Trauma and PTSD therapists & psychiatrists in Danvers, MA

I graduated from the BIDMC/Harvard Psychiatry Residency Training Program in 2025.

You need insight into your problems, not more advice. I'm Matt, a licensed professional specializing in helping teens and emerging adults (13–30) keep their footing in the whirlwind of adolescence and becoming an adult.

I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who runs a private practice called Next Play Therapy. I work with adolescents, young adults, adults, and athletes. My background includes both school-based counseling and outpatient therapy, where I’ve helped clients manage anxiety, stress, depression, self-esteem challenges, and life transitions. I also have experience coaching high school athletics, which has shaped my passion for helping athletes build confidence and mental resilience. My goal is to create a supportive space where clients feel comfortable, understood, and empowered to move forward.

A bit about my educational journey: Upon Graduating from High School in Oregon, I headed East. I earned my Bachelors Degree in Communication Studies from Emerson College in Boston where I minored in Psychology. My Masters in Clinical Mental Health came years later from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.

Now accepting patients in Massachusetts! Offering in office visits on the fourth Monday of each month in Westford, MA from 8:00 until 11:30 and virtual visits throughout the week.

I have been in healthcare for over 20 years and enjoy partnering with patients . As a gay man, I understand the comfort that comes with working with someone from the community.

I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner providing medication

management and therapy for children ages 5+, adolescents, and adults. I treat ADHD,

depression, anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, and related conditions. I also work with adults with autism

spectrum disorder and ADHD, providing diagnostic clarification and ongoing treatment within

general psychiatric care. I offer in-person and telehealth visits and focus on collaborative,

evidence-based, and individualized care.

As a licensed mental health clinician, I utilize a combination of evidence-based interventions and genuine compassion, empathy, and belief in growth through the therapy process. My background is in cognitive behavioral therapy, with training in dialectical behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. I have experience working with teenagers and adults of all ages in addressing struggles related to anxiety, depression, addiction, grief & loss, life transitions, and trauma.

I get so excited to watch clients learn more about themselves, build self confidence and grow as individuals. The transformations I have witnessed in the people I have worked with over the years is amazing and awe inspiring. Emotional pain can be incredibly difficult to deal with, especially on one’s own. Ultimately, we all deserve to feel better about ourselves and learn to care for ourselves in a more kind and accepting way.

Healing Across the Lifespan: A Partnership in Mental Wellness

Choosing a mental health provider is a deeply personal decision. You aren’t just looking for a prescriber; you are looking for a witness to your story, an expert in the biological complexities of the brain, and a partner in your recovery.

My name is Jessica Stanley, and I am a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). My journey to this practice has been defined by a unique duality: the macro view of a healthcare executive and the micro focus of a dedicated clinician. Before opening the doors to this practice, I served as the Clinical Director for a large-scale healthcare organization. In that role, I was responsible for the oversight of complex systems, the mentorship of large clinical teams, and the implementation of evidence-based protocols across diverse populations.

While my time in leadership allowed me to impact mental health at a systemic level, my true passion has always remained in the quiet, transformative moments of the exam room. I have returned to full-time clinical practice to bring that high-level expertise back to where it matters most: the individual human experience.

Mental health does not exist in a vacuum, nor does it look the same at age seven as it does at seventy. I specialize in treating patients across the entire lifespan. Whether I am working with a child struggling to navigate their first years of school, an adolescent facing the pressures of identity formation, or an adult managing the heavy mantle of career and family, my approach remains the same: comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.

Areas of Specialization

I am trained to treat a broad spectrum of psychiatric conditions including:

ADHD & Neurodivergence

Anxiety Disorders

Depression

PTSD & Trauma Recovery

I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with 25 years' experience, who specializes in helping adults learn skill to cope with anxiety, trauma, depression and difficult relationship experiences, including narcissistic abuse and coercive control.

Clients often tell me they feel deeply heard, validated, and understood in our work together. I balance insight oriented exploration with practical tools you can use in your daily life.