Addiction therapists & psychiatrists in Norwood, MA

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 child, adolescent, and adult inpatient psychiatry, as well as school-based and private practice settings. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, I worked as a registered nurse in a detox and rehab facility serving individuals with substance use disorders, many from underserved backgrounds, including low-income, formerly incarcerated, and unhoused populations. I currently practice in a federally qualified health center.

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.

My name is Fernando Velázquez, MS, LADC I, CADC II, CCDP-I, and I am a bilingual (English/Spanish) addiction and mental health counselor with a passion for helping individuals and families achieve recovery, healing, and personal growth.

I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master of Science in Addiction Counseling. Throughout my career, I have worked in a variety of behavioral health settings, including residential treatment programs, outpatient services, community-based recovery programs, crisis intervention, and case management. I currently serve in a leadership role within a residential recovery program, where I provide clinical supervision, treatment planning, and direct support to individuals recovering from substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders.

My professional experience includes working with adults from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and ethnic backgrounds who are facing challenges related to addiction, mental health, trauma, homelessness, criminal justice involvement, chronic relapse, and life transitions. I have extensive experience supporting individuals recovering from opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, stimulant use disorder, gambling disorder, depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, and co-occurring disorders.

As a bilingual clinician, I am particularly passionate about serving Hispanic and Latino communities, helping individuals overcome barriers to treatment while providing culturally responsive care. I understand the importance of family, culture, spirituality, and community in the recovery process and strive to incorporate these strengths into treatment whenever appropriate.

Recovery and healing are possible for everyone, and I am committed to helping clients identify their strengths, overcome obstacles, and build a life that reflects their values, goals, and potential.

Mental healthcare has been a lifelong passion of mine, and I am committed to helping others. My therapeutic style builds on my compassionate, empathetic, and attentive nature. In the past, I have worked well with clients with anxiety, complex trauma, PTSD, narcissistic abuse, personality and/or mood disorders. I genuinely care about the people who entrust me within my therapy practice and consider being a therapist one of the greatest privileges of my life.

*Former clients are welcome to reach out if they want to resume therapy, even if I do not have scheduled openings on Headway.

Over the years, I have worked with folks of all ages and from all walks of life. What they all have in common is the desire to feel connected to others and feel that life is enriching, not depleting. If you are feeling depleted, for any number of reasons, I am here to support you and help you find what you need to be connected and enriched.

With over 25 years of experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I specialize in supporting individuals navigating grief and loss, life transitions, chronic illness, trauma (including first responders), aging-related concerns, and members of the agricultural and farming communities.

I provide telehealth services across multiple states, I’m here to support you on your journey toward healing and growth.

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.