HIV/AIDS Therapists in Elizabeth, NJ

Throughout my 20-year career I have worked with those who survived the trauma of the AIDS epidemic and who are currently HIV+ and living with the isolation and stigma that being HIV+ can manifest.

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a vast experience in working with individuals, couples and families. I am a certified Emotionally Focused Focussed Therapist which means that I have completed the highest level of training in this model.

Dr. Spada can help you deal with the emotions that may come with dealing with HIV/AIDS. She can give you the tools you need to heal and resolve.

Hypnotherapy is an effective means for resolving fears and beliefs about living with HIV/AIDS in a safe and compassionate space.

Our clinicians work with individuals affected by HIV/AIDS using a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach. Treatment may address adjustment to diagnosis, medical trauma, stigma, disclosure concerns, mood symptoms, and relationship challenges. Care is individualized and collaborative.

Elizabeth is New Jersey's fourth-largest city and one of its most densely populated and ethnically diverse communities, a port city in Union County with a long history of immigrant settlement that today is home to large Dominican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Haitian, and other Latin American and Caribbean communities, alongside significant West African populations. The city has a high poverty rate and limited private therapy infrastructure, and the most pressing mental health needs are often addressed through emergency and community health channels. Multilingual care—in Spanish, Haitian Creole, and other languages—is essential, and bilingual and bicultural therapists who understand the specific experiences of recent immigrants, refugees, and documentation-insecure communities are in consistent demand. Common therapy concerns include immigration trauma, family separation, economic stress, anxiety, depression, and the compounding psychological challenges of navigating life in a dense urban community with limited resources and significant systemic barriers.

Gender ID

	67%	Male
	25%	Female
	8%	Non-Binary

Session Type

	80%	In Person and Online
	10%	Online Only
	10%	In Person Only

Top Treatment Approaches

60%	Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
40%	Psychodynamic Therapy
30%	Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
30%	Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian)
30%	Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
30%	Somatic Therapy
20%	Behavioral Therapy

Ages Served

100%	Adult
70%	Senior
40%	Children
40%	Young Adult
30%	Teen

Client Focus

60%	LGBTQ+
40%	Hispanic / Latino
40%	Men
30%	Military / Veterans
30%	Women

HIV/AIDS therapists in Elizabeth, NJ

Dr. Israel Martinez

Jose M. Perez

Dr. Dana Spada

Barry Lipscomb

City Mental Health Counseling