What kind of issues do you work with people on?
I treat a variety of issues that might be bothering you, specifically postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, such as postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, as well as generalized anxiety, OCD, mild to moderate depression, life transitions, and relationship challenges.
How are you qualified to do this work well?
I have a Masters degree in Social Work from Simmons University and am a licensed independent clinical social worker, meaning I have completed 3500 supervised hours of clinical work and have passed the highest licensing exam for social workers, enabling me to work independently. I am a certified perinatal mental health clinician, PMH-C, through Postpartum Support International (PSI), I have completed Level A training and certification in Interpersonal Psychotherapy for perinatal mental health, I have completed a 16 week course on ACT for Anxiety, and I have completed training with the MGH Reproductive Psychiatry in Perinatal Psychiatry: In-Depth Modules for Enhanced Approaches, among many other trainings I have completed. I am licensed in MA, RI, NY, and MD.
Can you fix what is bothering me?
Believe me, if I could fix everyone’s issues I would in a heartbeat! But unfortunately, as with most things, there are no guarantees with therapy. I can’t promise that therapy will help you resolve your struggles or make your pain and suffering go away. There are some things we can both do though to improve chances of progress. Therapy is a collaborative process, which means that we both have to show up consistently and engage in the work. I take my work seriously and expect that my clients will as well. This means considering ideas or new ways of thinking between sessions or completing homework that was assigned. Sometimes even then things may feel worse before they feel better, but if we are both able to commit to the work the odds will be in our favor.
How do I know if I am ready for therapy?
When you feel like you’ve tried things on your own and still aren’t seeing the improvement that you’re looking for
When you find that you’re itching to finally make some changes but don’t know how or where to start
When you are struggling with not feeling like yourself and want to feel better
When you are going through big life transitions and not handling them quite as well as you expected to
When you are noticing patterns in your relationships that have not gotten you the kind of connections that you want and you’re curious about how to go about things differently
When you’ve tried it all and are open to trying anything
When your friends or family are telling you that they feel out of their depth supporting you
What kind of therapy do you do?
I practice from an orientation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Interpersonal Psychotherapy.
What is your style as a therapist?
I consider myself an active therapist. I listen intently while also offering observations, reflections, feedback, and sometimes suggestions. I don’t sit quietly while you talk for the whole session, unless that’s what you want!
How long do you usually work with clients?
The length of treatment varies from client to client. How long we work together depends on what your presenting concerns are, what goals we set together, what it is that you want out of therapy, and what the most appropriate clinical approach is for your situation. For example, I work with some clients for 3 months and for others it can be years. We will discuss projected length of treatment during treatment planning.
How do we know if we are making progress in therapy?
This is why we set treatment goals together. Our goals will be a benchmark for us to consider when we want to pause and evaluate how we are doing. I also like to check-in in conversation with my clients to see how you feel things have been going recently and am always open to feedback. Sometimes we find ourselves in a place where we aren’t making progress and haven’t in a while. If this is the case, we will talk about changes that we can make, different approaches we can try, or potentially referring you out to another clinician who might be a better fit.
What do you do in a therapy session?
The content of sessions also vary by client and also sometimes from week to week. In general, my sessions tend to feel pretty conversational. I do usually ask a lot of questions (it’s my job!) but always strive to make my clients feel comfortable and contained. Depending on your presenting concerns, we may also incorporate worksheets, role plays, or practice skills that I introduce in session.
Do you assign homework to your clients?
Sometimes! Sometimes I might recommend a book for you to read to help put our work in context or provide further information on your concerns. If we complete a worksheet in session or practice a new skill, I will usually ask you to continue to practice that skill in between sessions. Other times I might have you track your mood or certain behaviors throughout the week. Homework is something that we talk about collaboratively and looks different for every client.