Welcome, and thank you for visiting my website.  (We are still under construction but please feel free to browse).

Background and Training

My Name is Charles Leighton and I am a  licensed Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist  and  stress management  educator and coach.  I have been in private practice for sixteen years and am the director of Charles Leighton Associates, LLC which has offices in Butler and Princeton New Jersey and at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City where I am the director of  "The Heart Group", a therapy and lifestyle change program for people with heart disease and cancer.  I have lectured extensively on mental illness and stress, conducted published research on the effects of anger and written articles for scholarly journals. I have  been a mental health consultant to such organizations as The New York Times, New York Hospital, Gilda's Club, Smith Farm Center for The Healing Arts, and The Preventive Medicine Institute.  

Services Offered

I offer counseling for individuals, couples and families suffering with depression, anxiety disorders (such as panic attacks, OCD and PTSD ), and other mental illnesses as well as those families who have parenting and marital concerns and  those in need of anger management training.My colleagues and I also treat patients with Aspergers Disorder and ADHD. I also offer support groups for couples who want to improve their relationships, individuals wanting to learn how to manage stress and, for people living with Heart Disease and Cancer.  Our program at Beth Israel Medical Center was recently featured in the acclaimed PBS Documentary,  "The Mysterious . Human Heart" which highlighted our integrative approach to dealing with heart disease. 

Our Philosophy

We know It just isn't easy finding a good therapist.  Insurance limitations, finding the right chemistry and finances add to the problem. Moreover, It's even more difficult when you are feeling the pressure of anxiety or the pain that is often associated with depression or other mental illness. At our offices we offer therapies that are scientifically proven to be effective in the treatment of these and other conditions and, just as important, we do so in a safe and respectful environment.  I believe that positive change can only occur when there is a caring and trusting relationship between a therapist and patient. The truth is, life is offten very challenging and  we all will find ourselves dealing with  extraordinary circumstances at one time or another.  Understanding this makes it easier to be more emotionally available and compassionate and to treat every person as an individual and not just as a collection of symptoms.  I also believe that while medication can be very useful for a small percentage of people, they are typically overused and should only be prescribed as a last resort after all physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual factors have been assessed and taken into consideration. Only then can a meaningful diagnosis or treatment plan be formulated.


Our Approach

Most treatment is a combination of cognitive-behavioral,  psychodynamic, and lifestyle training ( stress manangement, nutritional, exercise and sleep issues which account for a great deal of why we may feel imbalance in our life and must be addressed if progress is to be made.) 

So If you're looking for extra support and guidance through a challenging situation or you're just ready to move in a new direction in your life, We would look forward to working with you to achieve your goals.

In the pages that follow you can learn more about our practice.  We accept most insurance plans and offer a sliding scale for people who are not insured. If  you have further questions after viewing the site or would like to make an appointment, please feel free to call or email me. I will always try to return your call personally the same day and typically within a few hours. If I  am unavailable for any reason one of my colleagues will return your call.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Warmly,


Charles Leighton, LCSW, CGP, CYT