Jeffrey H. Axelbank, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist, with extensive knowledge about people, group and organizational behavior, individual behavior change, and human relations. He specializes in the functioning of teams and has helped a wide range of people and organizations using a customized approach which goes beyond organizational development.

Jeff has helped organizations achieve success on issues such as strategic planning, burnout, building teams, managing transitions, improving communications and morale, family businesses, and resolving conflict. He was an adjunct faculty member at William Paterson University, teaching a Masters level course in the Educational Leadership Department called Understanding Group Process and the Psychology of Organizations. Dr. Axelbank is a field supervisor at the Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, where he supervises doctoral students in clinical psychology.  He serves as a Board member and Treasurer of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations.

To view a complete C.V. click here.

Education

Dr. Axelbank holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Cornell University College of Engineering.

In addition, Jeff is a graduate of the Organization Program of the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis and Psychology, having earned a certificate in Organizational Development and Consultation. He also completed the advanced training in the Dynamics of Consulting program, and has been trained in Future Search, both in-person and in Virtual Space.  Jeff was the Founding President of the Middlesex County (NJ) Association of Psychologists.

Recent Consultations

Large Architecture Firm

Organizational Assessment: Leadership overwhelmed by explosive growth, question of how to reorganize to maintain and manage the expansion

Leadership Coaching: Consultation to Office Directors to assist in defining roles, managing explosive growth

Leadership Learning Groups: Facilitation of groups of leaders to create cohesiveness, clearly define roles, resolve role conflicts, develop leadership skills

Town Mayor and Council

Goals and Planning: Annual retreat starting in 2010 for Mayor and Council to decide strategic goals, and developing plans to achieve the goals

Environmental Consulting Firm

Executive Advising: Coaching of a department head

School for Autistic Students

Burnout: Assessing causes of burnout in the staff, and recommending organizational remedies

Jewish Chavurah Congregation

Strategic Planning: Bringing together the factions of the congregation to discover common ground upon which to move forward together

Medical Residency Training Program

Conflict Resolution and Organizational development: Improving the learning environment and relations between Attending Physicians and Residents.

Public School District Business Office

Conflict Resolution: Assessing organizational roots of conflict between staff, helped implement structural solutions.

Early Childhood Education and Child-care in Economically Depressed City

Future Search: Strategic planning involving multiple stakeholder groups.

Art School

Organizational development: Helping the leadership team plan for the future and expansion, and improve management functions.

Large Law Firm

Organizational development: Improving communications between Partners and Associates and across workgroups.

Family Business

Strategic planning: Helping family members create opportunities for business growth.

Cosmetics Raw Material Manufacturing Firm

Conflict resolution: Assessed and addressed systemic issues thereby eliminating workplace strife.

Travel Agency

Conflict resolution and executive coaching: Clarified roles such that organization resumed effective teamwork; coached owner to be a stronger leader.

High School

Violence prevention: Led consulting team assessing system dynamics that contribute to violence; made recommendations to address vulnerabilities.

Charter School

Organizational assessment and Board development: Helped to heal factionalism on Board to facilitate cohesive governance

Fortune 500 Pharmaceutical

Plant closing: Guided leadership team in announcing plant closing so that violence was avoided and smooth operation continued until scheduled shutdown.

Large urban social service agency

Coaching: Helped executive to understand and better manage her relationship with the system that she leads.

(Part of a team consulting to) Large State of NJ Department

Program change evaluation: Facilitated workforce forums to assess major programmatic change and provide management feedback.

Childcare center on a university campus

Conflict resolution: Helped staff team to overcome differences and provide services more smoothly.

Retail consumers’ cooperative

Staff turnover: Reduced turnover by working on organizational dynamics that were causing excessive stress on staff.

Community mental health residence provider

Burnout prevention: Extensive organizational assessment to provide plan to management to address systemic stressors on staff.