New Jersey—and our country at large—is facing a youth mental health crisis.
Rates of anxiety and depression among children, adolescents, and young adults have risen dramatically over the past decade. Suicide is now one of the leading causes of death among adolescents and young adults, surpassing many medical causes such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illness. Compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing social isolation, and persistent socioeconomic disparities in access to care, rates of psychological distress among youth continue to rise. This is placing immense strain on a health care system that too often prioritizes crisis management over prevention and long-term recovery.
At the Brandt Center, we take a fundamentally different approach to youth mental health. Drawing on Rutgers’ extraordinary breadth of resources—including music and art therapy, nature-based interventions, and equine-assisted therapy—we recognize that meaningful recovery extends beyond medication and traditional psychotherapy.
Our clinicians bring deep expertise in treating anxiety and mood disorders, trauma-related challenges, neurodivergent presentations, and the emotional impact of life transitions, within a collaborative, evidence-based model that integrates psychotherapy, family involvement, skills-based interventions, and thoughtful psychiatric care.
As Medical Director, I am proud to work with an extraordinary team of compassionate and dedicated clinicians in my home state. Growing up in New Jersey, I have vivid memories of swimming in local lakes, hiking wooded trails, and developing a deep appreciation for the restorative power of time spent in nature. Giving me an appreciation for the evidence-based nature-integrated care we offer our clients.
As a graduate of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, my passion for psychiatry first took shape while working on the child and adolescent inpatient unit at University Behavioral Health Care. That foundation carried me through advanced training at Mount Sinai, Columbia, and Weill Cornell in New York City, where I worked across a range of clinical settings and patient populations, deepening my commitment to developmentally informed, trauma-aware psychiatric care.
While this work is challenging, it is also profoundly hopeful.
In addition to my specialization in child and adolescent psychiatry, I completed a fellowship in Infant Psychiatry, where I served as a consulting psychiatrist in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). In the NICU, I worked with infants and families during moments of profound vulnerability, when medical crises and emotional trauma often intersect. That experience fundamentally shaped how I practice psychiatry today. At the Brandt Center, I bring the same trauma-informed, relationship-centered lens—attuned to how early experiences, family dynamics, and systems of care influence long-term emotional well-being.
Since opening our doors this summer, we have welcomed over 300 clients and their families to our outpatient treatment center, where we proudly accept all major insurance plans. Looking ahead, we are excited to enter a new chapter with the expansion of the Blau Wellness Center to include an Intensive Outpatient Program and the launch of the Retreat in 2026.
I am deeply grateful for the trust families place in us and the stories young people share. While this work is challenging, it is also profoundly hopeful—and it is a privilege to be part of a center dedicated to growth and transformation for young people here in the heart of New Jersey.