Mental health therapy for Ocean County, without the Parkway
Ocean County stretches from Point Pleasant Beach and Brick down through Toms River and Barnegat to Long Beach Island and Tuckerton, with the Pine Barrens filling much of the west. Getting to a specialist can mean a long stretch of the Garden State Parkway, and in summer that drive competes with shore traffic. For a lot of people, that alone is reason enough to keep putting therapy off.
Dr. Audrey Kteily, PhD, LPC-S, LMHC, CFLE removes that obstacle. She is a New Jersey Licensed Professional Counselor whose practice is entirely online, so Ocean County residents meet with her by secure video from home. Whether you live in Lakewood, Jackson, Manahawkin or a barrier island town, the session starts when you click the link.
What brings Ocean County residents to therapy?
Life at the shore has its own rhythm, and its own pressures. Some of what people bring to sessions with Dr. Audrey:
- Seasonal strain. Families who depend on summer business often carry financial stress through the off-season, along with long hours and little rest from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
- Lingering effects of hard events. Storms, accidents, sudden losses and other frightening experiences can leave people jumpy, sleepless or numb long after everyone else has moved on.
- Caregiving and grief. Many adults here are caring for aging parents or grieving them, while also raising children of their own.
- Older wounds. Childhood abuse, neglect, domestic violence or sexual assault can surface years later as anxiety, depression or trouble in relationships.
- Teens and young adults. School stress, social pressure, self-harm, identity questions and the move to college or work.
Ocean County is also home to many older adults and retirees. Later life brings its own transitions: retirement, health changes, the loss of a spouse or friends, adult children who live far away. Therapy can help with those changes too, and video sessions mean no one has to arrange a ride.
Some people come in with a clear name for what they are dealing with. Others only know they feel stuck, irritable or exhausted. Both are good reasons to reach out.
What is the difference between PTSD and complex PTSD?
PTSD typically follows a specific traumatic event, such as an assault, a serious accident or a disaster. Common symptoms include intrusive memories, nightmares, avoiding reminders and feeling constantly on alert. The American Psychiatric Association offers a clear patient overview of these symptoms.
Complex PTSD tends to develop after trauma that was repeated or prolonged, often inside close relationships where escape felt impossible. On top of the usual PTSD symptoms, people often struggle with intense emotions that are hard to settle, a deep sense of shame or worthlessness, and difficulty feeling safe with others. Research on both conditions continues to grow; journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and the National Library of Medicine database are good places to see that work.
You do not need to sort out which label fits before your first session. Part of Dr. Audrey's job is helping you understand what you are experiencing and why.
What does therapy with Dr. Audrey look like?
Trauma therapy with Dr. Audrey moves in stages. It begins with stabilization: learning what your nervous system is doing when you feel flooded or shut down, and practicing skills that bring you back to the present. Her C-DBT certification in Dialectical Behavior Therapy shapes much of this early work, with practical tools for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and communicating needs.
Once you have steadier footing, therapy can turn toward the experiences underneath the symptoms. That work is collaborative and paced by you. Throughout, she pays attention to relationships, because her doctoral training in family studies centers on how families and close partners shape one another. The American Psychological Association publishes plain-language guidance on what to expect from therapy if you want to read more before you begin.
Therapy is not only for trauma. She also works with anxiety and panic, depression, mood disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum concerns, grief, addictions and major life transitions.
How online sessions work from anywhere in Ocean County
Sessions are held over secure, HIPAA-compliant video. You receive a link, open it in your browser and you are in. No app, no download and no office to find. The practice does not offer in-person appointments.
- Dr. Audrey is licensed in New Jersey, so you must be physically in New Jersey (or in Texas or New York, where she is also licensed) at session time.
- Appointments for New Jersey clients are scheduled in Eastern Time and arranged flexibly around your week.
- A quiet, private room is all you need. Headphones help if others are home.
A typical session feels much like sitting across from a therapist, just on a screen. You talk through what has happened since last time, work on whatever feels most pressing and often leave with a skill or idea to try during the week. If the connection drops, you simply rejoin the same link.
Online sessions also help with the realities of living near the water. A summer workday that runs late, a storm that makes the roads messy or a child home sick no longer means canceling, because you only need a private room and an internet connection.
For a step-by-step look, see how sessions work for New Jersey clients.
Support for Ocean County couples, parents and families
When one person is struggling, everyone at home feels it. Dr. Audrey's specialty is family systems counseling, which looks at the patterns that connect people rather than placing blame on one family member. She offers couples counseling, parent counseling for mothers and fathers trying to help a struggling child, and family sessions that can include relatives joining from different locations.
Teens ages 12 to 18 and young adults ages 18 to 29 make up a large part of her work. Her practice is LGBTQ+-friendly and LGBTQ+-owned and aligned with GLSEN and the Human Rights Campaign, which matters to many young people who want a therapist they do not have to explain themselves to.
Dr. Audrey Kteily's qualifications
Dr. Audrey brings over 20 years of clinical experience. She holds a PhD in Family Studies and a Bachelor's in Psychology from Texas Woman's University, and a Master's in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University. She has been a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas since 2001 and a Supervisor since 2004, and she holds a New Jersey LPC and a New York LMHC. She is a Certified Family Life Educator with the National Council on Family Relations, is C-DBT certified and has published on family dynamics.
More about her approach and the states she serves is on the New Jersey therapy page and the main Dr. Audrey site.
Getting started from Toms River, Brick, LBI or anywhere in the county
Reach out and Dr. Audrey will reply within one business day to talk through what you are looking for and find a time. The practice is out of network; you will receive a superbill to submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement, so check your plan's out-of-network mental health benefits ahead of time.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or 911. Dr. Audrey's practice is not a crisis service.
To begin, fill out the secure appointment request form or use the New Jersey appointment form. You can also text or call (917) 905-3183; texting is the easiest way, and please keep health details out of the message.