Therapists for college students near 02155

About Me / Specialties I am a licensed psychologist specializing in treating adolescents and young adults with OCD, anxiety (including social anxiety, panic, phobias, and generalized anxiety), and related conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, tics, and excoriation disorder. I provide evidence-based therapies including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I see clients in-person in Cambridge, MA and virtually throughout Massachusetts and Texas. I also work with parents, offering coaching to help support their teen or young adult while reducing family accommodations. My goal is to create a compassionate, collaborative space where we take mental health seriously—but not ourselves too seriously. A little humor can go a long way in therapy! Treatment Approach I tailor treatment to each individual, often addressing co-occurring concerns like depression, eating issues, or trauma alongside anxiety or OCD. Using ERP, CBT, ACT, and DBT strategies, I help students manage symptoms, regulate emotions, and make meaningful, lasting changes—all in a supportive and approachable way. Training & Experience I earned my PhD from the University of Virginia, completed my clinical internship at Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for OCD and Related Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, where I currently see therapy patients and conduct research on OCD spectrum disorders.

My approach to psychotherapy is primarily relational and psychodynamic, guided by the concept that healing and change happen in relationship. I aim to create a containing environment where we can be compassionately curious about how your past experiences inform your present. My work incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Liberation Health Model, and mindfulness-based interventions to help meet clients’ unique and wide-ranging needs. I provide a supportive, affirming space for clients’ diverse intersecting identities and experiences (e.g., race, immigration status, gender, sexuality). I provide psychotherapy to adults of all ages and have experience helping clients navigate anxiety, depression, identity exploration, life transitions, grief and loss, shame, trauma, and relational stressors. I also have expertise supporting clients through the challenges of college, graduate school, postgraduate life, and emerging adulthood. Before arriving at CAS, I completed a postgraduate fellowship in psychodynamic psychotherapy at Cambridge Health Alliance. I also worked in university, medical, and community-based mental health services in academic counseling, peer education, and clinical research.

I have over 10 years of experience working with undergraduate and graduate students. These are periods of time when many life transitions happen, and I have helped many young adults not only navigate, but thrive during this important period of life. I look forward to working with you!

Looking for support during a life change? Feeling stuck? Then let's talk. Clients say I bring calm attention, humor, & creativity to all my engagements and that I help them center, increase awareness, build resiliency practices, and recalibrate communication and routines that have gone off-track. I hold certifications in IFS, mindfulness, nature/outdoor guidance, coaching, EMDR along with somatic and expressive arts practices. I've worked in multicultural, medical and educational settings supporting people of all ages - from children-to-parents-to-elders. A unique part of what I offer is to meet outside for walk-and-talk sessions and to explore ways that Nature can be a resource in your healing and grounding process. Nature reminds us that stability during change is possible and that we are always connected to larger things in this world, seen and unseen. In the spirit of Rumi's quote "what you seek is seeking you," let's work together to move you toward whatever calling you forward.

We are a thriving DBT practice that works with teens and young adults to skillfully manage the strong emotions that they find overwhelming or interfere with their ability to function effectively in their lives. We offer group and individual therapy services. We would consider virtual (telehealth) services if a person has already had DBT and is seeking support to maintain gains. Another service we offer is psychological assessment, which is provided to help clarify mental health diagnoses, to learn more about what is getting in the way of treatment progress, or to take a deeper dive into how someone's personality is constructed. (This is different from neuropsych assessment.)

College and graduate school can bring both exciting opportunities and overwhelming challenges. Whether you’re starting a new program and adjusting to multiple life transitions, navigating a new or ongoing ADHD diagnosis, managing stress, or working through relationship struggles, I aim to help provide a safe and supportive space to cultivate more clarity and resilience. As a therapist, I believe you are the expert of your own experience. My role is to collaborate with you, honoring your strengths while offering curiosity, compassion, and evidence-based tools. I provide a reflective space where you can explore challenges and gain insight, balanced with practical, solution-focused strategies you can use between sessions. My approach is strengths-based and growth-oriented—I aim to highlight what’s already working for you while supporting the changes you want to make. I know reaching out for therapy can feel like a lot, especially when you’re already juggling so much! I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to help see if we could be a good fit. You don’t have to figure this all out alone. I’d be honored to be a partner in your journey as you move toward a more balanced, intentional, and fulfilling future.

I am an clinical social worker and psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience. My areas of interest include working with individuals who may have anger control problems. I also have expertise in chemical addictions and treating depression and anxiety. I believe for the treatment to be effective, the person needs to feel that the relationship with me is comfortable and safe. My theoretical orientation tends to be cognitive-behavioral that also includes a mindfulness approach.

If you've been feeling emotionally overwhelmed and it's affecting your sleep, work, or relationships, today is a good day to prioritize your well-being! I offer telehealth sessions throughout Massachusetts and Virginia, and in person walk-and-talk sessions in Charlottesville, VA. I specialize in helping young adults manage stress, anxiety, feelings of isolation, depression, or of not feeling good enough that can accompany being a college student in an academically rigorous environment. If your previous ways of dealing with challenges are not working, you find yourself drinking more than you used to, not sleeping well, or not feeling able to connect with your friends and family, this is a good time to get additional support. I take an active role in helping you sort out the best way to approach your challenges and teach you the foundations of mental health so you get back on track. Together we will explore the connection between how you live and how you feel, and identify the areas that feel out of balance. I take a comprehensive holistic approach to wellness because, for the people I work with, traditional talk therapy is often not enough. Our mental health is impacted by our environment, sleep, physical activity, what we eat, relationships, beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors–and I believe our mental health care should include these elements as components of the whole system. Evidence-based tools we may incorporate include meditation and somatic mind-body practices, techniques to work with thought patterns, interpersonal skills, and lifestyle interventions. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to discuss if we are a good fit to help you achieve your goals!

At Bending Birch Counseling, we believe therapy should be thoughtful, collaborative, and tailored to the individual. Every person brings a story, strengths, and experiences, which is why we take the time to understand what matters most to you. We slow down enough to understand how your experiences, patterns, and relationships have shaped the way you move through the world today. We focus on what change would realistically look like for you, not in theory, but in practice. Together, we'll work toward change that feels authentic, practical, and sustainable.

I look forward to working with students who are motivated to feel -- and live -- better, whether from depression, anxiety, attention difficulties or adjustment challenges.

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, OCD, porn addiction, or other recurring patterns that leave you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or discouraged? If so, please know there is hope. I help individuals break free from cycles of anxiety, unhealthy habits, emotional exhaustion. As a Christian, I thoughtfully integrate faith with evidence-based therapy to support healing and growth when desired. Together, we’ll work toward meaningful, lasting change so you can gain clarity, build healthier patterns, strengthen emotional resilience, improve relationships, and experience greater peace and purpose in everyday life. With 5 years of clinical experience, I help individuals navigate anxiety, unhealthy patterns, emotional distress, and faith-related concerns using CBT, mindfulness, and parts work. My approach is warm, collaborative, and goal-oriented, helping clients better understand themselves and create meaningful, lasting change. You do not have to navigate this alone. Therapy can be a place to slow down, process honestly, and begin making meaningful changes at a manageable pace. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, unhealthy patterns, or faith-related challenges, healing and growth are possible. I invite you to reach out when you’re ready.

Welcome! My name is Sarah and I'm a licensed psychologist in Cambridge, MA. I work with students with concerns related to relationships, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, identity development, and navigating big life transitions that come with college life. I provide in-person sessions in Harvard Square and telehealth throughout Massachusetts.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

We offer both Telehealth and in-person services targeted towards clients who are interested in improving their lives and making and sustaining positive change. We typically utilize both cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in our practice. In our work together, you can expect direct, skills-focused work and an emphasis on behavioral change combined with a warm, strengths-based, and individualized approach to treatment.

When people come to treatment with problems, it is important to remember that they are trying to cope with them in the best way they can. With that in mind, I offer a reflective and engaging partnership with my clients, working toward the goal of helping them to be autonomous, authentic and compassionate in a world that can be extremely stressful. Although my work is solidly grounded in psychodynamic, cognitive/learning, and systems theories, my approach is client-centered, practical and strengths-based. I bring honesty, warmth, and humor to the therapy relationship. I am LGBTQ affirmative and invested in doing cross-cultural therapy which is culturally sensitive. I have a dog, Bracket, who works with me, and I have been doing AAT since 2002. There is a growing body of research which suggests that AAT (Animal-Assisted Therapy) can be helpful with a range of diagnoses, including Depression, PTSD, and Autistic Spectrum. Many therapists know little about online games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life. They may dismiss it as unimportant, or assume it is a problem. I am a gamer-affirmative therapist, meaning I’m more interested in understanding your in-world experience and activity than pathologizing it.

I believe that full recovery from eating disorders is possible. I also believe that everyone deserves to have a relationship with food that feels truly joyful and nourishing. If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or if you feel stuck in a restrictive diet cycle and would like to heal your relationship with food, I am here to help.

Do you feel overwhelmed when facing life's obstacles? Have you tried to find ways to help yourself, but things have not improved, no matter what you do? Therapy can help you find new ways of dealing with life's challenges that have become too much to handle alone. Every person has a reservoir of strength inside. Through compassionate, supportive therapy, you can connect to your strengths to develop new ways of dealing with problems and complicated feelings, relationships, and transitions. I work with clients to understand the causes of their pain and difficulties. I offer different approaches to developing an effective strategy for internal and external struggles. I combine concrete skills for managing daily stressors with a process of self-understanding to achieve more profound long-term change. I am a licensed clinical social worker with extensive training in trauma-focused therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and internal family systems (IFS). I also use EMDR modality for some specific processing work. I have experience in providing therapy to people from diverse backgrounds - race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and more.

We all encounter difficult stressors, setbacks and experiences that sometimes cause us pain. We may be challenged by difficult transitions, our relationships, previous trauma, depression or anxiety. We can make the choice to work through these events and grow even when things are hard and confusing. My goal as a therapist is to provide a safe place for you to explore your struggles, and give you objective feedback and guidance to help you improve your life. Whether you'd like to improve your mood, strengthen relationships or need support coping with a difficult circumstance I can help. I work with young adults who have difficulty managing their emotions and who struggle with depression, anxiety, impulsive behavior, thoughts of suicide and self-harm, interpersonal problems, or problems functioning at work or school. I provide in-person and virtual evidence-based treatments including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help my clients change ineffective behavioral patterns, develop more helpful ways of thinking, and accept difficult realities in order to build the lives they want. I see therapy as a collaboration between client and therapist to work towards their goals in treatment and in life. Through my validating and nonjudgmental style, I am committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based treatment to help you reach your most desired goals and build a life worth living.

As an experienced and compassionate psychologist, I am committed to helping individuals on their journey towards self-discovery and personal growth. It is a privilege to work with clients who are motivated to gain insight into their thoughts, emotions, and relationships, and who aspire to evolve and improve. My therapeutic approach is collaborative, empathic, and tailored to each individual's needs. I draw from a range of evidence-based interventions, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), relational, interpersonal, and insight-oriented therapies.

I am a Harvard-trained physician who practiced Neurology for 25 years before completing a post-graduate psychotherapy fellowship to allow me to help others in a different way. This major life change informs my work as a psychotherapist. No matter where along our life’s path we find ourselves, and no matter how distressed, stuck or trapped we feel, we can always come to know ourselves more fully and to make changes in the service of a more satisfying, meaningful and fulfilling life. I practice a flexible style of psychotherapy tailored to each unique person or couple. Some prefer a shorter-term, more active therapy that focuses on making changes in the here and now. Others benefit from a longer-term, more self-directed exploration in a safe and supportive environment. Although my focus is on helping people meet their goals through therapy, I offer the option to prescribe adjunctive medication when needed. My aim is always to understand each person’s unique life experiences, beliefs, values and goals and to work with each person to promote enhanced self-understanding and freedom of choice in the service of a life that feels satisfying and meaningful. When working with a couple, my aim is to help the couple work through current relationship difficulties and, if both partners are invested in maintaining the relationship, to help them create a partnership where each feels safe, secure, valued and cared for.