Relational Therapists in Amherst, MA

I am a clinical psychologist in practice in Amherst since 1989. I work with a wide range of people, from college aged through older adults, and with a wide range of problems and issues including: negative or vulnerable self-image, depression, anxiety, relationship problems, losses, and life transitions. I strive to provide a warm, safe, collaborative, open atmosphere in which to help people find relief from suffering and enhanced vital engagement in living. I believe that pathways to growth and healing often involve increasing awareness of underlying self-defeating patterns in the ways people experience and live their lives.

We all need help and support sometimes. Many of us have been taught that asking for help is a sign of weakness. We may have tried reaching out for help and were ignored, shamed, or hurt by those we trusted, leading us to create protections, to shut down, or to engage in unworkable coping strategies that keep us stuck and hurting. The truth is, asking for help is brave and takes courage and willingness. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming just trying to untangle and make sense of it all. Healing IS possible! And you don't have to do it alone. In fact, healing is best done in connection with others.

I believe that we all get stuck sometimes. We find ourselves in difficult situations and we don’t know what to do. Other times we feel trapped by our painful pasts. At times, we aren’t sure what the problem is, but we sense there must be more to life. Whatever the reason that brings you to therapy, we can work together to uncover and resolve what’s happening, clarify what matters most and help you to feel stronger and freer to live more fully.

My office is conveniently located in the center of downtown, Amherst. I am a trauma informed clinician, and I approach treatment utilizing anti-oppressive and liberatory frameworks. My work is relationship based and culturally responsive. I address issues of race, gender, sexuality, and class oppression fluidly, and integrate identity development and social position in treatment. My clinical orientation is psychodynamic, utilizing cognitive and behavioral strategies when appropriate. I have engaged a range of issues including trauma, anxiety, depression, relational concerns, poverty and isolation.

My primary focus is on working with clients using EMD and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to manage/overcome issues related to trauma, mood, life transition and becoming "unstuck" from old patterns. Individual adults (please, no children under 18, couples or families) are welcomed to engage in a supportive therapeutic relationship promoting positive growth and forward movement. I utilize an organic combination of techniques including EMDR, psycho-education, expressive therapies, CBT, parts work and relational healing. Are you ready to deepen your understanding of yourself in order to create personal change?

My favorite kinds of conversations are about feelings and perceptions. If you work with me you will be encouraged to settle and stay with those feelings and perceptions that feel true to you. Within the comfort of a safe therapeutic relationship, we will follow your inner leadings. Sometimes therapy can be deeply sobering. But in every instance, as illusions fall aside we rediscover the joy and vitality that comes with clarity. I strive to provide a warm, accepting and nurturing curiosity within which clients can feel safe to explore their leadings and concerns and thereby regain their confidence.

I have over 20 years of experience helping people of diverse backgrounds heal from stuck emotions and patterns, anxiety, and trauma, I support individuals with life transitions, stress at home and at work, grief, coping with partner/family substance abuse, anxiety, family issues, family of origin issues, parenting issues, divorce, communication difficulties, and challenges, and confusion around career. I provide a nurturing and supportive environment to facilitate authentic self-expression. I believe in the innate ability of each individual to heal and realize unlimited potential. It is an honor for me to witness this journey.

I specialize in working with people feeling challenged by relationships, work, parenting (from pregnancy through empty nest), and aging, as well as people struggling with trauma, grief, and loss. I start from the position that past experiences and attachments have profound effects on our everyday lives, and our abilities to move forward. I have an interest in working with those who navigate multiple cultures and communities (through, for example, racial identity, class background, immigration, religion, gender, and sexuality), as well as those who work in education, healthcare, nonprofit, and creative fields.

*****PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS****** I am an experienced (20 years) psychotherapist with an intuitive, down to earth style. I specialize in LGBTQIA+ issues, relationships, body image and self-esteem, sex and sexuality, working through trauma and family of origin issues, depression, anxiety, first responders and vicarious trauma, creativity and self-expression, and gender variance and transition. My work is relational and is rooted in an awareness of social and cultural realities. I provide a safe, stable, warm environment in which to explore and address your concerns.

I’m a relational, somatic-psychodynamic therapist, in private practice in Kingston, NY. I also serve as Director of Education and faculty at the Institute for Expressive Analysis in NYC.

WHAT GOOD IS A THERAPY IF YOU CAN'T COMPLETELY TRUST YOUR THERAPIST? CONFIDENTIALITY MUST BE "CARVED IN STONE". There is an illusion of privacy that truly doesn't exist when using insurance for your therapy. Personal details and a "Clinical Diagnosis" labeling you with a MENTAL ILLNESS is entered into permanent files, and can be accessed far more easily than you realize. FOR YOU TO FEEL SAFE & AUTHENTIC IN YOUR THERAPY, I DO NOT TAKE INSURANCE, OR KEEP CLINICAL NOTES & HAVE NO "PAPER TRAIL". What I Do Have is a Deep Devoted Love for this Work, and Great Respect for your Very Personal Choices on Your Life's Journey.

I believe change happens in relationship and that everyone has the potential to heal. I have built my practice working primarily with young adults/adults who wish to engage in a longer term therapeutic alliance with the goal of gaining insight into relational patterns in order to achieve more satisfying relationships at home and work. My style is relational. When working with adolescents and young adults, I make an effort to include parents and caregivers in the treatment process by providing psycho-education, family sessions as needed, as well as appropriate referrals for family members.

I’m a licensed psychologist who helps adults of all identities to feel more secure in themselves, satisfied in their relationships, and resilient through uncertainty, change and loss. I specialize in helping: a) those who feel anxious, sensitive, misunderstood, or emotionally overwhelmed to increase comfort with themselves, their feelings and needs, and others; b) individuals/couples/families to develop healthier attachments and change hurtful relational patterns; and c) aspiring and current parents throughout the complex family planning & adjustment process, including grief and loss.

Life is hard and life can be beautiful. Your symptoms perfectly reflect your distress. Gentleness, curiosity and developing awareness create a foundation for healing. Life need not be situations and feelings that keep repeating. I work to create positive ways of relating to yourself and others. Real change is possible with respect, courage and an open heart. I am not a managed care therapist - my commitment is to lasting change. I work with heterosexual, non-binary and LGBTQA+ individuals and couples. I also specialize in working with end of life, grief and loss, autism and deaf and hard of hearing issues.

I bring a strengths-based perspective to counseling that emphasizes an understanding of the whole person within their cultural and relational contexts, seeking to support people to make meaningful insights during sessions. I invite curiosity and self-compassion during the work in order to help individuals to strengthen their experience of well-being, as they grow through both challenges and discoveries. My approach is to support individuals as they deepen their sense of personal meaning and purpose, collaborating on problem-solving, life-transitions and development of an increased sense of connection .

I believe that therapy should help you access your innate intuition and insight, and that the therapist's role is to provide support and guidance through that process. My work is deeply informed by social justice and I am committed to helping people feel empowered while examining the structures and systems in place that create marginalization. I draw on narrative, relational, feminist, and transfeminist approaches in therapy and I weave in evidence based practices such as EMDR and CBT when needed.

I support folks in reconnecting with what our bodies have to tell us about our hurts and healing. I am a somatic and Gestalt-trained therapist, meaning that I have particular experience leading folks in reconnecting to their bodies, + working with their nervous systems to access new possibilities for healing. I often work with individuals navigating anxiety, relational difficulties, obsessive compulsive patternings, chronic illness, and grief + loss. I especially enjoy working with folks who have a mindfulness/meditation practice, are curious about embodiment, and interested in cultivating deeper intimacy with themselves and others.

Sometimes when life is difficult, we try to take on everything ourselves. I am here to let you know that you do not have to do it all alone.When the pain become too heavy, I will be here for you as you speak your truth.I believe that we are the experts of our own lives and story. I will provide validation, where you can become your own catalyst for change.Our therapeutic work will be an empowering safe place for healing, self-discovery and navigating life’s challenges. I use therapeutic modalities specific to a client’s individual needs.

A guiding principle in my work is the belief that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is of the utmost importance. Neuroscientific literature supports the curative powers of deep empathic attunement (limbic resonance) and the brain/body's ability to heal. As such, in addition to attending to you with the same level of respectful presence that I would expect in a therapist, I use both cognitive/emotional and body/mind tools to assist you in your healing. I am certified in both Safe and Sound Protocol ( SSP) as well as a certified +Heart Math provider. I think you will find me warm, genuine, empathic, and knowledgeable.