The first of the new groups to be introduced is the Men’s Group under the name: Emotional Sobriety for Men.

The group is being opened to men in recovery from an addictive disorder whose concerns or focus in recovery is the practice of the principles of recovery in all their relationships and in all settings.  Candidates need to be existing clients of Leadem Counseling & Consulting Services, PC and approved by their therapist for participation.  12 Step recovery community members are welcomed to contact the office for consideration but must participate in an assessment by one of our clinical staff before being approved for admission to the group.

We will offer the new men’s group on a bi-weekly basis for blocks of 4 sessions each (usually a span of 8 weeks).  If you sign up for a 4-session block of groups, payment is expected prior to the start of the block for the entire 4 sessions.  The fee for a 4-session block is $240^[1] payable by cash, check, or on our site http://www.leademcounseling.com/make-payment by credit card.

Individuals who prefer paying for individual groups are welcome to do so at the cost of $65 per group but availability must be cleared with the office prior to attendance.  Members purchasing 4-session blocks will be guaranteed a seat.

No refunds will be given for prepaid groups that are missed. If your schedule requires a planned absence, a credit will be approved when proposed limited absences are reported at the time of paying for the 4-session blocks.  Additionally sick days will earn a credit as long as it does not become habitual.  Members consistently signing up for 4-session blocks will have their slot in the group reserved as the group will be restricted to 10 participants.  Members paying on a weekly basis whose attendance is not consistent will not be insured a place in the group because absences block new members from joining the group.

Individuals requesting insurance receipts will receive the proper documentation after every group.

If you are interested in becoming a member of this group please contact the office.

Here are the particulars:

2. Shared Program of Recovery

We are pleased to announce the start of a new therapy group for couples interested in learning to share their recovery journey with their partner.

The group is being opened to couples in which both partners are actively involved in a 12 Step recovery program and with each having a 6 month period of sustained abstinence from their respective “addiction.”  Candidates need to be approved by an LCCS therapist.   If you are aware of 12 Step recovery community members who might be interested have them contact the office for consideration following an extensive assessment by one of our clinical staff before being approved for admission to the group.

We will offer the new couple’s group on a bi-weekly basis for blocks of 2 sessions each (usually a span of 4 weeks).  If you sign up for a 2-session block of groups, payment is expected prior to the start of the block for the entire 2 sessions.  The fee for a 2 – session block is $240^[i] payable by cash, check, or on our site by credit card at: http://www.leademcounseling.com/make-payment. 

Couples who prefer paying for individual groups are welcome to do so at the cost of $130 per group prior to group but availability must be cleared with the office prior to attendance.  Members purchasing 2-session blocks will be guaranteed a seat.

No refunds will be given for prepaid groups that are missed.   Sick days will earn a credit as long as it does not become habitual.  Members consistently signing up for 2-session blocks will have their slot in the group reserved as the group will be restricted to 10 participants.  Members paying on a weekly basis whose attendance is not consistent will not be insured a place in the group because absences block new members from joining the group.

Individuals requesting insurance receipts will receive the proper documentation after every group.   The insurance receipt will be issued for each member of the relationship who has insurance in the amount of $60 per person for group therapy.

If you are interested in becoming a member of this group please contact the office.  A final starting date for the group will be set after we reach a minimum number of four prepaid couples.  Enrollments will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.

Here are the particulars:

[1] The cost for credit card payments online is slightly higher to cover the cost of credit card billing.

Your union, if it is of God, has great value to you and others. If you or your partner has begun to question the benefit of your union, take some time to examine the contributions your relationship has made to your lives and the lives of those you have touched. Perhaps your communication or honesty need some fine-tuning, but a “dry” period does not have to create a division. Look closely at the blessings that both of you have received as a result of trying to be of service to others. Examine carefully the gifts that your union has given to those who have been close to you. If a state of gratitude is difficult to obtain on your own, ask your partner what he/she is grateful for and you will be inspired.

If you are wondering what happened to the magic in your romance or marriage, there is still hope!  Your sense of loss suggests that you once had a partner that you were excited with and a relationship that held the promise of a strong future together.  It is likely that your relationship began with a conviction that the union would withstand the challenges that life presented.

We believe that the excitement and romance fades because the couple has lost their commitment to be IN©.

Partners in a troubled romantic relationship will often regretfully report that, while he/she loves their partner … they are no longer “in love” with him/her. We believe the only difference between the two statements is “IN.” We have learned over the past 37 years that “IN” requires a decision to become emotionally vulnerable with your partner. The couples we have worked with have taught us time and again that healthy relationships are seldom 50/50. The relationship will often require that one partner give more than the other but it should not always be the same partner giving 80%.

Many relationships can be reborn if the prospective partners of the NEW relationship are willing to go to any lengths to create a healthy bond.  The relationship may be currently bound up in unhealthy ties to resentment, blaming, and manipulative behaviors, to name but a few.  These unhealthy ties can create a bond capable of holding a partnership or marriage together for years but eventually it will give way to one or both member’s need for love and affection.  Some look for what they need in work, work, and more work and others focus all their energy on raising the children or tending to the needs of other family members.  Still some decide to venture into seemingly “harmless” flirtations outside of the union.  These diversions, well meaning and often purposeful, seldom work to fill the holes in the primary romantic relationship.  There is help. Don’t resort to infidelity or divorce until you have tried being IN.

Leadem Counseling & Consulting Services, PC offers marriage counseling through a model that challenges the traditional view that seasoned marriages are by nature less full of excitement and less romantic.  If you are looking for a therapist in New Jersey or someone to help you strengthen your romantic relationship contact us. We will teach you how to be “IN©”and you may return to the state of being “in love” that warmed your heart when the relationship began.

The way to experience being “in love” is by making a decision to be “IN©.” Call us if you and your partner have lost the magic – we will help you to get it back. © Leadem Counseling & Consulting Services, PC, 2004

As adults, we need to embrace our fears and often our daunting sense of powerlessness and accept that children are on loan to us for a short period of time.  Our job is to guide and love our children during the time that we have with them.  This is a challenging, but not unattainable, task to undertake.  For those of us who were raised in families where children were not respected and cherished, we struggle with this task because we decide that “only the best” will do for our own children.  We do not want our childhood histories repeated in the lives of the children we love.

Our determination, although well-meaning, may block us from seeing how our insistence in making it “better” for our child may result in denying our child the opportunity to live his/her own life as intended.  Many of us shared immense excitement and fear when we gave birth to our children.  Often times this journey begins with the belief that we have the ability and responsibility to shield our children from physical and emotional pain.  As you may expect, our attempts are often futile.  By the grace of God, we can eventually come to understand that we are ill-equipped to shield our children from the problems they faced or will eventually face as they mature.  Once we allow God to parent our children, we are free to let go of the results.  Our children can bear witness to our love for one another at the same time that that love provides them with security and values to make the right choices in life.  Never underestimate the personal security your child will gain simply by witnessing the exchange of unconditional love between his/her parents.   If you want to see children (young and old) smile, give them the opportunity to watch their parents hug.  God will take care of the rest. © Leadem Counseling & Consulting Services, PC, 2000.