Couples Counseling Therapists in Concord, MA

I am a licensed clinical psychologist who has had a private practice in Massachusetts since 1978. I have also had a teaching appointment with Harvard Medical School's Department of Psychiatry for most of those years.

I assist clients who are wanting to improve their lives in significant ways. While I specialize in treating eating disorders, anxiety and depression, most clients also come to me with related issues of trauma, self-confidence, struggles with change/transition, work, family relationships and other stressors. I see therapy as a collaborative process taking place in the context of an empathic relationship where support and appropriate challenge are offered. I encourage individuals to learn about themselves, understand the meaning behind symptoms and develop skills that enable them to take positive action toward well-being.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist providing online individual psychotherapy for adults and older adolescents. I work with clients to address a broad range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationship and identity issues, life transitions, anger, pandemic-related stress, and trauma. Psychotherapy facilitates growth and change: emotional wounds heal, a stronger sense of self emerges, and possibilities for the future expand.

About forty years ago while attending Smith College graduate program, I learned that psychotherapy is the study of "the vicissitudes of love." Over my long career of counseling individuals and couples , both as a clinical director of a large outpatient mental health center, and for these past decades in private practice, the ups and downs of life and love have been my focus. With warmth, compassion and humor, I help people find their answers, learn coping skills, and have difficult conversations--internally and externally.

A wise doctor once wrote: "It is more important to understand the person who has an illness than the illness a person has." This is even truer for emotional problems than physical ones. Likewise, without understanding the context of a person's life and family, past and present -- one cannot really begin to know the person. I have worked for many years with teenagers, men and women of all ages with addictions, family and relationship conflict, and the universal problems of depression and anxiety. Certainly there are commonalities among the problems they present, but it is the uniqueness of each of my clients that leads to change.

As a clinically trained psychologist with over 25 years of experience, I have worked with a wide range of populations including children, adolescents and adults. I view my work as a blend of art and science. My patients are generally competent, loving people who are struggling with painful issues related to relationships, work, sexuality, life changes and other stressful situations. The couples I work with are looking to heal and grow from a wide range of issues, from infidelity to parenting concerns. I help people who need to re-imagine what their relationship can be and want to expand their ability to communicate effectively.

I have been working with children and families for over 16 years. I am passionate about supporting families and children to reach their full potential, in any place they may be in life. I have experience working as a developmental specialist and a mental health counselor. I support families to work through a number of challenges, including, developmental differences in a child, trauma, and relationship issues. I use an eclectic approach of parent-child interaction therapy, strength based and attachment-based approaches.

I partner with individuals or couples as they cope with life transitions. I firmly believe that a positive relationship with a therapist can help you lead a more fulfilling life. I work to empower my clients to manage grief, depression, anxiety, and the stress we face when we lose a loved one, when starting or ending relationships, when becoming parents or when having professional challenges. I think it's a privilege to bear witness to your experience and I know the decision to seek support is not an easy one.

I believe the reasons that bring you to seek therapy can provide an opportunity for growth and change for the better. In my practice I create an environment where my clients feel respected and heard. My collaborative and open orientation is toward healing and personal growth. It is based on the belief that we are capable of change, and finding new adaptive ways of overcoming our challenges and getting unstuck. I will work with you to help enhance your coping skills, functioning, creativity and vitality, as well as gain relief from symptoms and stress, and develop strategies for self-care.

You may be seeking therapy to ease the pain of depression, anxiety, trauma or loss; or because you are struggling with relationship and other interpersonal issues. Maybe something just does not “feel right,” preventing you from moving forward. Perhaps, you are challenged by existential questions and wish to explore your identity or find greater meaning in your life. What is causing you pain or holding you back may be a known challenge or problem, or an unexamined part of yourself that causes you to feel stuck. Whatever brings you here, you already possess the courage to seek help and the hope that your life can be better.

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” - Carl Jung. The philosophy that guides my approach as a clinical psychologist is the unwavering belief that people have limitless potential to heal and grow. My hope for those with whom I work is increased self-awareness, enriched relationships, deeper emotional engagement, and healthier, more flexible functioning. My goals in providing therapy are to help people understand themselves and their concerns more fully and to facilitate the development of new skills for coping with what's troubling them.

I am available for video sessions and in-person. Whether working with individuals, couples , or families, my goal is to increase connection. Connection to ourselves by deepening self-awareness, insight, and options for change. Connection to our family members by overcoming the obstacles that cause pain and distress. Connection to our partners by learning how to reach for each other and maintain secure attachment.

I work collaboratively with families, couples , and individuals who wish to make changes in their lives, to feel better and more aligned with their life goals. Couples may seek therapy to resolve conflicts and renew connections with one another as couples and parents. I work with individuals who identify as having social, emotional, or learning challenges. I bring attention to the body as key to understanding emotions and knowledge of self. I am respectful and curious about you. I use collaborative and trauma-focused approaches to guide your discovery, presuming competency in your path and process toward change.

My practice primarily treats children, adolescents, and adults through the modalities of individual,family therapy and parental guidance. I approach each client's issues, situations with care and compassion in order to create a non-judgemental space so they can develop their strengths and gain new insights into their symptoms and behaviors. I enjoy the process of building the therapeutic relationship as I believe that it is through relationships people can heal. Much of my experience is treating trauma; anxiety; mood disorders; and transitional issues such as divorce, adoption, loss, and relational issues.

I specialize in working with couples who are experiencing difficulties. No partnership is without disappointments, confusion, and an experience of minor or major betrayals. Yet these predictable challenges invite us to broaden our capacity for understanding and enter new depths of intimacy as we repair and heal. As a marriage and family therapist with a focus on sexuality I believe that no matter what the difficulty, we can reshape our relationships to have the kind of deep connections we yearn for. I help couples strengthen relationship skills and develop tools to end negative patterns and establish deep intimacy.

Accepting new clients for spring 2023. I am a licensed counselor who provides therapy to individuals, couples , and families. I have over 25 years experience with a range of issues concerning relationships, anxiety, life transitions, dating, stress, infidelity, school admissions, LGBTQ issues, co-dependency, divorce, elder issues, work, and education. I provide a safe place to share concerns, develop coping strategies, and to discover inner resources that we may not have known were there. The "Goodness of Fit" between client and therapist, and the treatment modality is important to initiate results.