Meet local mom Mary Ragazzo Reilly, a cognitive behavioral therapist who says Cranford is the perfect blend of everything her family wants in a place to call home.
Name
Mary Ragazzo Reilly
Family
(names/ages)
Brian, Sammy (12)
& Millie (10)
Pet(s)
Dogs, Toby and Teddy
Company
Mary Ragazzo, L.C.S.W.
Job Title
Psychotherapist
in private practice
Contact Info
Mary Ragazzo, L.C.S.W.
108 Baker Street
Maplewood, NJ 07040
maryragazzo@gmail.com
646-645-3446
www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/mary-ragazzo-maplewood-nj/61453
How long have you lived here and what brought you to town?
We moved to Cranford 9 years ago. After living in Brooklyn, walkability was a top priority. We also wanted an easy commute to NYC and to our families.
Cranford captured the perfect blend of everything we wanted; nature, a thriving downtown, a sense of community, and great schools.
What are your favorite family activities?
Canoeing on the river, hanging out at Track 5, the many fall activities, especially the jack-o-lantern stroll.
What’s your favorite restaurant and/or place to shop?
Old City Café and 8Thai. Augusta Mae is wonderful; the owners have helped me pick hundreds of unique gifts over the years.
What was the best advice on motherhood that you ever received?
“You can have it all, but not at the same time” – Michelle Obama “Parenting is a marathon, not a race” – My mom.
Tell us about your job or passion.
I am a cognitive behavioral psychotherapist licensed in NY and NJ with over 20 years of experience. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is based on the workings of human perception, emphasizing the way events, feelings, and behaviors are experienced, person-to-person. Working collaboratively, the client and therapist identify patterns of thought and behavior that serve or fail to serve an individual’s best possible self. Clients gain clarity regarding the interplay and interdependence between cognition, emotion, and action.
What inspired you to follow this career?
I have been passionate about understanding how people think, feel, and behave for as long as I can remember. My personal journey with anxiety, my innate compassion and empathy combined with my sense of duty to help others led me down this path.
Anything we missed?
People are more alike than not in the human quest for successful, loving relationships, fulfilling work, and optimal health. I see my role as helping to encourage and outline a path to accomplish one’s wishes through discovery and learning most right for every client.