Mara Penatzer
Mara Penatzer
(she/her)
I am a clinical social worker (LICSW) located in western Massachusetts. I hope to support clients in exploring their experiences of past and current relationships and how they relate to others; improving communication and interpersonal effectiveness; increasing feelings of self-esteem and self-efficacy; building skills to cope with distress and nervous system dysregulation; moving toward secure attachment in relationships; and recovering from experiences of trauma and invalidation. I use an eclectic therapeutic approach that integrates relational psychodynamic theory with dialectical strategies and mindfulness-based behavioral approaches.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
The first session is the beginning of our work to build a strong therapeutic alliance, so that we can work together in the way that best meets the client's needs and preferences. This can include exploring clients' goals and hopes for their treatment, current presenting problems, family and relationship history, previous treatment experiences, strengths, and values.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
It's important to me to be someone my clients can trust to be honest, validating, and interested in understanding them better. I make an effort to hold a non-judgmental stance, and to use phenomenological empathy to find a non-perjorative way of understanding clients' experiences. I value integrity, creativity, and compassion in my clinical work.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I enjoy working with clients who are interested in knowing themselves better, improving their relationships, exploring and clarifying their values, and finding more effective ways to respond to stress and invalidation. I particularly enjoy working with young adults, and with clients who identify as neurodivergent, autistic, or on the autism spectrum.
About Mara Penatzer
I identify as
Specialties
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Psychodynamic
The therapeutic relationship can be a powerful tool in understanding and strengthening other relationships outside of therapy, and in exploring and challenging our working models of relationships. My work is informed and enriched by psychodynamic relational theory, and I aim to support clients in using the therapeutic relationship to bring unconscious relational patterns and dynamics to light, and provide reparative relational experiences (including validation and relational safety) that clients can internalize and bring to their other relationships.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I use dialectical philosophy and validation to support clients in moving out of stuck or polarized positions, recovering from invalidating environments, finding a middle path, and building a life worth living. This can include building mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills, and exploring ways to be more effective in responding to painful or challenging situations.
Motivational Interviewing
I use Motivational Interviewing to support clients in clarifying what values are most important to them, enhance intrinsic motivation to take steps toward goals, and increase feelings of self-efficacy.