Addiction and Substance Abuse Counseling near Saint Johnsbury, VT

Biography: I am licensed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Vermont with 6 years of professional work experience. I am bicultural/bilingual Spanish speaking. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, coping with grief and loss, & motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

Biography: Life can be challenging. Coping with anxiety, depression, and the daily barriers of life can easily complicate things further. You may struggle to cope with and find balance between the frustrations of school, relationships, work, and family. Maybe you feel it is time to focus on personal growth and seek harmony. Taking the first steps can feel extraordinarily challenging but I will be there to provide support and guidance within your journey. I believe everyone has the capacity to manage life's challenges and I can provide you the skills to do so. I am a mindfulness based and cognitive/behavioral focused therapist with 4+ years of clinical experience. I have a strong focus in working with individuals who are challenged by anxiety and mood related disorders. My experience also includes addiction work with a wide range of individuals. No matter your struggle, I am here as your support. Using cognitive-behavioral techniques in addition to a mindfulness-based perspective, clients learn necessary tools and utilize their own strength-based abilities to manage life's challenges. I excel at creating a safe, non-judgmental space while meeting a client where they currently are in their life. I look forward to working with you in your journey.

Biography: Hello and congratulations on taking this brave step of looking for help. My name is Dr. Nancy Kenyon Richardson, but I usually just go by Dr. Nancy. I strongly believe in the potential of all people to heal and move forward from trauma history, substance use disorders, and other mental health struggles. My passion is assisting people on their journey of healing. The course of my journey as a mental health professional has been two-fold. My master's degree is in psychology with a concentration in counseling. My Ph.D. is in psychology with a concentration in addiction and is research based. My research in successful recovery post-medication-assisted treatment (MAT) lead to an emerging theory on MAT as an aid to long-term opioid recovery without medication. I am a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC) and a licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC). I also hold several certifications including EMDR therapy and Dr. Gottman's Loving Couple's, Loving Children. My grandparents were all Portuguese immigrants who did not have the opportunity for much education. My lifelong dream was to complete my Ph.D. Of course reaching this goal was a wonderful feeling, but I am more proud of the 2012 Victim Activist of the Year Award I received for my work in the field of intimate partner violence. I am fascinated by brain science and often include psycho-education around trauma and the brain when helping people understand why they continue to engage in behaviors they wish to stop or why they continue to be impacted by past traumatic events. I have several years of experience helping people to move forward by identifying the "hooks" from their past that are holding them back from fully healing. I often state, only half kidding, that if I am still your therapist in 5 years and we're working on the same issues, fire me! Although I grew up in a predominantly Portuguese community in Rhode Island, I have resided in Vermont for nearly 30 years. My family and I enjoy travel and I have visited 49 of the 50 states. Our youngest two children are now teenagers so my spouse and I are beginning to explore what the empty nest chapter of our lives will look like. I truly feel honored and that it is a privilege to be trusted with the role of helping people heal from mental health problems. I look forward to being a part of your journey.