Couples Counseling Therapists in Northampton, MA

I am an LGBTQAI sex educator and a psychotherapist, and I am an AASECT certified sex therapist. I was clinically trained at the Smith School for Social Work and the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society in New York City. I lived in New York City for over a decade and during that time founded the advocacy and education organization, Translate Gender, Inc. I utilize a transfeminist therapeutic approach in working with LGBTQ adolescents, individuals, and families. My interests include working with couples, polyamorous relationships, BDSM relationships, as well as working with those in alternative family structures.

I have been practicing for 30+ years in both mental health and private practice settings and have had the privilege of witnessing peoples' struggles and their courageous pursuit of health and healing. I work with people who are struggling with a number of common issues such as depression, anxiety,low self esteem and self confidence,addiction, loss of a loved one and trauma. I work with couples who feel stuck in long standing conflict and communication issues that create distance and a lack of connection and intimacy.

*I am not able to accept new clients at this time.* By listening deeply, providing insight, coaching and support we collaborate to move past self-defeating patterns that interfere with your living well. As a seasoned psychotherapist and life coach with 30 years experience I believe in each person's singular life path and inherent capacity to heal and grow. Drawing on mindfulness and body-based wisdom we focus your strengths to transform fear into hope, confusion into direction. I work well with people who are stuck emotionally in themselves or in their relationships; people who have experienced trauma; people desiring change.

My approach to therapy is not limited to any one direction or technique. I work to stay open to and curious about each person's unfolding story. I listen closely to nuance and I look for underlying patterns, towards understanding what keeps people stuck. I am comfortable working with great adversity and extreme pain.

I see clients virtually in California and Florida and in person in western Ma. People enter my therapy practice for all sorts of reasons. You may be at an impasse or a crossroads due to the loss of a relationship, a big life decision or general anxiety that you can no longer bear on your own. You may be suffering from the wounds of homophobia, transphobia, racism, white supremacy and patriarchy, on top of other traumas and early childhood wounds. Regardless, I seek to offer a safe space for you to access a deeper understanding of yourself and your underlying needs and motives, as well as a personal sense of freedom and empowerment.

I support individuals and couples in understanding negative patterns of relating and developing more adaptive coping strategies to manage life's stressors. I do so using an eclectic approach that is carefully considered in collaboration with each client. I use the therapeutic relationship as a primary tool to help clients understand dynamics in relationships outside of therapy. I strive to create an environment that allows for levity, humor, and playfulness as we work together to make sense of your problems and overcome them. I work hard with my clients, and I enjoy engaging with clients who show up ready to work.

*****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.

A wise therapist once said to me, “life is 10,000 smiles and 10,000 tears.” Such words never rang so true as during these days of loss, fear, and uncertainty due to racial injustice, viral pandemic, and threats to our climate. These events impact us all; although we may not recognize it. Whatever brings you here today, I am here to provide support, compassion, and assistance because life happens…

What if conflict became something that could bring you & your partner(s) closer together? It's my passion to support couples & polycules in improving communication, navigating relationship dynamics, & resolving conflicts with love. As a queer Trans Woman with lived experience, it's also my specialty to uplift LGBTQIA+ individuals on their journeys with identity, transitions, & creating meaningful, love-filed lives. Across the spectrum of human identities, I'm trusted to support & empower people in their problem-solving processes. Many of my clients simply need help finding the tools & insight to move through a difficult situation.

My mission is to help my clients better understand who they are, what they want from this life, and how to move towards a more integrated self. My alternative style of therapy blends traditional talk therapy with non-traditional therapeutic methods such as nature therapy, mindfulness-based practices, music, art, movement, and nature-based groups. I have found both personally and professionally that nature, creative expression, and physical activity set the stage for healing and growth, and I enjoy incorporating these elements into my therapeutic approach.

I am a somatic psychotherapist specializing in body-based healing. I enjoy working with clients who want to step out of disempowering narratives and embrace their own capacity. I have 20+ years of experience working with many populations and conditions. Recently I have specialized in couples therapy using the Developmental Model and Attachment work. I only work with a limited number of couples at this time, but these approaches deeply inform my work, even with individuals. I have recently narrowed my practice to focus on clients in acute need or looking to do more focused chapters of work or growth vs ongoing maintenance therapy.

If you are in search of couples therapy, I am glad to talk to you more about your needs and how I can help. I spent the last decade of my career honing a speciality in couples therapy by exclusively working with couples full time, and getting trained in the gold-standard models for helping couples in distress. I see couples for intensives, as it is an effective and efficient way to shift relationship patterns where we meet less often for longer amounts of time. If you are wanting individual therapy, know I bring this knowledge to my time with you to support your healing in relationships. We all have old, patterned habits of how we

I believe that therapy unfolds differently for everyone. Where for some, the process is about acknowledging painful aspects of life, for others it is about developing coping skills so that the painful aspects of life cease to be so overwhelming. Because of this variation, I offer a therapy relationship that is open and attentive. I balance being empathic and challenging, because ultimately good therapy is about feeling supported in making positive life changes.

NEW CLIENTS ARE WELCOME! Sometimes we all need to talk to a great listener in a safe place. Choosing this support allows you to regain a sense of control and feel stimulated and challenged by life instead of overwhelmed. I've devoted many years to becoming an excellent listener capable of understanding you, even when you aren't quite sure what you are trying to say.

I view therapy as a process of deepening awareness of your experience and patterns in order to access greater authenticity and vitality in your life. I serve as a guide in examining your inner world with curiosity and compassion. This exploration—and the intimacy with yourself that emerges—brings with it the capacity to open more fully to life with its ever-changing realities.

I have been doing, teaching, and supervising psychotherapy continuously since 1969, and I still love it. I tailor my style to the needs of each person, drawing on Psychodynamic, Humanistic/Existential, Cognitive Behavioral, and Eye Movement Accelerated Resolution Therapies. I work with adults, seeking individual or couples therapy. And I am experienced with the full range of issues, from simple phobias to major affective and thought disorders. I believe patient-therapist match is extremely important and for that reason offer free initial, in person consultations. My office is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and offers privacy, convenient parking, and pleasant surroundings.

For the past 30 years I have enjoyed my work as a psychotherapist, art therapist and group psychotherapist. My practice is in Northampton, MA. I have available hours on Fridays and weekends. I facilitate two family support groups later in the afternoon and evening each week (scroll down to the bottom of this page to learn more.) In addition to my private practice, my counseling work takes me out to the Berkshires, to the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, MA. My primary treatment objective is to support families and individual’s to discover their personal motivation to change.

Ready to take the first step towards a happier and more fulfilling life? It's time to prioritize your well-being and make a positive change. With therapy, you can embark on a transformative journey that can lead to: Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals, and values. Developing skills for improving your relationships. Finding resolution for the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy. Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety, depression, and other emotional pressures. Improving your communication and listening skills.

I am a clinical therapist who uses narrative psychotherapy as a model to treat and process trauma, grief, and relational issues. I work with adults and older adolescents, as well as couples, and use a person-centered eclectic framework with my clients. I have been trained in AASECT sex therapy and encourage any individual, couple, or those engaged in non-traditional relationships to explore sex-related concerns in their work with me. In every aspect of my practice, I use an individualized approach with the client to build a treatment perspective that is specific to their own interests, values, and recovery.