Best Addiction & Substance Abuse Counselors in Greenfield, MA

I have over 10 years of experience working with people who have experienced homelessness as well as serious mental health and addiction. I received my Master's degree and went on to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). Besides counseling, I have done a great deal of social work for those who are low-income, facing many challenges including housing stability. My approach is to work at each person's own pace and learn as much as I can about who you are to better help provide support. This leads to providing what treatment approach will work best for the individual (or couple). I also highly draw upon Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for the work I do with clients. My goal is to provide you with a therapeutic experience that allows you to feel relief and shifts sooner rather than later and to give you a sense of confidence moving forward in both yourself and the therapeutic process. As my client, you can expect to be treated with respect, care, compassion, and have someone walking beside you who will support you in becoming the best version of yourself that feels right, true, and honest to you. I look forward to meeting you, getting to know more about what is going on in your life right now, and beginning to help you feel better through our time together. For your reference, my online office hours are Monday-Saturday. Sunday is my personal day and I am not available for messaging or sessions that day. Any messages I receive after Saturday evening will be responded to on Monday. For the foreseeable future, for any new clients I begin working with, I am available via messaging and live chat sessions only (not phone or video).

I'm excited to get to know you better! In the meantime, here's a little about me, and my professional experience and training. I think one of the biggest challenges, after taking that first brave step of reaching out, is to find a good therapist that you connect with. In my twenty-eight years of experience, the therapeutic relationship is the principal reason that therapy "works" or "doesn't work." My approach focuses on first developing a strong therapeutic alliance in which you feel emotionally safe and heard without judgment. You've already come to the conclusion that something in your life is not working. My task is to help you to identify the ways in which you'd like things to be different. From there, together we can create realistic, achievable goals that support those changes and move you toward the life that you deserve. I have a large repertoire of strategies and interventions, which include cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness practices, and motivational interviewing. Producing insights, strategies, and tools that you can use immediately is my goal for every interaction with you. I have extensive experience in trauma, anxiety, relationship issues (adult as well as parent-child), substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders. I have found that many people experiencing trauma or anxiety are helped by a combination of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy. This teaches us how to tolerate our intense feelings and how to reframe unhelpful thought patterns that keep us stuck. Life is challenging and, at times, difficult and painful. Learning how to be "comfortable being uncomfortable" gives us the skill and flexibility to ride these waves (as opposed to feeling like we're treading water or simply drowning). On a personal note, I have been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1997. I have worked in a wide variety of settings, including community mental health centers, where I have worked as both therapist and clinical supervisor; university training clinics; private residential treatment facilities; and a successful private practice. I have worked with individuals, couples, families, groups, and with children of all ages. When I'm not helping people, I can be found on the golf course or outdoors, enjoying the beauty of my surroundings. I look forward to working with you and helping you to make the changes you desire.

I am licensed in Massachusetts with 20 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients who are coping with addictions, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, & eating disorders. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!