We live in incredibly challenging times due to wars, pandemics, climate change, gun violence, religious bigotry, racism/classism/sexism/ableism/ageism and any other -ism you can imagine. Consequently, rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety are at an all-time high. How do we begin to navigate a world fraught with such unprecedented events culminating with so much tragedy that so deeply impacts our personal and professional lives? How do we cultivate some sense of safety and restore trust due to broken relationships and deeply, complex traumatic experiences after betrayal and loss? How do we even begin to reframe our perspective in response to today's personal and global challenges? How do we cope with intense grief? How do we cope with displacement resulting from war, political violence, oppression, and climate change? As a caring and compassionate individual, I hope to provide guidance, mentorship, and a collaborative environment to explore responses with you to discuss some of these complex questions that might be impacting your life in many ways. As an experienced practitioner of 25 years, I have experience working with multicultural populations with individuals, groups, families, and couples. As an author of a published book (Fragments: Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder, a non-fiction book on ADHD published by Routledge, available on Amazon) and academic journal articles, as well as experience as a university lecturer for a decade, I specialize in ADHD, PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance use, immigration/refugee displacement, and eco social work/psychology. I have experience working with multicultural populations from around the world in an inner-city community health center in Worcester, MA, a wilderness therapy program in northern Maine (experienced working with Native American populations on reservations), hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, alternative schools (including a private, alternative Buddhist high school), public schools, and private practice.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

After our first session (intake) when we discuss some of your history and presenting issues, it is my hope that subsequent sessions help incite thought and eventually, potential solutions, to address the challenges in your life. If relevant, I may ask you to work on some artistic or written expression or read recommended literature (e.g., related to communication styles, attachment styles, trauma, etc) between sessions that we will review when we meet again. I also hope that our sessions help to restore some sense, as well as some serenity, to your life. I will also teach you how to identify repressed emotions and unmet needs, understand and recognize symptoms of substance use, ADHD, PTSD, depression, and anxiety, utilize coping skills, and nurture creative expression.

What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?

I offer a holistic and philosophical approach that integrates cognitive-behavioral therapy, attachment theory, psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness meditation, art, nature, and writing therapy for creative souls (and those looking to tap more into their creativity for emotional and therapeutic expression). Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps to restructure thought processes, including the recognition of repeated negative thought patterns that do not lead to positive outcomes in life. Psychodynamic therapy helps to understand how past relationship patterns (often from families of origin) and insecure/secure attachment styles affect our current level of functioning. Mindfulness and meditation help restore balance and improve overall life quality. Nature also offers many metaphors for living!

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

As a caring, authentic, and compassionate individual, I reflectively listen, teach about different communication styles, and will help you to identify emotions and unmet needs. I can help you utilize coping skills for ADHD, trauma, depression, anxiety, and substance use, as well as learn how substance use often results from traumatic experiences (combined with an optional harm reduction/moderation management approach). I can help you to understand the physiological consequences of trauma and how it impacts the body, learn mindfulness practices to restore serenity in daily life, learn time management, mindfulness, and organization for ADHD, nurture your creative soul (through art, writing, music, somatic therapy such as dancing and yoga, etc), and improve self-esteem and self-efficacy.

About Dr. Amy E. Stein, PhD