Associate Clinician
John Voltarelli
MA, LAC
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Master of Arts - Counseling Psychology- Columbia University
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NJ Licensed Associate Counselor #37AC00930900
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Certified Psychiatric Screener
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Bilingual: English / Spanish
Telehealth
Availability:
Glen Ridge
How would you describe your Training and Education?
John earned his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University, and his training since has spanned the full range of settings mental health care actually happens in. He interned at Roosevelt Hospital and Morristown Medical Center, working in acute hospital environments where clients arrive in crisis and clarity matters more than theory, and also completed internships in private practice, where the work is slower, longer, and built on relationship. As a Certified Psychiatric Screener, he is trained to assess risk and acuity accurately — useful whether someone is in genuine crisis or simply afraid they might be. He works with both teenagers and adults, and provides therapy in English and Spanish.
How would you describe your Professional Approach and Style?
John's approach is eclectic by design rather than by default: depending on what you bring in, sessions may draw on cognitive behavioral techniques for concrete patterns you want to interrupt, psychodynamic exploration when the roots run deeper than the presenting problem, or existential-humanistic work when the real question is about meaning, freedom, or who you're becoming. What holds it together is the relationship — John works to build genuine rapport and a therapeutic environment that feels comfortable rather than clinical, and when it fits, he'll use humor. Therapy with him is a collaborative endeavor, not something done to you, and he won't define your goals for you: he views therapy as helping clients become better versions of themselves by their own definition, not a standard imported from outside.
What areas would you say you have Expertise in?
John works with teenagers and adults across a wide range of concerns, including anxiety and depression, adolescent struggles and the parents trying to figure out how to help, and the identity and life-direction questions that don't fit neatly into a diagnosis. His hospital background and psychiatric screening training make him a steady presence for clients in acute distress or returning to life after a hospitalization, and as a bilingual clinician he offers full therapy in Spanish — not translated therapy — to Spanish-speaking clients and families. If you've been put off by therapy that felt stiff, overly formal, or humorless, or if this is your first time and you're not sure what to expect, John's style is likely a better fit.
On a Personal Note
John is into fitness, stand-up comedy, spirituality, and reading — which explains a fair amount about how he shows up in the room.
"Don't compare yourself to others. Rather, compare yourself to how you used to be."
