Attachment-based Therapists in Amherst, MA

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.

Women face unique challenges throughout the lifespan, and I specialize in supporting them as they grow through these tough transitions - whether it be college stress, a "quarter life crisis", or pregnancy and parenting. I have a holistic approach that aims to empower women facing a wide range of issues or symptoms, including anxiety and stress management, depression, "burnout", OCD, and pregnancy/postpartum mental health. Please see my website for additional details about my practice.

Things that happened to us in childhood create how we see ourselves and how we show up in relationships. Whether through neglect or abuse, we give up on our feelings, needs, vulnerability, and human connection. And as a result, as adults we feel alone, anxious, or hopeless. I can help you claim what was not afforded to you while you were growing up. And live a life with vitality, flow, a sense of belonging, depth in relationship, and authentic aliveness. I have master level training to help you find personal freedom from the past and live your best days now. You can make shifts that are life changing and long term!

I work with adults, adolescents and children. I am especially interested in helping men improve their communication skills in intimate relationships, and, in parenting; fostering their ability to identify and articulate their feelings, and, being more empathic of the other person.

Most of my clients are interested in what their inner world is trying to tell them through dreams, emotions, physical symptoms, etc. Anxiety, depression, anger, compulsion, illness, PTSD, etc. are the body/mind's way of guiding us as to how we need to grow. My clients want to discover, heal, and come to terms with their inner truth. My training and personal experience with verbal and nonverbal/somatic processes enable us to access the dynamic flow between the conscious mind and the unconscious. As clients learn to dialogue with the unconscious they discover their own truth. I am grateful to the unconscious for this guidance.

Offering Parenting Consultations ONLY (sorry, I am not taking on new, individual clients). For 15 years, I've specialized in working with kids and their families, but I rarely have openings and often have to turn away parents who need help. I know how frustrating it is for parents to find therapists with openings, and with this in mind, I now am offering a series of three consultation sessions for parents to gain further insight into the roots of what their child is experiencing, and how parents can help. While my consultations are not a replacement for therapy, parents have said our meetings are extremely helpful.

We all encounter times in life when we just feel stuck and overwhelmed, sometimes unsure of why we feel this way and unable to move forward. Psychotherapy helps us to achieve a sense of well-being and make changes in our lives. My hope is to create a safe and supportive therapeutic environment, which will allow you to achieve personal growth. I utilize a combination of psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapies with components of mindfulness and solution-focused approaches. I work with adults of all ages and older adolescents.

My office is conveniently located in the center of downtown, Amherst. I am a trauma informed clinician, and I approach treatment utilizing an anti-oppressive/liberatory framework. 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 and relational, utilizing cognitive and behavioral strategies when appropriate. I have engaged a range of issues including trauma, anxiety, depression, relational concerns, poverty and isolation.

Bob Chabot is a seasoned clinician who brings over 35 years of experience to his practice. He believes that therapy is a conversation in which the therapist functions as listener, facilitator, collaborator, witness and guide. Bob has helped children better fit into their families, and parents shape their home environments to better meet the needs of their children. He has helped couples renegotiate, rework, and repair their relationships and has helped individuals grow and move forward on their respective paths.

Effective therapy offers more than relief from painful feelings. Therapy can also help you meet life's challenges in new and more flexible ways, grow beyond frustrating patterns that constrain your potential, and develop a more fulfilling relationship to yourself and to others. We will work together to make sense of who you are as a person, including the life experiences that have shaped how you relate to yourself and to the world.

We have immediate openings, across the lifespan, for the following insurances: Blue Cross Blue Shield Optum and Optum products: Allways, Harvard Pilgrim, Oxford, Connecticare TUFTS Medicare Private Pay ($100/session) Become a client on our website: www.advancepsychotherapy.org. Those who are interested in receiving services from us should fill out the following form:

My clients are typically “high achievers,” parentified children or people pleasers who seek to know themselves more deeply. I specialize in working with disordered eating, life transitions, anxiety and depression. Our work together offers a space to bring into more conscious awareness, unacknowledged pain, longings and barriers to substantive nourishment of self. When the remnants of our past emerge in our present, it can feel disorienting and painful. I offer curiosity, warmth and empathy towards these emergent experiences and accompany you in deepening your self-understanding.

I offer a compassionate environment in which to heal and transform, beginning with embracing what IS, which allows for a more relaxed, gentle, clear and effective approach to our difficulties. Much of our emotional suffering stems from a disconnection from ourselves and our relationship with life. The work I offer facilitates a deep, authentic connection with oneself through somatic, experiential and psychodynamic work, self-inquiry, mindfulness and the support of the therapeutic relationship. Essentially I see that each person I work with has the full potential for healing already on board. We work to uncover and access that, so that full aliveness is restored.

Life can present difficult feelings and experiences that become overwhelming. Therapy can be a way to manage these complicated feelings of sadness, anger, anxiety or just a general feeling of “stuckness”. I believe that everyone has the ability to unlock their potential and move forward.

Having a solid therapeutic relationship is essential to the success of your experience in therapy, and I am committed to creating a space in which you will feel safe, deeply heard and seen, and can be a collaborator in the therapeutic process. I believe in creating a mutual alliance built upon honesty, empathy, trust, and respect. Together, we will explore the challenges and obstacles you face, while identifying personal strengths and other resources that will help facilitate meaningful change and growth.

I am a compassionate and dedicated Chinese counselor. Being a Chinese woman myself, I have a profound understanding of the unique challenges that Asian individuals face in the American context. I strongly believe that culture plays a significant role in shaping our mental health. It influences our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Recognizing this, I am committed to empowering Asian individuals living in the United States.

In life we all need hope, validation, just to know that today, "this too shall pass." I strive to connect with individuals with honesty, warmth, and empathy. When one makes that decision to seek emotional guidance, I understand the vulnerability and the bravery of that moment. While allowing one to take the time they need to reach their desires of the heart and/or identify what one desires through a space of compassion and mindfulness.

I am eager to work with clients seeking insight and change in their lives. I strive to create a trusting relationship that fosters emotional and spiritual growth while examining the issues that are preventing you from living up to your full potential. I work from an anti-oppression lens, prioritizing holistic health and wellness, utilizing my years of clinical training and experience in treating individuals and communities deeply impacted by trauma, grief/loss and illness. I am particularly excited to offer EMDR treatment in addition to psychodynamic psychotherapy to support healing and lasting transformative change.

My passion is working with adult children of alcoholics and/or narcissists, generally anyone who suffered traumas that have made it feel your life is not your own, not good enough or out of control. You want to set more clear boundaries with others and likely, yourself. You always feel you can do better and never feel like enough. You do it all for everyone but you. You desire to live empowered and confidently. We can work together to support you in better understanding your needs and emotions and exploring and identifying effective toolsto meet those needs and manage your emotions in a healthy and effective way.