Psychodynamic Therapists in Northampton, MA

Are you looking for an open-minded, non-judgmental therapist to help you address problems, build confidence, and get to know yourself? Are you struggling with life, relationships, creative pursuits, or coming to terms with your past? Seeking therapy requires courage, and it is with respect, curiosity and dedication that I approach this work.

I support individuals and couples in understanding negative patterns of relating and developing more adaptive coping strategies to manage life's stressors. Clients describe me as warm but direct, and I strive to create an environment that allows for levity, humor, and playfulness as we work together to make sense of your problems and overcome them. I work hard with my clients, and I enjoy engaging with clients who show up ready to work. I welcome clients of all genders and sexual orientations. As a queer person, it feels especially meaningful when I can support LGBTQ+ clients.

Living with an LGBTQAIP and/or erotically diverse identity can often bring extra challenges along with experiences of resiliency and strength. As a queer-identified, polyamorous and gender fluid therapist, I value creating a safe space where multiple aspects of identity are welcome and opportunities for healing are abundant.

My client is the expert on my client and my job is to help unlock their innate wisdom. Our troubles are the side effects of adaptations forged by hardship, and we can change them using strengths in ourselves, families and community. Feeling more connected to others involves communication skills, and tolerance for irritation and vulnerability (inevitable in close relationships). Therapy can help you hold your pain differently. You can feel better living with your past, instead of waiting to get rid of it. I help clients to address spiritual roadblocks and to help build a fulfilling and meaningful life, with the pain.

Please visit my website (www.emily-walsh.com) for information about me and my practice.

I view therapy as a collaborative process of challenging patterns that get in the way of living fully and learning how to become more aligned and balanced. Often we act differently from what we feel or know because our histories, for various reasons, have caused our internal resources to shut down. I aim to to help my clients restore, integrate and utilize their inner strengths.

Whether you're seeking help for adjusting to a recent change or looking to break free from difficulties that keep you from enjoying life, I'm here to offer you support and guidance through the process. My approach is tailored to each individual and often involves identifying strengths, building self confidence and self acceptance as well as challenging unhealthy beliefs and coping strategies. Asking for help is often very difficult, but greatly beneficial. I will offer you a new perspective and a direction towards self fulfillment and happiness.

We all need therapy at certain times in our lives. Good therapy will help you master the problems you are struggling with. You must feel your therapist understands your goals and can help you achieve them. I believe that people are strongly motivated to master their problems. Most people suffer from false self-blame and self-criticism. I have committed my practice to helping patients to overcoming their guilt, shame & anxiety.

I believe the therapist's role is to be authentic and compassionate, as well as an active participant in helping you to overcome whatever concern brings you to therapy. In addition to listening to what you are struggling with in the moment, I try to help you find ways to manage the distress and more fully engage in your life. I use a combination of traditional talk therapy and skill-building, primarily drawing from CBT, DBT, and ACT.

I am a therapist of color with 10+ years of experience as a Smith College Counseling Services staff therapist where I treat traditional-age students, Ada Comstock Scholars and graduate students and supervise MSW interns. My experience includes work in a community mental health outpatient clinic and as a crisis clinician in the Northampton area. I also provide clinical consultation to Smith School for Social Work masters students during the summer. I’m LGBTQ allied and an advocate for social justice. My practice is trauma-informed with person in environment and relational theoretical perspectives.

Life can be hard – it brings us times of feeling alone, scared, sad, ashamed, and uncertain. This can hurt our self, our loved ones, and our ability to lead a fulfilling life. Therapy can provide us with more choices and more control when life becomes hard. As a counseling psychologist, I am deeply committed to providing an affirming and compassionate therapy space where you can explore who you are, where your life is, and take steps towards the life you would like to lead.

My ideal client is seeking personalized, compassionate therapy. I, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, believe in tailoring my approach to meet you where you are. No one-size-fits-all here; it's about understanding your unique needs and pace. Together, we'll explore Solution Focused Therapy, Client Centered Therapy, CBT, REBT, and Motivational Interviewing, ensuring the best fit for your growth. I am deeply invested in helping you unlock your infinite potential, heal, and transform. Let's design your optimal future together—it's never too late to become who you've always wanted to be.

Will you finally take the step to allow yourself to experience real emotional healing through all layers of the past in your existence and into a resilient and joyful version of yourself? Many avoid to start this journey, yet as you read this you know this is only up to you. By taking an integrative approach in therapy, I guide you in discovering your unperceived wisdom and true essence of being. My vision is based on integrating compassion and genuine empathy in therapy. This is key in helping you process your emotions, while surfacing into light the roots of any situation present in your life and the traumas you have experienced.

In the therapeutic space, the truth belongs to the client, not to the therapist's right to define it. My practice centers on addressing the fractures caused by trauma, capitalism, and materialism—forces that separate us from each other and the natural world. These fractures have led to an emotional and spiritual famine, manifesting as widespread anxiety, violence, addiction, and chronic loneliness.

So often, we can identify the challenges we are experiencing, but we have difficulty processing and understanding them alone. It is my goal to compassionately collaborate with you as we bring greater awareness and acceptance to present moment thoughts, feelings and body sensations. It is through this awareness and increased mind-body connection that we are able to allow, explore and process these difficult experiences. I enjoy working with adults of all backgrounds and identities experiencing difficulty with anxiety, stress, burnout, adjustment, medical issues, professional transitions and development.

I have a special interest in working with individuals navigating life transitions such as college, graduate school, career stress, sexuality and gender identity/expression, parenting, relationships, substance use and disordered eating. I specialize in women’s health issues, including pregnancy, postpartum, adoption and parenting. I have extensive experience working in community health with children and adults with complex medical needs, teen parents, and pregnant and postpartum individuals with substance use disorders.

Do you love your kids but sometimes don't like them much? It can feel very isolating when you are struggling as a parent or caregiver to young children - or when your little is struggling. Thoughts like, "Am I doing this right?", "What is happening?!", "How can we get on a good track?". Reaching out for support is a sign that you are ready to shift to a more positive approach and bring balance back into your family.

I'm a licensed psychologist with over 30 years of clinical experience. I understand that seeking a therapist is an act of profound courage and wellness, and I offer a safe, non-judgmental space to explore your concerns. I work with you at your own pace to recognize, validate, and support your natural strengths while gently challenging you to identify, understand, and alleviate symptoms, suffering, and barriers to fulfillment.

Whether you are an individual, couple, or family, I encourage reflection, curiosity, and learning to understand yourself and others with compassion, creativity, and calm. I welcome diverse ages, abilities, and sexual and gender identities and invite the complexities of culture, ethnicity, and race. My general approach is relational, attending to who and how you are in relationship to yourself and with others. I also enjoy working with trauma, grief, young and aging adults experiencing significant life transitions, and chronic illness.