Addiction therapists & psychiatrists in Newton, MA

My name is J.J. Mull -- I'm a clinical social worker and therapist in private practice. I trained and Smith College School for Social Work and received advanced training in psychoanalytic treatment at Cambridge Health Alliance through Harvard Department of Psychiatry. Since finishing my training, I have worked in a wide range of settings with people struggling with anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, substance use disorders, significant trauma, and many other issues. In addition to my clinical work, I am a writer, poet, and researcher and have been a professor in the Masters in Social Work program at Smith College for 4 years.

I am a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. I earned both my Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master of Science in Nursing degrees from Columbia University. My clinical training includes experience in outpatient community health, school-based mental health, private practice, and child, adolescent, and adult inpatient psychiatry. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, I worked as a registered nurse in a detox and rehab facility serving individuals with substance use disorders, including low-income, formerly incarcerated, and unhoused populations.

With over 15 years of experience, I believe in considering the unique perspectives and experiences of each individual and tailoring the counseling process to your needs and context.

For over 30 years, I have assisted individuals navigate significant transitions and emotional struggles. Since 2007, I have been certified in hypnotherapy after completing 10 years of study in clinical hypnosis along with training in Systems Theory, psychodynamic psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems IFS), mindfulness, and spirituality without religious affiliation.

We all need connection, community, and the ability to be our authentic selves in order to thrive. Many of us are not provided these attachment needs in childhood, and we grow into adulthood burdened by this wounding, unsure of how to relate safely and from a place of wholeness. If you struggle to align your inner and outer worlds, find yourself repeating difficult relational patterns, or feel as if your authentic self must remain hidden, I would love to work with you. I am particularly interested in supporting the health of queer families and cooperatives.

I am at my best when I am a guide for others. I start by listening and developing understanding of who you are, what you value, and where you struggle. I will help you to find your way back to yourself and develop the trust you need in yourself to live your best life. I use an approach that is very collaborative offering tools and resources, but assisting you to choose your own direction.

We all struggle at times, especially in the way we live these days. I can help you understand how and why you may be feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected and develop strategies to move through this to a happier, more grounded, and more confident version of yourself.

As a licensed substance use and addiction counselor, I believe that recovery is not a one-size-fits-all journey—it’s a deeply personal process that deserves compassion, respect, and hope. Every individual’s story is unique, and so are the reasons behind their struggles with substance use. My approach is rooted in the belief that healing happens when people feel truly seen, heard, and supported without judgment. I view my role not as someone who tells clients what recovery “should” look like, but as a guide who helps them discover what recovery means for them.

I’m a caring and nonjudgmental therapist who believes everyone deserves a safe space to be heard and supported. I work alongside my clients with compassion, helping them navigate challenges and discover what helps them feel their best. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people grow, heal, and reach their goals!!

I am a licensed independent clinical social worker with extensive experience in trauma, grief and bereavement, hospice and palliative care, substance use, recovery, and major life transitions. I earned my Master of Social Work from Wheelock College, along with a Certificate in Medical Social Work, and later completed training in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy and Research through the California Institute of Integral Studies. I also have experience with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and bring an integrative, trauma-informed perspective to my work. I especially enjoy working with adults who are ready to understand themselves more deeply and create meaningful, lasting change.

You're the one people call when things fall apart. You're good at it — steady, competent, the person who knows what to do. And somewhere along the way you stopped having anywhere to put your own stuff.

So you can run the meeting, hold the crisis, answer the phone at 2 a.m. — and still not be able to make yourself open the mail. Competence and collapse live together far more often than anyone admits out loud.

I work with adults carrying that particular load: substance use and recovery, emotions that arrive at full volume with no dimmer switch, thoughts of self-harm or not wanting to be here, and the specific erosion that comes from caring for other people for a living. Helpers, clinicians, parents, first responders — people whose exhaustion doesn't have an obvious place to go. I work with teenagers too, often the ones in families like these.

My style is direct, warm, and collaborative. I'm not going to nod quietly for fifty minutes. We'll find what's actually driving things, build skills you can use on a Tuesday afternoon when it counts, and I'll tell you honestly what I'm seeing. You set the pace. I'll bring the structure.