Stephanie Nortz

I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor who works with adults throughout New Jersey navigating anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, life transitions, and emotional dysregulation. My background includes individual therapy, group therapy, addiction recovery, and intensive outpatient care, so I’m comfortable sitting with the messy, complicated, very human parts of life.

I believe therapy should feel safe, supportive, and real. Yes, we’ll talk about hard things. Yes, I may gently challenge you when it matters. But therapy does not have to feel stiff or clinical. Sometimes therapy is us practicing skills during session, using movies or pop culture as a way to explain topics in a way that stick, and the occasional taylor swift lyric.

I bring warmth, authenticity, compassion, and humor into our sessions. Together, we may identify exercises or skills you can practice between sessions to support your growth, and when life inevitably throws something new into the mix, we can gently pivot.

My goal is to help you better understand yourself, build practical skills, and feel more grounded in the way you move through your life and relationships. You don’t have to have everything figured out before starting therapy. We can begin with where you are.

My approach to therapy is compassionate, collaborative, and practical. I often utilize Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), Dialectical behavioral therapy skills education (DBT), and Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT) to help my clients better understand their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors while building skills for lasting change.

I believe therapy is more than just talking, it's about learning, practicing, and applying new tools in real life situations. That may include coping exercises, mindfulness practices, worksheets, journaling prompts, or between session activities to help reinforce progress. I also like to make therapy feel relatable and engaging, often using real life examples and pop culture references to explain concepts in a way that feels approachable and memorable.

Our first session is really a chance for us to get to know each other. While I’ll ask questions about what brings you to therapy, your history, and what you’re hoping to work on, I don’t want the intake process to feel like I’m simply checking boxes or asking you to share your whole life story with someone you just met.

We’ll take our time and focus on what feels most important for me to understand right now. You’ll also get a chance to learn more about me, how I work, and what you can expect from therapy together. There’s no pressure to have everything figured out or to share more than you’re ready for.