Find a therapist in Amherst, MA — covered by insurance

I provide trauma-informed, affirming care grounded in CBT and DBT. I work with LGBTQ+ individuals, college and medical students navigating crisis and burnout, and clients facing emotion dysregulation, perinatal challenges, OCD, PTSD, and BPD. Passionate about serving marginalized communities, I bring a social justice lens to every session—creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can explore, grow, and build lasting resilience.

I believe healing begins by recognizing the strengths you already have. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), I take a person-centered, strength-based approach, helping clients heal from trauma, including generational trauma, navigate life's transitions, and build practical skills for lasting change. Along with working with individuals, I enjoy supporting couples and families, recognizing that lasting change often happens when the entire family system is strengthened. With three years of clinical experience and significant life experience, I strive to create a safe space where clients can quiet shame, build self-compassion, strengthen relationships, and move forward with confidence and hope.

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology. My clinical experience spans large higher education and healthcare systems, and I currently maintain a small private practice.

I work with clients across the lifespan on a wide range of concerns, including:

Depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout

• Life transitions, grief, and trauma
  • Self-esteem, imposter syndrome, and relationship challenges
• Workplace, family, college, healthcare, and graduate medical trainee mental health
• Caregiver stress related to eldercare
• Cultural, identity, and adjustment-related concerns

My therapeutic approach centers on humility, respect, curiosity, and a strength-based lens for all clients.

I specialize in trauma, PTSD, and perinatal mental health — and I hold particular expertise working with military service members, veterans, and people navigating pregnancy loss, infertility, postpartum depression, and postpartum anxiety. I understand military culture in a way that's hard to put into words, and I take it seriously. I also know firsthand what early motherhood can feel like — the disorientation, the grief that shows up alongside joy, the way it can surface things you thought you'd already dealt with. Having my own child gave me a different kind of understanding of this work, and it informs how I show up for clients going through it. I use evidence-based approaches — including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), CBT, and ACT — because you deserve more than good listening. You deserve treatment that has a track record of actually working.

My primary areas of experience are trauma and addiction, and I have a deep passion for helping people heal from experiences that have impacted the way they see themselves, their relationships, and their lives. I understand that coping strategies often develop for a reason. Rather than judging those behaviors, I want to help you understand what they have been trying to do for you, while working together to develop healthier ways of moving forward.

I don’t see you as a diagnosis, a collection of symptoms, or a list of things that need to be fixed. I see you as a whole person with a story. Your experiences matter, your feelings matter, and you deserve a space where they can be heard.

Therapy can be uncomfortable at times. Healing often asks us to look at things we’d rather avoid. But you shouldn’t have to do that while feeling judged, criticized, or alone. My goal is to create a therapeutic relationship where you can laugh, cry, be angry, feel confused, ask difficult questions, or simply sit with whatever you’re experiencing—and know that you are still accepted.

You don’t have to be “better” before you come to therapy. You don’t have to hide the messy parts. You can come exactly as you are.

If you’re looking for a therapist who will genuinely listen, meet you with compassion, and walk alongside you through the process of healing, I would be honored to take that journey with you.

I think this version captures something especially important about your philosophy: the relationship itself is part of the treatment. It also avoids making you sound like you’re promising to “fix” someone, while still conveying genuine passion for helping people heal.

My clinical degree is a Master of Science in Social Administration (MSSA, MSW equivalent) from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio (2016). I completed my Master of Education in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) from University of Cincinnati (2016), and have experience as a provider of ABA services. I have a Doctorate in Behavioral Health from Arizona State University(2020).

I am Sam Vaccaro, Integrative Therapist from the Berkshires. I am passionate about helping women reach their mental health and wellness goals. You are a whole person & your care should include all parts of you. Many mental health treatments focus on the mind or emotional health. My approach focuses on emotional, physical, spiritual, social health & more.

Hello! I know seeking therapy can be overwhelming and I am so happy you are here. The hardest part is often reaching out to get started. I earned my masters degree from Assumption University and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I work with adults who are struggling with a variety of mental disorders such as low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. In session, we will work to identify and address any challenges you may be facing as well as develop skills to manage your symptoms.