Anxiety and depression therapists and psychiatrists in Rhode Island

Hi, I’m Chrissy, and I’m a licensed professional counselor. If you’re struggling with OCD or anxiety, you may have spent a lot of time stuck in the “why,” wondering why these thoughts happen or why you feel this way. In our work together, we’ll shift the focus from the why to the how: how you can respond differently, break the cycle, and move forward.

Rooted in my graduate training at the University of Rhode Island, I developed expertise in both general clinical and health psychology. I developed a programmatic line of research in health promotion (adoption and maintenance of multiple health behaviors including exercise, smoking cessation and nutritious eating) with a particular focus on exercise motivation as a gateway to adopting other health behaviors.

During my internship and postdoctoral training at VA Connecticut and VA Boston, respectively, my research evolved towards integrating health behavior change (e.g., exercise adoption and maintenance) with veterans suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain and PTSD. As I learned more about the biopsychosocial model of these medically and psychiatrically complex disorders, my ultimate goal became to help veterans better manage their pain and PTSD symptoms, utilizing health behavior change as a complementary component of their overall treatment program. With this approach, the ultimate goal was to help them improve their overall quality of life and well-being, long-term.

My patient oriented research experience, over the past thirteen years, directly informed my approach to my clinical work with individual patients. In fact, I worked for Newton-Wellesley Eating Disorders and Behavioral Medicine for the past fifteen years. As part of this work, I focused on helping individuals suffering from the full continuum of eating disorders (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder) to sustain their recovery long-term and achieve "recovery maintenance" through establishment and achievement of additional life goals and to move beyond their "eating disorder" identity to a "whole person" identity to create a more meaningful life post-recovery. Additionally, as part of this practice, I treated patients suffering from anxiety, PTSD, chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression as well as veterans from the community.

Prior to becoming a psychotherapist I was exactly where you are now reaching out for support. You don't have to go through this alone. I have a Master's Degree in Holistic Counseling and I am also a licensed Mental Health Counselor with 20 years experience working with anxiety, depression, loss and trauma. Therapy helped me to understand myself and cope with my situation. It also led me to my education which, taught me that seeing yourself as a whole gives you more options to choose from when things go wrong. By combining the two I can better support what you most need so you can move forward with purpose and see that there is life beyond coping.

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to consider working with me. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and have been in the Mental Health and Substance Use field for 21 years. I have extensive experience working with a wide range of issues. I specialize in working with adolescents and adults who struggle with anxiety, substance use, Men's issues, and relationship stress. I hope that we can connect and work towards removing your barriers and achieving your goals.

Welcome!

If you hope to slow down for an hour to ask deep questions, commit to your values, increase your self compassion, and rewrite your narrative, I am here to help you through that process.

I work alongside individuals experiencing anxiety, ADHD, perinatal challenges, relationship concerns, and grief. I am also passionate about working with clients who have experienced intimate partner violence and sexual violence. I am a clinical social worker licensed in Maine and Rhode Island, holding a Master of Social Work from the University of New England.

Choosing a therapist can be difficult. I like to help my client feels empowered in an affirming environment to meet their needs and goals.