Divorce Therapists in Amherst, MA

My current practice focuses on working with clients who are looking to make changes related to life stressors including: anxiety, depression, parenting, separation/divorce and life transitions. I am trained in a variety of treatment modalities including mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Please reach out and see if we could be a good fit working together.

I am a clinician, consultant and evaluator for children, youth and young adults. I have helped families coping with trauma, divorce, behavior problems, substances, alcohol, eating disorders and other health-related difficulties, cognitive disorders or PDD. I have successfully helped individuals with anger, depression or anxiety, including OCD and PTSD. I work closely with families and schools treating those with ADHD, LD, and Developmental Disabilities, including Autism Spectrum disorders. I primarily use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Family Therapy. Finally, I have a special interest in issues concerning adoption and individuals in the GLBTQIA+ community.

Being you has not been easy. You're haunted by a painful past. Hurtful self-talk echoes in your head. "Why did I do that again? I should have..." Others see you as smart and competent, yet you feel like a fraud. That wall you built around yourself for safety - doesn't really feel safe anymore. And it doesn't allow for a deeper connection with others. Anxiety keeps you on edge while fear twists you into knots. Living in your body is uncomfortable. Symptoms like digestive issues and tension headaches are becoming part of your daily life. Nothing you do seems to make much of a difference. You know you need to make a change.

Do you need a relationship TUNE-UP or need to address BIG CHALLENGES in your relationship/marriage? Do you wonder: How do we create more closeness? What can we do about fighting about the same things over and over again, without resolution? How can we listen better to each other? Is there hope for us? Most of us never received the information and support we need to have successful healthy relationships. No wonder so many of us end up finding relationships to be problematic, confusing, unfulfilling and painful! I help couples find their way out of confusion, distance or painful dynamics to find clarity, closeness and enduring love.

I have been working in the Pioneer Valley for over twenty five years, helping people find more effective ways to manage life changes and stresses. I am committed to appreciating the complexity and uniqueness of the problems people have in their lives. I will listen carefully, respectfully and authentically. We will work together to help you overcome obstacles, distressful behaviors and painful symptoms. I believe that positive change happens in people's lives through empathy, radical acceptance and leaps of faith. My practice includes work with individual adults and couples.

Feeling stuck in a broken relationship and wondering if the two of you can make it work is difficult to manage on your own. I use principles of PACT therapy, developed by Dr. Stan Tatkin, to help move your relationship towards secure functioning and to help you find solutions. However, maybe you have already separated and are finding it daunting to share the responsibilities of parenting your child in two completely different households. If you share children, it's likely going to require special skills to meet the child's best interests. I assist parents to rebuild communication in order to promote the child's well-being.

Do you need someone to listen to you and help you make sense of your experiences? Are your emotions overwhelming you? Do you feel misunderstood or unsupported? As a therapist I help people discover their own strength and confidence. You may be going through a difficult transition or feel like you are stuck in some way. Perhaps you have noticed a pattern in your behavior or relationships that you want to change.

My intention is to create a nurturing relationship that supports your learning and growth. I believe the quality of the therapeutic relationship is the most important element of a helpful counseling experience. Together, we will explore your challenges with compassion and curiosity and discover your strengths and other resources that can help you move towards meaningful change. If you’re interested in working with me, please leave a message with your insurance and best times/days.

Change is a natural part of life which can be both exciting and anxiety provoking. If you'd like to build your capacity for meeting the challenge of transitions, or are seeking new ways of responding to old patterns, let's actively work together to create fresh approaches to building the life you want to be living. I am easy to talk to, and bring a warm and open presence approaching therapy as a conversation. I listen closely and aim to ask questions that help you to grow your own innate wisdom and inspire new ideas and solutions.

I am here to help individuals and couples find a deeper experience of aliveness, love, and joy in their lives. Using a combination of deep listening, spiritual coaching, energy work, and over 30 years of experience listening and learning from the Divine, my clients very quickly experience relief from the sense of frustration and helplessness that can come from experiencing long standing challenges. I have a proven track record of helping couples rejuvenate their relationship and find new ways through patterns of fighting and strife.

We are living in unprecedented times filled with great challenge and incredible opportunity for growth. Global and personal events can leave us feeling isolated, disconnected, anxious and depressed. We search for meaning and purpose amidst the overwhelm of loss, transition, disease and chronic pain. Yet, this chaos can be the grit that moves us toward greater awareness and freedom. Support, connection, compassion and skilled guidance can help us forge new pathways in our lives, our brains and our bodies. We then have more capacity to reclaim our inherent joy, creativity and the power to build a positive light-filled future.

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a private practice in Amherst. My style is warm, genuine and collaborative. I work with clients to identify goals for therapy and pathways for reaching those goals. I use an integrative mind-body approach which may include: psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, self compassion, mindfulness, EMDR, and sandplay therapy. Please visit my website for more information www.gabrielleslavin.com

Having a solid therapeutic relationship is essential to the success of your experience in therapy, and I am committed to creating a space in which you will feel safe, deeply heard and seen, and can be a collaborator in the therapeutic process. I believe in creating a mutual alliance built upon honesty, empathy, trust, and respect. Together, we will explore the challenges and obstacles you face, while identifying personal strengths and other resources that will help facilitate meaningful change and growth.

I am currently accepting new clients! The most significant factor in successful therapy is the therapeutic relationship itself. With this in mind, I adopt a warm and collaborative approach with each client. I enjoy working with a wide variety of issues, including treating mood disorders such as depression and anxiety; addressing relationship challenges and life transitions; supporting recovery from substance abuse; exploring issues of racial and cultural identity; and enhancing skills for management of trauma history.

We have immediate openings, across the lifespan, for the following insurances: Blue Cross Blue Shield Optum and Optum products: Allways, Harvard Pilgrim, Oxford, Connecticare TUFTS Medicare Private Pay ($100/session) Become a client on our website: www.advancepsychotherapy.org. Those who are interested in receiving services from us should fill out the following form:

In life we all need hope, validation, just to know that today, "this too shall pass." I strive to connect with individuals with honesty, warmth, and empathy. When one makes that decision to seek emotional guidance, I understand the vulnerability and the bravery of that moment. While allowing one to take the time they need to reach their desires of the heart and/or identify what one desires through a space of compassion and mindfulness.

In our work together my clients heal from within. Why? Because with deep core work, you will change old familiar brain paths into newly chosen authentic brain paths. You will experience breakthrough counseling with tools for life, attaining deep self love, developing new ways of thinking and feeling, being in charge of your brain, fearlessly listening within, learning helpful communication, and understanding choices from a new perspective. Over 20 years in private practice I designed about 250 exercises to help my clients heal. For couples, we do the same core work. All but one couple found renewed love.

As a person with lived experiences from within and outside the United States, I know the joys, sorrows and pleasures of living with, and beyond, preconceived notions of who you “should” be. You will find me to be a warm, caring and highly skilled companion on your journey in expressing your human fears, concerns, and hopes.

At your first appointment, we talk about what's bringing you for therapy now; my approach is strength-based and collaborative. While offering support and guidance, I take time to build a safe place where you can gain understanding and develop skills to improve your life. My practice welcomes adolescents, college students and parents; I enjoy working with individuals and couples. With increased perspective and awareness about your choices, the opportunity for change unfolds.