Transgender Therapists in Belmont, MA

Welcome to my practice! My hope is you can find a safe place here. All are welcome - none are judged. In my work, I most often support LGBTQ+ and transgender folks, as well as people navigating eating disorders and/or struggles with body image. I also do a lot of ADHD and trauma work. I'm affirming of all sexual, gender, and body identities and presentations. I'm very experienced working with polyamory and ethical non-monogamy and am a sex and kink-positive therapist. In my work around eating, bodies, and body image, I work from a Health at Every Size framework, support fat liberation, and believe all bodies are good bodies.

I am a licensed mental health counselor who provides individual psychotherapy for young people in Harvard Square. My practice originates from my work within public school systems and community based organizations. I have built an expertise in LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy, with a particular focus on supporting gender-expansive young people, their families, and their schools.

Perhaps you are seeking therapy due to anxiety, depression, parenting, interpersonal, or other stressors and want to improve your life. You may be struggling with social anxiety, excessive worrying, sadness, low self esteem, trauma, loneliness, gender identity, or family problems. Whether you are trying to cope with a more recent stressor or struggling with these issues for years, I am happy to support you in living your happiest, calmest, and most positive and authentic life.

Major life transitions can leave you feeling unsure of who you are or how to move forward. Decisions that once seemed black or white can become muddled. Constantly being reminded of the past may make it seem impossible to navigate your present. It might be unclear if you're on the brink of real change or caught in the same old patterns. It's easy to feel lost and alone if you don't have anyone who can really understand and empathize with your situation.

I am currently accepting new patients. I am a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders with young adults and adults. Clients and colleagues describe me as a thoughtful, warm professional with a good sense of humor. I tailor my approach to meet the individual needs of each client, and my goal is to provide a supportive atmosphere where we can work towards your goals effectively. My primary training is in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which I integrate with insight-oriented therapy and other evidence-based treatment modalities.

**Limited availability** As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I help individual clients who are looking to find order, balance, and meaning in their lives. I use a multicultural lens to work collaboratively with my clients to help them better understand themselves through their individual identities and experiences. I welcome clients with short-term adjustment/transition concerns and also those with long-term mental health struggles such as anxiety and depression.

Greater ease and well-being. Less anxiety. Getting along better with your partner/spouse, your family or your other close relationships. These are key reasons that people seek counseling. I would like to help you uncover greater joy and harmony in your life and in your relationships. Life is too short to settle for anything less.

I am a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with adults facing various life transitions, relationship difficulties, and identity-related concerns. I earned my PhD in Clinical Psychology from Miami University in Ohio and completed my predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship in the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. In addition to my private practice, I serve as a full-time Staff Psychologist at McLean Hospital. Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, or other challenges, I am here to provide support and guidance.

Looking through numerous profiles trying to find the right person to work with? Maybe I can help! My goal is to provide a supportive and collaborative space where we can work together to achieve your goals.

Dr. Santagati's areas of special training and expertise include several clinical issues: working with individuals, couples and families who have depression, anxiety, personality disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, interpersonal difficulties and conflict. Her approach to therapy is influenced by several theoretical backgrounds such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Adlerian Psychodynamic Therapy, Family Systems, Humanistic Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. You will decide in collaboration with Dr. Santagati which therapeutic approach is the right one for you!

For the past 10+ years I have been in private practice serving kids, adolescents, and adults. I provide neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic assessment and consultation as well as individual and group therapy using a strengths-based approach. Much of my practice focuses on helping Middle School and High School students who are struggling with learning, social, and emotional adjustment through collaboratively identifying the obstacles and challenges they may be facing and helping them to recognize and embrace their qualities and strengths. Evaluation also involves working closely with parents and helping to identify the most appropriate schools, supports, and home strategies.

I am a clinical psychologist with faculty/staff appointments at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. I believe that therapy should be collaborative, supportive, and warm, while also facilitating real change in clients' lives. You may benefit from working with me if you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, angry, or lonely; or struggling with low self-esteem or lack of confidence. I can assist you in better managing relationship or family conflict, work- or school-related stress, parenting or caregiver stress, grief/loss, and major transitions.

I help couples develop skills to restore trust, communicate and express feelings effectively, understand and resolve differences, and enhance intimacy. It is my passion to help couples repair their connections and create secure and lasting bonds with those who matter the most. I also offer supervision to advanced practitioners interested in learning more about working with couples. I am a Principal Staff member of NECCF and Psych Garden. I received my MSW from Columbia University in 1993 and went on to complete 5 years of specialist training in couples and family therapy at the Ackerman Institute for the Family, in New York City.

Do you wish you could feel more intimate with your partner? Has your sexual relationship lost it's passion & playfulness If so, call Suki Hanfling for a free 20min. phone consultation to explore whether couples/sex/tx. might be helpful. Her approach emphasizes the individual growth of each partner and the enhancement of the relationship. Although there are multiple factors contributing to most difficulties, she begins by addressing the immediate causes: communication difficulties, being "time starved" and performance anxiety. When indicated, therapy can then focus on complex causes, such as trust, control, and intimacy.

With over 30 years experience, I provide a warm, safe, supportive environment where clients move through challenging times, finding the motivation and solutions to live more vital, healthy, authentic lives. I offer Psychotherapy and Clinical Consulting services to adults, teens, couples and families. While interactive in sessions, I am an attentive witness, listening carefully then collaborating with people to see what needs tending, what inherent wisdom may have been overlooked or under-valued and what new ways of seeing can be most helpful.

Practicing counseling for over twenty five years has allowed me to develop the skills that result in efficient and permanent change for my clients. Every person is seen as a unique individual, thus solutions for each person will be the optimal ones for their individual situation. Clarity, comfort and the ability to lead a healthy productive life is the heart of my practice. I am compassionate, honest and sensitive to varying needs. Please feel free to talk with me regarding your concerns. I am confident we have the ability and resources to make the changes you desire.

Who are you really? This is a question I ask my clients. I have been a psychotherapist and consultant for over 30 years. I draw on my innate intuitive abilities as well as my traditional clinical training to bring healing and transformation to my clients. My family systems background allows me to see the individual as a multifaceted system. What we perceive as a “problem” often reflects how we have adapted to the stress and trauma that we may have endured. Our perceived problems, such as addiction to substances, and other self- defeating patterns become encoded within our whole system, and ultimately distort our true essence.

Welcome. Many people can benefit from guidance and support as they work through challenges in work, relationships, and family. Maybe you want to better understand yourself, are contemplating change, or thinking about how to make meaning of life. I would like to provide you with a safe, relationally focused, respectful environment for us to engage in this important work.

My goal is to establish a collaborative and trusting relationship with clients that fosters a safe space for them to explore their emotions and experiences. I am committed to using a flexible client-centered and culturally aware treatment approach that is tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. My approach to psychotherapy is based in psychodynamics and relational theory and incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based interventions. My trauma-informed therapeutic style is nonjudgmental, empathic, empowering, and warm.