About Dr. Budesa:
I completed my undergraduate work at Rutgers University and went on to pursue my Masters in Psychology at Yeshiva University and my doctorate at the University of Denver. After completing my internship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, I earned my Doctorate in Psychology in 2002. I then served for three years as an active duty Navy psychologist in southern Maryland. In that setting, I worked closely with physicians and dentists to integrate behavioral and physical health interventions in an effort to bring about better patient outcomes.
After moving to New Jersey in 2006, I began working exclusively with older adolescents and adults in private practice. I work with clients individually and in couples settings. I am a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA), Essex-Union County Association of Psychologists, NJPA Health Psychology Special Interest Group, and the NJPA Early Career Psychologists Special Interest Group. Additionally, I am a member of Give an Hour, a national network of behavioral health providers who provide complimentary and confidential behavioral health counseling to U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and their loved ones.
About Dr. Budesa’s approach:
My training in psychology focused on Behavioral approaches to psychological distress and dysfunction. What does this mean? Well, Behavioral approaches have several common features, including:
Present focused: While some exploration of your history is necessary, it is done to find any patterns of behavior that are relevant to what is currently happening. We will not spend significant amounts of time exploring "deep childhood traumas," and the like. Rather, we'll look to find general patterns of thinking, feeling, and doing in order to identify areas where you can make changes that will bring about positive outcomes.
Goal focused: From the outset of treatment, together we will establish and work towards the achievement of specific goals. As a result, you will know when we are nearing end of our time together and will be able to clearly see how and where you have progressed. My goal with my clients is to put myself out of a job - not to hold on to them for years on end.
Individualized treatment: There are many different techniques that can be helpful to you. What may have been helpful to your sister, cousin, or friend may not work for you. My approach is to tailor strategies that will work for you and your particular circumstances.
Understanding of change: Dysfunctional behavior is not seen as a symptom of underlying conflicts or pathology, but rather problems in living. Most dysfunctional behavior is acquired and maintained in the same way as healthy behavior. Our goal is to find out what is maintaining the unhelpful thinking, feeling, or acting so that we can design strategies that bring about healthier thinking, feeling, or acting.
80 Pompton Ave. Suite 301 l Verona, NJ 07044 l (973) 897-7774 l reginabudesa@gmail.com l NJ License #4289