Therapists in South Portland, ME

Thank you for your interest in my therapy/counseling practice. It is often a very difficult decision to finally decide to go to therapy. What can be even more daunting is to find a therapist that is a good fit for you. My approach is easy going and interactive which I have found most clients appreciate. I specialize in working with adults, couples, families and teens. I am co founder of Greater Portland DBT which is a consortium of DBT therapists offering Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to adults and teens.

Howland is a seasoned Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder professional, who also holds certifications in EMDR, ACT and Callahan TFT, now known as EFT and/or the Tapping Solution, and is a Nationally Certified Tobacco Treatment Professional. He has been in recovery from alcohol & drug addiction for 42+ years and from tobacco addiction for 32+ years. He has experience in working with people in the LGBTQ community, and extensive experience working with people who have experienced simple or complex trauma in either childhood or adulthood.

I’m excited to announce that I have immediate openings for both couples and individual clients! Relationships are at the heart of our emotional and physical well-being, and I’m here to help you strengthen those essential connections. Together, we’ll dive into what’s working in your relationships and what might need some adjusting, exploring practical steps to make improvements. Whether you’re aiming to deepen your bond with your partner, feel closer to friends and family, or just manage stress better, let’s start making changes today. Reach out, and let’s begin this journey together.

Pursuing therapy represents a desire to heal. Whether dealing with a new challenge or an old wound, my work with clients is focused on supporting the process of healing and learning to "let go" of the harmful patterns that get in the way of feeling satisfaction, peace, and fulfillment in our lives and relationships. As a therapist, I try to create a space where you can pause, reflect, and feel safe and supported in acknowledging the emotions that many of us learn to avoid, dismiss, or tuck away.

25 years working as an independent psychotherapist with individuals, families and trauma difficulties. We resolve conflict, remove behavioral triggers, and work systemically to minimize issues. Our goal for our clients is to process current and past troubles in order to healthfully achieve resolution...

You can buy a suit at Sears or go to a custom tailor. My treatment plan and approach is customized for you as an individual and based on a careful listening assessment of your presenting problem and the unique individual context of your life. I will give advice and direction when necessary and I will not sit like a stone and not respond. I react to you in treatment and I feel privileged to join you in whatever struggle has brought you to me.

Providing pastoral counseling to individuals and couples for over 20 years within a religious context has provided a wealth of knowledge and experience since transitioning to the clinical side of counseling. This transition comes at mid-life with comprehensive experience in organizational leadership as well as spiritual formation and direction. Having been married for 25 years and having adopted 2 children, I have a passion for strengthening marriages, families and relationships.

Each individual is unique and requires support tailored to their issues, personality, strengths and history. Bringing my experience and training to bear, I collaborate with my clients in designing the best path out of their distress and toward freedom and strength. Anxiety disorders, PTSD, depression, grieving, trauma and low self-esteem are among my specialties. I am trained in CBT and psychodynamic therapy and am a Certified EMDR therapist.

In more than 25 years as a psychologist, I've cultivated a profound respect for the ways people reshape their lives despite daunting problems. I see my role as helping you understand how a particular problem is working, noticing moments you are living more according to your own designs, and solidifying these changes. Couples are a particular interest of mine. I meet with couples trying to decide if they are a good fit for a committed relationship; couples who want to undo habits of conflict that diminish connection; and long-term couples who find they've drifted into parallel lives. I am keeping a waiting list for clients.

Distressed about your relationship? Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? Hopeless or broken? Is it psychosis or spiritual? You are welcome to come as you are with your full range of feelings. We can work to uncover what is at the core and driving your distress with a goal of personal transformation or identify other goals of your choosing. I have a special interest in exploring and integrating the lasting impact of spiritual, kundalini, entheogen/psychedelic, and other extreme experiences that are frequently misdiagnosed as mental illness.

Is your life turning out the way you planned? Are your personal relationships fulfilling? Are you finding the right job for you? Do people get who you really are? Too often we lose track of the way we exist each day. Depression over past mistakes or anxiety about what might happen in the future prevent us from being who we want to be in the present. The goal of existential counseling is to help you develop a better relationship with your "self" first, and then to improve your relationships with others. To help you gain more confidence in the decisions you make daily and to worry less about how others will judge you in the future.

My best wishes to you for a Happy and Healthy New Year 2024. My practice is currently online only and currently accepting new patients. Please call or text me at 207-409-3459 if you would like to have an opportunity to discuss your interest in pursuing individual or couples counseling. In my work with others I have found many struggle with aligning their life values and goals with living a meaningful and purposeful life in areas of relationship to self and others. Being able to patiently listen to your self as well as sharing your "voice" in relationship with others is so important to this life journey. You may be stuck, not broken!

I am shifting my practice to online and home/community-based treatment. I currently accept all insurances. Please call and we may chat!

I view Psychotherapy as collaborative effort where the client and therapist work together to find resolution to issues. It is an active process whether we're doing individual or couples' therapy. Although issues often feel quite daunting initially, they become manageable and ultimately resolved in a timely fashion. After over 35 years of experience, I believe that most, if not all presenting problems can be helped.

We all experience challenges during our everyday lives. Sometimes these challenges can seem overwhelming and discouraging. I work with people who want to make changes in their lives to help themselves overcome these difficult experiences. These changes can often be difficult to contemplate, yet alone act on. I strive to create a supportive environment for my clients where they can explore their concerns and the emotions that arise.