Dan Rothenberg Hello and welcome to my site! I am an LCSW and I specialize in adolescents and young adults that suffer from chronic anxiety and stress, just like I did. I spent much of my younger years in a state of worry and panic. Even when things appeared to be going well, I never had enough friends to make me feel secure and work always felt overwhelming. My solutions were avoidance, procrastination and adrenaline, all of which made my world smaller, my self-esteem lower and (the real kicker) my anxiety worse. Anxiety can be particularly frustrating because: 1. People don’t get it, which leads to lectures and advice that don’t help. 2. Our attempts to avoid or eliminate anxiety actually make it worse. 3. Traditional talk therapy often does not address the issue. Fortunately, anxiety treatment has made significant strides since I was a child in the ‘80’s. I currently work under the model of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT has helped many of my clients to break the anxiety cycle that makes us a prisoner to the annoying, negative thoughts that we know in our hearts to be false. How does it work? ACT is a relatively simple approach that is empirically proven to be effective with children and adults. All it takes is practice and, most importantly, an open mind. If there is one thing I have learned from my personal and professional experience, effective strategies to manage chronic anxiety can initially appear confusing or counterintuitive. Remember, the solutions we gravitate towards (avoidance/withdrawal) might provide temporary relief, but ultimately increase long-term anxiety. Conversely, ACT encourages us to face our fears and stop struggling with our negative thoughts and feelings. This can seem either scary or impossible because these thoughts and feelings appear to be so powerful. They’re not! It just takes practice and a willingness to engage the process. I believe therapy should be safe, fun and productive. I create a trusting and comfortable space for my clients. At the same time, I believe that therapy should be as short and inexpensive as possible. Therefore, together we will move towards change that will bring you measurable relief in your daily life rather than just a weekly 50-minute distraction. I’m ready if you are. I can’t wait to work with you!