Hi, I'm Jonah!
I'm an IFS and EMDR therapist who works with Autistic, PDA, ADHD, and otherwise neurodivergent kids, teens, and adults. My approach is neurodiversity-affirming, nervous-system-informed, and focused on helping young people feel understood rather than "fixed."
You may be here because your child is struggling—and despite your best efforts, nothing seems to be helping.
Maybe they're overwhelmed by school, exhausted from masking, avoiding responsibilities, or shutting down when expectations are placed on them. Maybe everyday tasks like showering, eating, sleeping, schoolwork, or cleaning their room have become a source of ongoing stress and conflict.
If that sounds familiar, let’s talk!
Support for children:
My goal is to help your child better understand themselves, build self-trust, develop practical coping skills, and create a life that works with their brain rather than against it.
I often support families with children who:
Relate to experiences commonly associated with Autism, ADHD, PDA, or ODD.
Feel overwhelmed by school demands, social expectations, masking, and the pressure to keep up.
Experience chronic stress, burnout, anxiety, meltdowns, shutdowns, or emotional overwhelm.
Avoid school, therapy, self-care tasks, or everyday responsibilities because demands feel threatening, overwhelming, or incompatible with their need for autonomy.
Seem capable one moment and unable to cope the next, leaving parents confused about what is driving their behavior.
Become distressed when given directions, reminders, praise, rewards, consequences, or even requests they genuinely want to fulfill.
Get caught in ongoing power struggles around independence, responsibilities, boundaries, and expectations.
Use negotiation, distraction, avoidance, or refusal to regain a sense of control when they feel pressured.
Struggle with sibling relationships and the big feelings that can come with them, including anger, jealousy, grief, sadness, or resentment.
Feel deeply misunderstood and have difficulty communicating what they need.
Support for parents:
Parenting a neurodivergent child can be rewarding, but also exhausting and isolating. I help parents reduce conflict, strengthen connection, and develop practical strategies that work for their child and family. Together, we'll understand what's beneath the behavior and find approaches that are effective, sustainable, and tailored to neurodivergent kids.
Together, we can work on:
Supporting your child with homework, hygiene, sleep, eating, and daily routines without constant battles.
Understanding the nervous system and autonomy-related factors driving challenging behaviors.
Recognizing when behavior is rooted in stress, overwhelm, burnout, or demand sensitivity rather than defiance.
Moving beyond reward-and-consequence approaches that may unintentionally increase distress or resistance.
Managing your own stress, frustration, anger, and overwhelm.
Navigating co-parenting challenges and differences in parenting styles.
Addressing concerns about school, relationships, independence, and your child's future.
Responding to difficult statements such as "I hate myself," "I hate you," or "I don't want to be alive."
Exploring low-demand, collaborative, and PDA-informed approaches to parenting.
Building a relationship with your child that feels more connected and less adversarial.
How I work:
Many of the challenges that bring families to therapy are described as executive functioning difficulties: getting started on tasks, managing time, staying organized, coping with transitions, regulating emotions, or keeping up with school demands.
What often gets overlooked is that executive functioning is never just logistical. Every task has both a practical component and an emotional one. A child may know exactly what needs to be done yet still struggle because the task feels overwhelming, anxiety-provoking, boring, shame-inducing, or connected to past experiences of failure. For many neurodivergent children, these emotional experiences are at the heart of executive functioning challenges.
My work focuses on helping families understand and respond to the emotional side of these struggles. Rather than relying solely on strategies, routines, or productivity tools, I help children and caregivers develop a deeper understanding of what is happening beneath the surface so that confidence, flexibility, emotional regulation, and connection can grow.
My work combines two complementary components. The first is education about neurodivergence using the PDA Safe Circle curriculum, which helps children and parents understand their unique neurodivergent profile and learn practical ways to support it. The second is each person's own therapeutic work. Using Internal Family Systems (IFS) and EMDR, I help children and parents explore the emotional experiences, patterns, and protective strategies that influence how they relate to themselves and one another.
Because every family is different, therapy does not always look the same. Some children are eager to participate directly, while others are not yet ready—and that's okay. When a child is reluctant, I often find that the most meaningful work begins with caregivers. As parents gain insight into their own emotional patterns, expectations, and responses, the parent-child relationship often shifts in ways that naturally support their child's growth.
Rather than thinking of this as child therapy or parent therapy, I invite families to think of it as family therapy. Together, we'll decide which combination of family members will be most helpful based on your family's unique circumstances. You can learn more about these treatment options in the process section of the FAQ page.
About me as a person…
I am a white, neurodivergent, queer, 32 year old. I am a very casual, jokey and compassionate person. The things I think about a lot include building community and amazing friendships, how to organize for a better world and make a living all at the same time. I am in a queer pickleball league, I love Survivor, biking around my neighborhood and am obsessed with IFS therapy.
About me as a therapist…
My therapy style is deeply informed by the IFS and EMDR models. In my own experience with therapy, I often felt like I was being given advice, asked to reframe my thinking, or encouraged to practice mindfulness. While those approaches can be helpful for some people, they didn’t work for me — it often felt more like talking with a friend than engaging in a specialized therapeutic process.
IFS and EMDR feel different because they offer specific, evidence-based methods that trained therapists are uniquely equipped to guide. These approaches are grounded in the belief that your thoughts and feelings are deeply valid and meaningful. Rather than trying to change or suppress them, we work to understand why they developed in the first place.
Together, we will explore the different parts of your personality, learn the history and purpose of each part, and build a more connected and compassionate relationship with yourself. Whether the part that feels strongest is jealousy, anger, sadness, anxiety, or something else, we will approach it with curiosity and care. Often, when we try to silence or “get rid of” difficult feelings, they only become louder. Instead, we will learn to listen to them, understand them, and ultimately relate to them with greater compassion.
The very struggles that bring us into therapy can also become pathways toward richer, fuller, and more meaningful lives. In many cases, the parts of ourselves we dislike most deeply hold important clues to our most dramatic healing and growth.
What you bring into therapy won’t disappear, but it can be met with understanding, imagination, and companionship. I strive to create a space where all parts of you are welcome — including the parts that may dread, resist, or resent the idea of therapy itself.
I offer free 20-minute consultation calls to see if we’re a good fit.
CONTACT
(856) 441-3613 | jonahrosentherapy@gmail.com
CREDENTIALS
Jonah Rosen, LCSW, NPI: 1316647522
Frequently Asked Questions
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The process can start with a phone consultation if you want more info to decide if we are a fit. If you feel confident you can just book a session. During the consultation, we'll talk about what's going on with your family and I can answer any questions you have.
The next step is the intake session. During this session, we'll discuss whether autistic burnout or PDA seems like a good fit for what your child is experiencing. We'll also talk more about what's been going on with your family and decide together whether it makes the most sense to work primarily with you as parents or directly with your child. After this conversation we will have chosen one of these treatment tracks:
Track 1: Child-Centered Therapy
This track is designed for kids and teens who are ready to participate in therapy. I meet with the child for two sessions, and then every third session I meet individually with one parent. Parent sessions rotate between caregivers and are intended to focus on your own therapeutic work, not just parenting concerns. Please come prepared to talk about what’s happening in your emotional world, as the patterns, challenges, and emotions that arise in our lives often show up in our parenting as well.
Track 2: Parent-Focused Therapy
This track is for situations where a child or teen is not yet ready to participate in therapy. This can be very common in Autistic/PDA kids as I’m sure you know! In this approach, I work directly with the parents. I meet with Parent 1 for an individual session, then Parent 2 for an individual session, alternating back and forth. In this track, you'll do your own individual therapeutic work which again does not need to be focused on your child.
This track includes an optional third session with both parents. I offer this mostly to work through the PDA Safe Circle Curriculum for families who feel PDA/autistic burnout fits them. Some prefer to work through this content on their own and some prefer to have a space for it. Either is fine! Some also want this space to talk all together to process parenting more generally, as it is less about your own therapeutic work and more centered on processing how to parent in a way that works for you and your family.
Track 3: Individual Only
This option can be used for parents if only one parent is looking to receive therapy. It can also be used for children who prefer not to have the same therapist as their parents and would like to keep their therapy process separate. This is completely valid, whether the preference comes from the parent or the child. While I will not share information that a client does not want disclosed, maintaining separate therapeutic relationships can provide an added sense of privacy and comfort for everyone involved.This option can also be used if one, two, or three of the family members wants to see me weekly and would like to get the process moving faster. The more I can see different family members the more streamlined the process will be!
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My primary specialties are Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
EMDR is an evidence-based approach that can be highly effective for individuals who have experienced single-incident traumas, such as car accidents or natural disasters, as well as those living with the effects of complex trauma resulting from repeated or prolonged adverse experiences, including childhood trauma. If this aligns with your needs, I would be honored to support you in your healing process.
IFS is a versatile and compassionate therapeutic approach that can benefit people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. I have particular expertise in supporting individuals navigating ADHD, autism, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). I also have extensive experience working with children, preteens, adolescents, parents, and neurodivergent clients. At the same time, I welcome the opportunity to work with individuals from all walks of life and am committed to providing an inclusive, affirming therapeutic environment for every client.
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In general, it's preferable for the child to attend sessions independently if they're comfortable doing so. However, if your child needs you to be in the room, I do offer that option. In some cases, having a parent present can also be helpful for the therapeutic process. It really depends on the child, so we'll discuss what makes the most sense together and decide on an approach that feels right for everyone.
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I currently accept Aetna, Highmark, IBX, and United (optum) through Headway.com if you find me there.
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I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with four years of experience providing outpatient therapy to children, adults, and families. Throughout my career, I have worked with hundreds of clients in both individual and family therapy settings, helping them navigate a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and relational challenges.
I am certified in Mindfulness-Based Play Family Therapy and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). In addition, I will be completing Level 1 training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) this summer, further expanding my expertise in evidence-based approaches that support meaningful, lasting change.
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Yes, I offer substantial reduced rates for individuals facing financial barriers to paying the full fee. Sliding scale rates are determined through an open conversation about your current financial situation, with the goal of making therapy accessible while respecting the value of our work together.
If you have questions about the fee structure or are unsure whether you qualify for a reduced rate, please don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss your options.
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I’m In office In Center City Monday and Friday 1-7pm at 100 South Broad Street, Suite 2210 , and also offer virtual sessions on other days. I can work with anyone located in Pennsylvania and am happy to meet either in person or online, depending on what feels like the best fit for you and your family.
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I recommend that we start with weekly appointments. This gives us the opportunity to get to know each other, to identify your therapy goals and to work towards them in a consistent way. Some clients transition to every other week when they feel that they've made significant progress towards their goals and wish to meet less frequently. With that said, if there are financial constraints around meeting weekly, we can discuss this and try to find a way that works for you.
What are my fees?
I currently accept Aetna, Highmark, IBX, and United (optum) through Headway.com if you find me there.
My OON rate is $165 per session.
Contact me for sliding scale rates.
Most major insurance plans also offer partial reimbursement for out-of-network services once your annual deductible has been met. It is very possible you will get 50-70% off your rate.
Check out this link to see how much you can get off your rate: