The son of two police officers, Ferdinando Palumbo set out to follow his parents into the uniform and badge.
But life had other plans.
He joined the U.S. Army Reserves (still wearing a uniform) and enrolled in college, a requirement his parents set for enlistment.
That detour sparked an interest in mental health, particularly PTSD. After retiring from service, he traded the badge for a new mission—helping others heal the mind.
“I was still initially on track to be a cop but I became interested in the treatment of mental health,” Palumbo revealed. “I stuck with the psychology aspect.”
Today, Palumbo is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Northern New Jersey CBT in Denville, a practice specializing in anxiety and exposure therapy.
Raised in Jefferson, he earned his master’s at the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work and trained with the International OCD Foundation and Albert Ellis Institute, completing mentorships in anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and related behavioral issues.
Over time, he’s seen the demand for mental health services soar.
“Covid was the demarcation point,” he said, noting that his schedule jumped from a 2.5-day workweek to five. “Phones were ringing off the hook.”
And they haven’t stopped since. He currently runs his own practice with a clear focus on anxiety treatment.
Palumbo uses exposure therapy to reduce symptoms of panic and OCD, offering what he calls “long-form and more traditional sessions.”
“Anxiety is a big liar,” he explained. “My favorite thing to do out in the community is to see if anxiety is telling the truth.”
He likens anxiety to a faulty alarm system:
“It's like a smoke detector going off when there's no fire—it’s trying to be helpful.”
That’s where Palumbo steps in—helping clients retrain their minds and reclaim calm.
On his blog, he describes a case involving a patient with OCD who feared spreading illness when dressing.
“We went to the mall where he tried on clothes and didn’t have easy access to washing his hands...and we did it a second time for good measure.”
Repeated exposure reduced the patient’s anxiety over time.
While virtual therapy remains popular, Palumbo favors in-person sessions—especially for exposure work. As for AI, he approaches it with caution.
“With OCD, people will often ask others for reassurance and that could be problematic with AI,” he said. “Part of exposure therapy is reducing the problematic reassurances and AI is designed to be agreeable.”
“And you don’t want a therapist who agrees with you all the time. That’s not what you’re paying them for.”
Palumbo also aims to fight lingering mental health stigma, especially within traditional cultures and religions.
“Is the therapist going to tell you to do things against your religion?” he said. “No, my job is to help you live your faith the best as possible.”
When he’s not helping patients conquer challenges, he’s nurturing growth in another way—through his gardens and Italian heritage. Palumbo is a member of several Italian-American organizations and even maintains a garden at a historic Italian church in Newark.
“It’s a fun hobby of preserving Italian-American culture and sharing it with the community.”
He also enjoys time with his wife, Christine, a fellow psychologist.
Northern New Jersey CBT is located at 95 East Main Street in Denville.