Dr. Cassandra Faraci is a NJ licensed clinical psychologist (#5214) and a NY licensed clinical psychologist (#019142) specializing in the assessment and treatment of children and adults struggling with anxiety, depression, and behavior issues. After receiving her doctoral degree, she went for further training and continuing education in evidence-based treatments for children and adults struggling with anxiety (including but not limited to Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Specific Phobias); child behavior disorders including ADHD and oppositional behaviors using behavioral parent training (BPT), often the most science-supported treatment of child behavior issues; OCD using exposure and response prevention (ERP); and habit reversal training (HRT) for such issues as hair-pulling, tics, and other body-focused behaviors. Dr. Faraci uses evidence-based treatments including but not limited to cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Her approach involves using therapeutic strategies informed by science in addition to the art of tailoring those principles to each person’s unique situation.
Dr. Faraci is a summa cum laude graduate from Providence College where she received her B.A. in Psychology. During her undergraduate training, she focused her education on child psychology and neuropsychology and co-conducted studies titled “Susceptibility to suggestibility: How the gender of the adult affects male and female children” and “The relationship between second language acquisition and music aptitude in college students.” Her research findings were presented at the American Psychology Society’s Annual Conference in 2004 and the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Regional Undergraduate Psychology Conference in 2004. In 2004, Dr. Faraci received the New England Psychological Association’s (NEPA’s) Honorary Undergraduate Scholar Award.
She went on to receive her M.S. in clinical psychology and her Psy.D. in clinical psychology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale with a concentration in children, adolescents, and families. She worked in Nova Southeastern University’s ADHD Assessment, Consultation, and Treatment Program (AACT) in which she trained under Dr. David Reitman and had extensive training in the behavioral assessment and treatment of ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Conduct Disorder (CD), social skills deficits, and other clinical and subclinical behavioral issues. Dr. Faraci also worked in the Children, Adolescents, and Family Services (CAFS) program in which she continued her training in the assessment and treatment of a wider range of child- and family-related issues including but not limited to anxiety, depression, family stress, parenting stress, and behavior disorders. Dr. Faraci’s graduate school research thesis was titled “A Mediational Model for Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Children: Parental Criticism, Parental Control, and Self-Competency.”
Dr. Faraci completed her APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at The Andrus Children’s Center in White Plains, NY in which she worked with a variety of presenting issues including bullying, psychosocial stressors, disabilities, anxiety, divorce, depression, social skills issues, ADHD and other behavior issues, and many family systems and parenting difficulties. After graduating her doctoral program with a GPA of 4.0, Dr. Faraci completed a post-doctoral internship at Premier Psychology Services in Westchester County, NY where she continued to work as a licensed psychologist until relocating to New Jersey in 2013. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA), the Morris County Psychological Association (MCPA), the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the New Jersey Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists (NJ-ACT), and the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD). Dr. Faraci regularly continues her training and education at these organizations’ conferences.
Both pre- and post-licensure, Dr. Faraci attended numerous training seminars on anxiety disorders and behavioral issues in children and adults, most notably from the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Psychiatry in the Child & Adolescent OCD, Tic, Trich & Anxiety Group and the Beck Institute: Cognitive Therapy Training Center, led by pioneers in the research and development of evidence-based treatments.
Aside from working directly with children, adults, and families, Dr. Faraci has a passion for educating the community on mental health issues. During the course of her training and beyond, Dr. Faraci has given many community presentations on topics such as managing children with behavior problems, how to help children and parents cope with anxiety, working with children having special needs, teaching social skills, cognitive behavioral therapy, and effective discipline.
