Individual psychotherapy
See clearly.
Move freely.
You can be managing everything and still not be all right.
Telehealth across Massachusetts / Tuesday through Saturday
Psychotherapy
Presence without pressure.
Therapy offers a place to slow down and look at what’s actually going on. Things that once felt confusing or overwhelming often start to make more sense. What you set aside to keep things moving doesn’t disappear. This is where you get to it.
Part of the work is getting clear on what you want, which usually takes a few sessions. From there it breaks into pieces small enough to do. Small enough to do again tomorrow.
Over time, something shifts. You stop bracing so hard. You trust your own read more, and need to control less. You find you can be kinder to yourself, which quietly makes you kinder to everyone else. Life feels less like something to manage and more like something you’re actually in. Fewer things frighten you. You feel more like yourself, more of the time.
Anything that is human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable.
Fred RogersWhat we work with
Most people come to me with anxiety, anger, overthinking, or a change they haven’t caught up to yet. Those four are rarely as separate as they seem. You name one and the rest turn up behind it. Sometimes there’s no word for it yet, only irritability, or long hours, or shutting down at home.
The patterns that trouble us are usually old. They made sense once, and they were how we got through something. Now they arrive before we’ve decided anything. They hold on. They can also loosen.
Knowing where a pattern came from isn’t enough. You practice noticing it. For a long time that only happens after the fact, which doesn’t feel like progress. One day you see it coming. Then it’s a choice.
Mike’s open and non-judgmental approach allows him to connect easily with people, and I have personally witnessed him act as a catalyst for many making significant life changes.Christine Palmieri, former supervisor
About
My path into this work started with film. What drew me was people in their real moments, the hard ones, the ones that matter. Then in 2004 I volunteered on a suicide hotline. I didn’t want to capture those moments anymore. I wanted to help people find their way through them. That’s still what I’m here for.
I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over two decades of experience across private practice, outpatient care, community programs, and interdisciplinary teams. I’ve also held supervisory and leadership roles, mostly with clinicians early in their careers. The way I work is quiet and practical, and owes a good deal to Taoism, Buddhism, Stoicism, and existential psychology. I pay close attention, I don’t push, and I keep a working set of tools that I’m still adding to.
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.
Carl RogersFees and insurance
A limited number of reduced-fee spaces are reserved for people who may benefit from this work but for whom the full fee would be difficult. There’s no application and nothing to prove. Don’t let cost be the reason you never reach out.
I’m in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield directly. Through Headway, I’m also in network with Aetna, Carelon Behavioral Health, and Cigna. Headway confirms your coverage and what you’ll pay before the first session. For anything else, I can provide a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement.
Common questions
How do I know if it’s time?
There’s no threshold to meet. Plenty of people arrive when working it out alone has stopped getting anywhere, and plenty have never done this before. You don’t have to be in crisis, and looking fine from outside doesn’t mean you are.
What is a session like?
It depends on the week and on what you want out of it. Mostly you talk and I listen closely, then say what I notice. A session might wander and end up somewhere neither of us expected, or stay on one thing until it opens up. You’ll usually leave with something to try.
How often do we meet?
I suggest weekly for the first four to six sessions, which is about how long it takes to know whether this is a fit. After that you set your own pace. If you’d rather have a standing time, I can hold one.
How long do people stay?
Some come for one specific thing and stop when it’s handled. Others go longer because it keeps being useful. Both are normal, and it doesn’t have to be settled now.
Will you give me advice?
I’ll offer things to try, and say what I think. None of it decides for you. That part was always yours.
Contact
When you’re ready, I’m here.
Start with a free fifteen-minute conversation. We talk about what you’re looking for and whether I’m the right person for it. If you want to go ahead, sessions are by video, Tuesday through Saturday, 8am to 2pm. You book them yourself online.