Positive Developments

What Positive Developments does

Positive Developments, LLC is a privately-held group psychology practice headquartered at 90 Millburn Avenue, Suite 102, Millburn, New Jersey. Founded in 2009 by three licensed psychologists (Dr. Nancy Distel, Dr. Elena Jeffries, and Dr. Nancy Ziebert), the practice has operated continuously for over 15 years and now fields a roster of approximately 14 clinicians, including three founding partners, multiple senior associates and associates, a licensed clinical social worker, and an office manager, supporting 11-50 total headcount. The firm offers a horizontal portfolio of psychological services: individual therapy for adults, children/adolescents, and college students/young adults; couples and family therapy; parenting services including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy; psychoeducational and neuropsychological assessment; community consultation and workshops for schools, corporations, and community organizations; and teletherapy. It serves individual consumer clients across northern New Jersey (Essex, Union, Morris, and Somerset counties) and, via PSYPACT/APIT-authorized telepsychology, consumers in 40+ U.S. states.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean and is built on third-party infrastructure rather than proprietary systems. Client data, scheduling, billing, intake forms, and teletherapy sessions are delivered through a HIPAA-compliant platform (CounSol), and remote practice is supported by PSYPACT/APIT credentialing that authorizes interstate telepsychology. The firm has no public API, no proprietary AI tooling, and no mobile app of its own; technology is treated as operational overhead rather than a product moat.

The business model is a direct-pay, out-of-network professional services practice. The practice does not participate with any insurance plans and bills clients directly at the close of each session, with pricing tiered by session length (typically 45-60 minutes for therapy, 75 minutes for initial evaluation) and by clinician experience level. Clients receive invoices to submit for out-of-network insurance reimbursement. Customer acquisition is sales-led and referral-driven: prospective clients are matched with therapists through a Partner-mediated intake process, with supporting top-of-funnel activity via website content, community workshops at schools and organizations, and professional referrals from clinicians, schools, and Child Study Teams. There is no outside investment, no parent company, and no public listing.

Name

Positive Developments

Legal name

Positive Developments, LLC

Website

https://positivedevelopments.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Positive Developments, LLC is a Millburn, NJ-based group psychology practice founded in 2009 that provides therapy, psychological assessment, parenting services, and teletherapy to individuals, couples, families, and schools across northern New Jersey and 40+ PSYPACT-authorized U.S. states on an out-of-network, direct-pay basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAFACAL

Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Behavioral Health & Substance Use Treatment

SECONDARYEDAJALAG

Mental Health Counseling & Therapy Services (K–12)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Educational Support Services (Tutoring & Counseling)

SECONDARYHLALAEAJ

Neurodevelopmental & Behavioral Therapy Platforms (ADHD/Autism/Behavioral Coaching)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Telehealth Platforms/Behavioral & Mental Health Teletherapy Platforms

SECONDARYEDAJALAH

Behavioral Support & Intervention Services (PBIS/Behavior Coaching)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Educational Support Services (Tutoring & Counseling)

SECONDARYEDACALAJ

Parent Mental Health, Stress Management & Wellness Programs

Education/Early Childhood Education/Parent Education & Family Engagement Programs

Keywords

• Psychological therapy services
• Neuropsychological assessment
• Child adolescent therapy
• Couples family counseling
• Parenting consultation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Millburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Out-of-Network Therapy Services: The practice operates on an out-of-network basis, billing clients directly for therapy sessions. Clients receive invoices to submit for out-of-network insurance claims. Fees are determined based on therapist experience level and session length.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Positive Developments is a group psychology practice delivering outpatient mental health services to children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Offerings include individual therapy, child and adolescent therapy, college student/young adult therapy, couples and family therapy, parenting services, psychoeducational and neuropsychological assessment, and teletherapy. Services are provided on an out-of-network basis, with fees set by therapist experience and session length, and are supported by a HIPAA-compliant patient portal and PSYPACT-authorized telehealth infrastructure.

Product overview

Positive Developments is a group psychological therapy practice offering a comprehensive suite of mental health services. The practice operates as a unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core services include Adult Therapy, Child and Adolescent Therapy, College Student and Young Adult Therapy, Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Assessment, Couples and Family Therapy, Parenting Services, Community Involvement and Consultation, and Teletherapy. The practice also provides a HIPAA-compliant Patient Portal (powered by CounSol) for client data management and appointment preparation. Services are delivered in-person and via telehealth, with therapists authorized under PSYPACT to serve clients across multiple states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Therapy
• Child and Adolescent Therapy Therapeutic services for children and adolescents addressing emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal issues including anxiety disorders, behavioral management, depression, and social skills difficulties.
• College Student and Young Adult Therapy Therapy services for college students and young adults addressing anxiety, depression, OCD, low self-esteem, academic pressure, life transitions, identity exploration, and relationship challenges.
• Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Assessment Comprehensive psychological assessments evaluating cognitive, academic, and emotional development. Psychoeducational assessments focus on intellectual abilities and academic achievement; neuropsychological assessments provide more comprehensive evaluation of brain functions affecting cognitive, behavioral, or academic functioning.
• Couples and Family Therapy Therapy services for couples and families working to improve relationships, adjust to significant change, or cope with difficult situations by improving communication styles and building harmonious relationships.
• Parenting Services Specialized parenting services including individual parent consultation, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), brief in-home interventions, and community-based parenting workshops based on positive discipline strategies.
• Community Involvement and Consultation
• Teletherapy Remote psychotherapy via HIPAA-compliant, secure online platforms for individual, couples, family, and parenting sessions, with therapists authorized under PSYPACT to provide services across state lines.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Grow Therapy: Insurance-accepting network and practice-management platform for therapists and group mental health practices. Comparable as a scaled, tech-enabled alternative to traditional group practices, with similar service lines spanning therapy across the lifespan.
• Lyra Health: Mental health benefits provider delivering therapy and coaching to employees of large enterprise customers, with in-person and virtual care across the US. Comparable for the comprehensive therapy-plus-assessment service mix and pediatric/family offering, though primarily enterprise-sold versus Positive Developments' direct consumer model.
• Headway: Platform that helps independent therapists and small group practices accept insurance, manage credentialing, and grow caseloads. Comparable insofar as it represents the insurance-accepting operating model that Positive Developments has rejected; relevant peer for understanding the structural alternative to out-of-network positioning.
• Alma: Therapist network and practice-support platform providing insurance credentialing, EHR, and referral flow for independent and group mental health practices. Directly comparable as a competing structural model for how a group practice can operate and scale in 2024+ versus Positive Developments' fully out-of-network model.

Broad incumbents

• Talkspace: Public online therapy platform offering individual, couples, and teen therapy via telehealth with insurance and B2B contracts. Broad incumbent in the same therapy category, contrasting Positive Developments' high-touch in-person model with a fully digital, scaled delivery model.
• BetterHelp: Largest consumer online therapy platform (owned by Teladoc) offering individual, couples, and teen therapy via telehealth with subscription pricing. Broad incumbent whose fully digital, low-friction model represents the demand-side alternative to traditional group practices like Positive Developments.
• LifeStance Health: Large publicly traded multi-state outpatient mental health practice operating hundreds of clinics with thousands of licensed clinicians. Directly comparable business model (group practice, insurance-accepting, lifespan services including therapy and assessment) but at vastly greater scale and with PE backing.

Direct peers

• Two Chairs: Premium group therapy practice with multiple physical locations (California, Florida) plus telehealth, emphasizing careful client-therapist matching and evidence-based care. Closest direct peer in terms of curated, higher-quality outpatient mental health delivery and matching-led intake.
• Octave: Modern group therapy practice with multiple locations offering individual, couples, and family therapy across the lifespan. Comparable to Positive Developments in service mix, lifespan coverage, and in-person-plus-telehealth delivery model, but operating in different metros.
• Child Mind Institute: Nonprofit providing pediatric and adolescent mental health, learning, and developmental services including neuropsychological assessment. Directly comparable for child/adolescent therapy and neurodevelopmental assessment services; Positive Developments' Mandi Silverman was previously Senior Director of its Autism Center.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/positive-developments-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Positive Developments