Dr. Michelle Drapkin started the CBT Center as a “Saturday morning hobby” because she was passionate about members of her community having “Better Access to Better Care.” She cares about helping people who are struggling find the best possible treatment to reduce their suffering. She leads the CBT Center team and most patients get to chat with her directly as she still answers the phones and emails, striving to connect with everyone on a personal level.
Dr. Drapkin is a Board-Certified clinical psychologist in CBT, licensed in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania and part of the Psychological Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which enables her to see patients virtually in almost 30 other states. Dr. Drapkin specializes in individuals (both late adolescents and adults), couples, and families. She strongly believes in developing the most effective treatment plan for each individual’s needs and she will work together with you going between assessing and treating what you are struggling with so we can get you on the right path as soon as possible. Together, we test and learn what works best for you – there is no one-size-fits-all at the CBT Center.
Dr. Drapkin has both research and treatment expertise in the area of alcohol and other substance use disorders. She approaches addiction treatment in a respectful, collaborative fashion, using both Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) approaches. Dr. Drapkin is a longtime member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and many seek out her expert treatment as an alternative to traditional 12-step treatment. She also is the sole author on an upcoming book from New Harbinger Publications – The Motivational Interviewing Path to Personal Change: The Essential Workbook to Creating the Life You Want. She also often works with individuals who are still considering what changes they want to make with their substance use.
She also specializes in the areas of depression and anxiety, two disorders that are common among those who are working through addiction. She has expertise with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and phobias.
Dr. Drapkin has held a variety of roles across different industries, including healthcare at Johnson & Johnson and academia as faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. She consults and serves as an advisor in the behavior science and health technology arenas and tries to stay on the bleeding edge of science-backed treatment approaches. She was featured recently by the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) and was interviewed on the Full Potential Movement. You can read more about her speaking and consulting work on her personal website – DrDrapkin.com and find her on LinkedIn to subscribe to her Better Access to Better Care newsletter.
Dr. Drapkin understands the challenges of managing work and life and is eager to help you manage whatever your struggles may be.
Dr. Drapkin’s personal mission is “Better Access to Better Care” and she is often working hard behind the scenes to live into that mission. She also tries to practice what she preaches and integrate work and family and serve the greater community. You can often find her on the softball field, with her daughter’s Girl Scout troop, or walking her yappy schnauzers. She also volunteers her time to consult with mental health in the community and in the workplace.
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