsFear of embarrassmentEating problems at schoolWithdrawing from friendsSelective mutism in public
Our Services
We use evidence-based treatments including CBT and SPACE, including Parent Management Training (PMT) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and we take a comprehensive view of your child’s situation, looking at what is happening at school, at home, and with any other providers in the picture. Treatment is structured and goal-directed. Every session is working toward something, and we keep the end goal in sight from the beginning because the point is lasting improvement, not open-ended therapy.
Our ADHD therapist in Ridgewood works with children using research-backed strategies tailored to each child’s needs, helping them manage symptoms, improve focus, and rebuild self-esteem. We coordinate closely with parents and schools to make sure what we are working on in the office carries over into daily life.
Parenting a child with anxiety or a mental health challenge is genuinely hard. The instinct to protect your child, to make things easier for them, to reduce their distress in the moment, those instincts are completely natural. They are also sometimes the exact thing that keeps anxiety going.
Our Approach
We start by looking at the full picture. That means understanding what is happening at school, what is happening at home, what the medical history looks like, what other providers are involved, and exactly how anxiety or the presenting challenge is showing up across every part of your child’s life. We do not just treat symptoms in a room once a week. We want to understand the whole child.
From there we build a focused, goal-directed treatment plan using the most effective evidence-based approaches available, primarily Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), including Parent Management Training (PMT) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), along with other methods matched to your child’s specific presentation.
We are also genuinely collaborative. We do not work in isolation. If your child’s school is involved, we talk to them. If there is a pediatrician or prescriber in the picture, we coordinate with them. Everyone who is part of your child’s care is part of the conversation, because that kind of coordinated support produces better outcomes than any one provider working alone.
We talk about what you are seeing, what you have tried, and whether we are the right fit.
We look at the full picture: school, home, medical history, and every provider involved.
A goal-directed plan built around your child's specific presentation, not a template.
We keep termination in sight from day one because the goal is getting your child back to being a kid.
Why Families Choose Us
Specialty practice focused on children, adolescents, and their families
Evidence-based treatment including CBT, SPACE, PMT, and PCIT
Comprehensive assessment covering school, home, medical, and all providers involved
Active collaboration with schools, pediatricians, and prescribers
Structured, goal-directed treatment with termination built into the plan from the start
Over two decades of clinical experience in pediatric anxiety
Secure telehealth sessions available throughout New Jersey and New York
Serving Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Waldwick, Midland Park, and Wyckoff
What Parents Say
"My son was hesitant at first. Within a few sessions, he actually wanted to go back. That told me everything I needed to know about what was happening in that room."
L.M. — Bergen County Parent
"Dr. Berlin is an absolute pleasure to deal with. He’s incredibly kind and it was an amazing experience getting to work with him."
J.H. — Bergen County Parent
"When my child was making comments that reflected a very concerning negative self image ... we went back to the school social worker with whom my child had a relationship. She directed us to Dr. Berlin and we are so glad she recognized that the issues were deeper than we realized."
Y.T. — Bergen County Parent
Common Questions
Yes. Pediatric anxiety in all its forms is our primary focus, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, selective mutism, specific phobias, separation anxiety, school refusal, and panic disorder. Our child therapists in Ridgewood use evidence-based approaches including CBT, SPACE, PMT, and PCIT tailored to each child’s specific presentation.
If your child is showing persistent signs of anxiety, school refusal, frequent physical complaints, social withdrawal, difficulty sleeping, or emotional outbursts that are not getting better on their own, that is a good reason to talk to someone. We can help you figure out what is going on and what to do about it.
Yes. We actively collaborate with schools, pediatricians, and any prescribers involved in your child’s care. That kind of coordinated support produces better outcomes, and we treat it as a standard part of how we work.
Aspire Psychological Group is a private-pay practice. We do not bill insurance directly. Many families are able to use out-of-network benefits to offset the cost of care, and we are happy to provide documentation to support reimbursement requests. You are able to use HSA and FSA funds.
Yes. We provide secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth sessions via video. Ridgewood residents can access our full range of services from home.
It depends on your child’s specific situation and goals. Treatment is goal-directed and we keep termination in sight from the beginning. Many families see meaningful progress within a few months.
Yes. We serve families in Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Waldwick, Midland Park, Wyckoff, and surrounding communities. Telehealth extends our reach to families anywhere in New Jersey and New York.
Your child does not have to keep struggling and you do not have to keep guessing. Contact Aspire Psychological Group today to schedule a consultation.
Private-pay practice. Many families offset costs through out-of-network reimbursement. We provide all documentation needed.
