Psychotherapist in Lexington, MA

Welcome!

I am a licensed independent clinical social worker with a private practice in Lexington, MA serving the Metro West area of Boston, including Arlington, Winchester, Cambridge, and Belmont. I utilize an eclectic, individualized approach with a main focus in cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, narrative, and strength-based therapies. Learn more about my areas of specialty, which include anxiety, OCD and depression.

My Counseling Approach

There is a misconception that therapy is solely a place to get advice from or vent to a therapist, with communication moving in one direction. Although there are particular times when either of these is appropriate, my approach to therapy stresses an interactional, two-way relationship which evolves over time. I believe that the relationship between the client and therapist is crucial in order to lay the foundation for progress. In order to develop this relationship, it is important for the client to feel valued and understood by the therapist.

Although therapy is not a "quick fix", I have been told by many clients that they feel some level/type of improvement after the first 1-2 sessions. Usually, they describe this improvement as a sense of relief that they have finally made the first step to talk to someone. Clients also report feeling that just having their issues listened to and taken seriously is an immediate benefit.

Some of the more common long-term benefits of counseling are development of strategies and skills to effectively cope with the issue the client has been struggling with, discovering and adopting new perspectives for looking at aspects of the client's life that he/she has felt “stuck” in, acceptance and resolution of painful aspects of the past, and a willingness to take progressive steps in life that previously the client was reluctant or unwilling to take.