““I would describe myself as an extremely driven and motivated individual. These aspects of my personality have allowed me to accomplish so much but they have also caused a lot of frustration and difficulty throughout my life. As a child I slammed doors and frequently experienced debilitating headaches. My hard-working nature is an asset, but in times when I have to work through emotional struggles it is tremendously disadvantageous. Learning to find a balance and being aware of this innate quality has been a lifelong journey. My mom has always been aware of this and has guided me through life gently making me aware of the power and difficulty that it creates in my life. She has an unbelievable ability to create clarity and make sense of situations that seem insurmountable. However, I was never made to feel like I was a “difficult” child or that there was something wrong with me. My mom’s intuitive capacity and ability to tell me things I was feeling even before I was able to process them, admittedly, was a bit hard to receive as a child and teenager but as I got older I recognized what an amazing gift this was. If my mom had not pushed me to talk about why I was having a tantrum, slamming the door or closing myself off to having relationships I would be an extremely driven and motivated individual with nothing to show for it. From middle school through the first couple of years of college, talking to my mom about things that were bothering me was more about her talking and me listening since I preferred not to respond and share my thoughts. She would try and help me understand what I was feeling and why but I was not ready to accept it. Everything she was saying made sense but accepting it all and being okay with what felt like defeat was not something I was comfortable with at that time. I have finally reached a point where I actively seek out her help and find myself immensely thankful for having an outlet for everything that is going on in my head. Now, I initiate the conversation. I listen to her. I actively engage in the conversation. I remember things she tells me and let them replay over and over in my head until they are manifested in my deliberate action. I am nowhere near done learning from my mom and I never will be. This kind of relationship is unmatched by anyone I know and I feel like I have an enormous advantage over everyone in my life because of it. If everyone had access to this invaluable resource the world would be a much better place!”
Gabriella Quille ”
“ “When I met Tegan I was battling an all-encompassing eating disorder, coping with family issues stemming from my parents’ divorce and its repercussions and I was convinced I did not need help. I reluctantly attended my first meeting with her, and in that one hour alone, she had made a difference. As someone who does not like to share, Tegan creates an environment that not only allows you to feel comfortable, but also reminds you that you are not alone in any issue you may be dealing with. She not only helps you to uncover and interpret what you may be going through, she also provides logical insight and advice on how to cope and improve. One year later, I am no longer battling an eating disorder, and it did not take hospitalization or nutritional treatment to get here. Today I am stronger, healthier and a more stable woman, and without Tegan I do not think I would be able to say that. Thank you Tegan, I am forever grateful.”
O. B. Morristown, NJ
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“ “I had a lot of trouble with anxiety and I tried other therapists before I met Tegan, I was losing hope. When I met Tegan I felt immediately comfortable, as though I had known her for a long time. Somehow she was able to understand me even though I often struggled with explaining my thoughts and feelings. She helped me to feel more at ease so that I could discuss the anxiety which was really hard for me. As soon as I did, I felt much better and her support and suggestions started to create big changes for me. The anxiety started to decrease and I became more confident and comfortable in social situations. I was so relieved because I really thought I’d never be able to get rid of this. I’m glad I met Tegan she’s the reason I’m doing things I never did before.”
C. M. Mendham, NJ”
“ ‘Tegan has created a space where I can feel completely comfortable sharing all of the upsetting and difficult issues I deal with on a week to week basis. I have grown up with the same group of friends since second grade and I always knew they did not have the best influence on me. While I enjoyed their company I didn’t always agree with how they treated other people and how they made me act. As a high schooler the drama that occurs is easy to get caught up in. Gaining a little bit of perspective and reevaluating situations through my own personal lens as opposed to through the lens of a 16 year old girl trying to keep up with everything that is going on is challenging. Tegan has helped me see through the hurtful comments and senseless actions I have put up with in my friend group and find my voice. Accepting people for who they are and seeing friends for their face value has been a huge tool I’ve used. It gives me much more peace and allows me to feel unaffected by the drama that goes on around me. She has helped me feel more confident regardless of the people I am surrounded by. My insecurities have much less control over me. By working with Tegan I have been able to detect the self-harming attitude I can have towards myself before it affects how I feel about myself. My habits around eating and exercise had always been something I used as a way to control what was going on around me. Instead of using this as a way to verify my confidence and feel sure of myself, I have adopted a much more healthy outlook on eating and exercise. Striking a balance between these two things has not been easy but I recognize it is just as important as anything else in my life. Tegan has made me feel infinitely better about myself and keeps me feeling this way despite my old habits.”
P. M. Short Hills, NJ
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“ “Tegan is a straight forward and encouraging voice. I was very depressed when I started working with her and I have come so far with her help and guidance. She helped me shake some of my doubts and commit to what I want going forward. Her genuine support and sound guidance makes so much sense, I find I am able to make the changes I couldn’t before. She has a very kind way of discussing things, I feel so open talking to her and that’s something I have a very hard time doing. I highly recommend her!”
S. H. Ridgewood, NJ ”
“ “I have been talking to Tegan for only a few weeks and she has been helping me get back on track with my life. I feel comfortable talking to her and I am making great progress. I’m eager to continue seeing her because I know things will keep improving. She has done so much for me in such a short time that I feel optimistic and hopeful again.”
D. E. Short Hills, NJ
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“ “I’m not great with words and explaining myself in writing. I wish I could write how I feel and how different my life is since I met Tegan. All I can say is she is amazingly helpful! If you need help figuring something out just go see her because there isn’t anyone better.”
E. C. Denville, NJ ”
“ “Tegan’s understanding of couples therapy is unsurpassed. I refer many couples for counseling and her professionalism, experience and success is unequaled by any other professional I have recommended.”
Judge in NJ
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““We have so much love and gratitude for your tireless devotion to getting us whole as a couple and family. Thank you Tegan!”
Couple from Summit, NJ
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“ “Tegan has helped us understand each other better, we were in such a bad place before we met her and luckily she was able to quickly set us in the right direction with helpful feedback, support and guidance. We used to argue and yell at each other, we never finished anything and often stayed angry with each other. Now we can talk things through and understand one another with more patience and less anger, our arguments don’t turn into three days of not speaking. She helped us understand our differences and feel more compassion and understanding. At times we saw her alone because we couldn’t deal with figuring it all out with the other in the room. That really helped because I know some of the things I said at that time would have been damaging to say in front of my spouse and I no longer carry those feelings. It helped both of us to get that out without it harming our relationship further. I’m so relieved I was really beginning to wonder if we could figure things out. We look forward to her sessions and the tremendous help she has been giving to us and our family.”
Couple from Chester, NJ ”
“ “You are so special and amazing! We hope you know how much you have changed our lives. Thank you thank you!”
Couple from Westfield, NJ
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“ “Our marriage was very strained when we began with Tegan, we had been in counseling before and it did not help. We were strongly urged to meet Tegan and despite our reluctance we decided we had nothing to lose. We left our first meeting transformed. Somehow she was able to give us the realization that things could improve. Her approach is so unique, she has a very clever way of helping both of us get unstuck and work together. We should never have waited as long as we did to finally go meet with her, we could have started this sooner. Our marriage is stronger than it’s ever been before and we just didn’t think that was possible. I hope this helps other people to decide sooner to meet her, it should be a very easy decision. We are so grateful Tegan, thank you.”
Couple from Far Hills, NJ
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“ “When our children all left home our marriage fell into a lonely place. We found Tegan online and showed up not knowing what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised! She wasn’t what we expected a therapist to be, she’s warm and kind and clear and direct all at the same time. It’s hard to describe but she says the right thing at the right time, she’s really gifted. Our marriage has improved and we are so happy that we decided to do this. It has been a lot easier than we thought it would be to get things back on track and we are very proud and gratified with our newfound closeness.”
Couple from Jersey City, NJ
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“ “On a scale from 1 to 10 she is a 12! By helping us understand ourselves and then each other we made great progress. The guidance she provided to us individually gave us the chance to talk about things we had never shared with each other. Our work became easier over time and it started to change the way we did things at home. By understanding our old habits and learning new ways to communicate, we have changed our marriage and are so much happier. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t do this earlier in our marriage we could have arrived at this happiness a lot sooner.”
