Book a therapist or psychiatrist in Hamden, CT covered by Aetna

My name is Wendy Hagen, and I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW).

I believe therapy should feel both comfortable and useful in your everyday life. We’ll talk about what’s happening, but we’ll also work on practical skills you can use between sessions. I want you to feel comfortable being yourself, knowing you’ll be met with compassion, honesty, and without judgment.

There may be difficult conversations, moments when something finally clicks, and probably some humor along the way. I’ll listen, offer perspective, and gently challenge you when it may help. My goal is for you to leave with greater clarity, confidence, and tools you can actually use as you navigate life.

I have worked in many different areas from school age children to the elderly. I bring with me the skills and experiences to my therapy practice. I can help your start your journey and explore the hard truths

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in private practice with an extensive background in social work across diverse settings. My work is grounded in compassion, ethical practice, and a deep respect for each person’s unique story.

I earned my Master of Social Work (MSW) from Sacred Heart University where I received comprehensive training in clinical practice and evidence-based interventions. I have experience working with adults and older adults navigating a wide range of concerns, including dementia, anxiety, burnout, stress, and the everyday ups and downs of life. My background has equipped me to support clients with both complex clinical needs and the challenges that naturally arise across different life stages.

Looking for a therapist who'll be honest with you — not just agreeable? I offer direct, compassionate care, all from the comfort of wherever you are. I'll validate what you're feeling when it needs to be heard, and gently challenge you when it's time to look at things differently. Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, we'll work together to reshape the narratives keeping you stuck and help you see your life through a new lens.

I bring over 20 years of experience as a Licensed Counselor and Art Therapist to my practice. I work with clients to integrate a variety modalities including art therapy, movement, humor, meditation, and breathwork into my practice to help them close the disconnects between mind, body, and spirit, and connect with their true selves as whole and complete human beings.

By deciding to find a therapist, you have already taken the hardest step. Whether this is your first time in therapy or picking up right where you left off, finding the right fit will allow you to reap the benefits of a strong therapeutic connection. Change isn’t linear, therefore healing can look and feel different each day. I look forward to guiding you on this journey with respect, kindness, and compassion.

Hello, I’m Cara, a licensed clinical social worker with a master’s degree in social work. My approach is warm, down‐to‐earth, and collaborative. I believe therapy works best when it feels genuine and human. Together, we’ll explore your experiences, build on your strengths, and use practical, evidence‐based tools like coping strategies, mindset shifts, and boundary work. I make space for humor and real connection, combining these skills with deeper exploration of patterns, self‐compassion, and emotional insight to support lasting, meaningful change.

I specialize in helping adults with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, trauma, and complex trauma.

** My practice currently prioritizes clients in the Mid-Hudson Valley and those in direct service and helping professions, such as therapists, teachers, first responders, veterans, healthcare workers, and essential and frontline workers. **

If you've done the work and still feel stuck, anxious, or not like yourself, you're not doing it wrong. Often the nervous system is simply doing what it learned to do to keep you safe.

I'm an LCSW licensed in New York and Connecticut, with eight years of experience rooted in crisis work. I've worked with families facing hardship and people in corporate and executive careers, and I have experience in disaster mental health and in critical incident stress management for first responders. I understand people under the highest levels of stress, both personally, as I was one of those people, and professionally.

I don't believe trauma has to be something we simply live with, or something that defines us. What overwhelms one nervous system may not overwhelm another, so trauma looks different for every person. When we look at ourselves through a nervous system lens, instead of "trauma happened to me and now I'm broken," we start to see a nervous system that adapted to survive, and one that can learn to do something new.

A self-regulation approach asks, "How do I calm myself down?" A capacity approach asks, "How can I build a nervous system that doesn't need to be calmed down every time life gets hard?" That second question is where I work. I start with the body and emotional experience before cognitive understanding, which helps us reach what's hard to put into words and often leads to real shifts.