About Me

WELCOME!

I am Mati Sicherer and I have over three decades of counseling experience to share with you. I am a fully certified counselor in New Jersey and am trained in individual therapy couples work and sex therapy. I have a master's degree in counseling as well as a doctoral degree in special education. The unique combination of these degrees allows me insight from a wide and neurodiverse angle and my clients appreciate the knowledge base that my training affords. 

As a therapist, my mission is to empower clients by fostering self-awareness, promoting deeper understanding, and illuminating the choices available to us as human beings. I believe every individual deserves to feel honored, heard, acknowledged, and respected. Recognizing that each person is the expert of their own life experiences, I collaborate with my clients to uncover meaningful paths toward personal growth and change.

Helping people has always been at the heart of everything I do. Whether writing books and articles on counseling, volunteering at soup kitchens alongside my husband and five children, or training and certifying my dogs as therapy animals to work by my side, my focus has always been on making the world a little kinder and brighter than it was when I arrived.

WHO I WORK WITH

I primarily work with adults and couples, addressing a range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, grief, relationship dynamics, communication issues, desire discrepancy, sexual trauma, dysregulated emotions, stress and life transitions.

Additionally, I am a seasoned parenting educator, supporting parents—both individually and as couples—navigating family struggles related to academic and behavioral challenges, learning disabilities, ADHD, executive functioning, anxiety, depression, and trauma. I also have specialized expertise in understanding how food allergies can influence family dynamics.

MY APPROACH TO THERAPY 

My therapeutic approach is grounded in an existential perspective, which emphasizes the belief that every individual has the innate capacity for self-awareness and transformation. Building on this foundation, I take a holistic approach, drawing from various disciplines and tailoring tools to meet the unique needs of each client. At the same time, I also work from a strengths based and pragmatic approach. Questions such as, “How can we modify your environment to accommodate your needs?” “What purpose has this served?” and “Are you living your life in alignment with your values and goals?” are at the core of my practice. I am sex positive as well as neurodiverse, gender and kink/poly/BDSM affirming. 

COUPLES, RELATIONSHIP AND SEX THERAPY

I have training in the Gottman Method for couples, along with advanced training in addressing affairs and trauma. Additionally, I am trained in sex therapy techniques, including Sensate Focus. My focus is on helping partners reconnect by teaching practical strategies to create space for each other and foster a deeper, more meaningful bond within their relationship.

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS/AWARDS

• EdD in Special Education
• MA in Counseling
• AASECT certification in progress
• Every Person Influences Children (EPIC) Trainer Certified
• New Jersey School Counselor Association – School Counselor of the Year
• New Jersey School Counselor Association – Humanitarian Award

PUBLICATIONS

Books

• Sicherer, M. (2020). The Elementary School Counselor’s Guide to Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities: A Comprehensive Program. London, England: Routledge Press.
• Sicherer, M. (2019). College for Students with Learning Disabilities: A High School Counselor’s Guide to Fostering Success. London, England: Routledge Press. 

Articles

• Sicherer, M. (2021). My Teens are Leaving for College and My Life Won’t Be the Same. Your Teen for Parents Magazine, https://yourteenmag.com/teens-college/college-life/teens-are-leaving-for-college
• Sicherer, M. (2018). Beyond the IEP, School Counselor Magazine. 56(1). 23-27. Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association.
• Sicherer, M. (1999, Sept/Oct). Twins, Again.” Twins Magazine. 14. Englewood, CO. Twins Magazine.

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

• Sicherer, M. (2014). Exploring Teacher Knowledge About Dyslexia and Teacher Efficacy in the Inclusive Classroom: A Multiple Case Study. (Doctoral Thesis). Northcentral University. Scottsdale, AZ.
• Shemesh, E., Annunziato, R. A., Ambrose, M. A., Ravid, N. L., Mullarkey, C., Rubes, M., Chuang, K., Sicherer, M., … Sicherer, S. H. (2013). Child and parental reports of bullying in a consecutive sample of children with food allergy. Pediatrics, 131(1), e10-7.
• Lieberman, J. A., Weiss, C., Furlong, T. J., Sicherer, M., & Sicherer, S. H. (2010). Bullying among pediatric patients with food allergy. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 105(4), 282-286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2010.07.011.

Dissertation

Sicherer, M. (2014). Exploring Teacher Knowledge About Dyslexia and Teacher Efficacy in the Inclusive Classroom: A Multiple Case Study. (Doctoral Thesis). Northcentral University. Scottsdale, AZ.