My approach is collaborative, compassionate, playful, and always respectful of you as a unique individual. I have an integrative approach to trauma healing and am continually learning the most effective treatments. My counseling and coaching practice is made up of elders, LGBTQIA+ folks, activists, parents, artists, fellow therapists, and caregivers.
About a third of my practice always includes folks navigating post-concussion issues, for which I have become known for specializing in.
I identify as a white, cisgender, bisexual, large-bodied female. I respectfully acknowledge living on the unceded and ancestral territory of the Nipmuc and Nonotuck People.
I've been engaged with anti-racist work since the 90’s and value supporting diverse populations.
Why “Heart-Mind” Healing? Citta (in Pali, the language spoken at the time of the Buddha) is often translated as Heart-Mind, in Buddhist texts (the 2,600 year old teachings of the Buddha). Studying Buddhist psychology, since I was in my 20’s, has informed my life-long exploration of ways to reduce suffering.
“We commit to our own healing in part because the realization of what we are dreaming of rests on it. It is our responsibility to one another to do our internal work, not so that we feel good alone but to stay an active part of the whole and to refuse to pass down to the next generation what pain we've accrued.”
-Prentis Hemphill
What It Takes to Heal: How Transforming Ourselves Can Change the World
An invitation for more ease and contentment in your life.
Gaston Pond (Barre, MA) photo by Bryony
“Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within."
- James Baldwin
My influences and inspiration
Phil & Sharon Smith (mom & dad) - Riverside, CA (1970)
“Wholeness does not mean perfection: it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life.”
- Parker J. Palmer
As a second generation psychotherapist, I am genuinely honored to do this work.
I was raised in southern California by two loving and wise (and wounded, in their own ways) parents who were a part of the “human potential movement”, which was focused on transpersonal psychology, expansion of consciousness studies, and being of service in the world.
This upbringing gave me a strong foundation to pursue a life guided by my values. A deeply important part of my path was finding like-minded communities of people interested in personal development and awareness, for the benefit of the planet.
I was lucky to discover those communities at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland (when I was 18 years old) and the Insight Meditation Society in central Massachusetts where I lived, practiced, and worked for ten years.
Meeting (and sitting retreats with) inspiring teachers like Tara Brach, Phillip Moffitt, Loch Kelly, Ajahn Sucitto, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein changed my life - they helped me see what is possible (less suffering).
I received my training starting in 1991 (at Findhorn, co-leading personal growth workshops) and finally finished my Masters in Mental Health Counseling when I turned fifty. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Board Certified Life Coach.
Taking care of my parents at the end of their lives transformed mine. My interest in supporting caregivers, those with dementia, post-concussion related mental health issues, and meditators comes both from my life experiences and my training.
Mom & Dad (1997-ish), Louisville, KY - Photo by Phil Ragland
If it sounds like we might be a fit, please reach out via my contact page.
I look forward to hearing from you!
10” handmade mandala created during the pandemic (spontaneous gel pen marks on purple poster paper) by Bryony
"What is split off, not felt, remains the same. When it is felt, it changes. Most people don’t know this..... A few moments of feeling it in your body allows it to change. If there is in you something...unsound, let it inwardly be and breathe. That’s how it can evolve and change into the form it needs.”
- Eugene T. Gendlin (developer of Focusing)
Focusing is an experiential, embodied, and evidence-based practice of self-reflection created in the 1950’s
"IFS is the only therapy that I'm aware of which is predicated on: there's nothing wrong with you. Shit has happened, our parts helped us cope, and now, we're able to go beyond coping, into the healing. That's what this is about."
— Derek Scott, Founder of IFSCA
2025 fees:
60-minute therapy sessions $155
60-minute Coaching sessions $155
90-minute Coaching sessions $190
2026 fees:
60-minute therapy sessions $175
60-minute Coaching sessions $175
90-minute Coaching sessions $210
(INSURANCE REIMBURSES THERAPISTS ONLY A FRACTION OF WHAT THERAPISTS’ CHARGE)
I offer sliding scale fees for private pay clients who cannot afford my full rate.
You can search for this Green Bottle graphic to view more closely - designed by Alexis J. Cunningfolk | www.wortsandcunning.com
*BASIC NEEDS include food, housing, and transportation. **EXPENDABLE INCOME might mean you are able to buy coffee or tea at a shop, go to the movies or a concert, buy new clothes, books, and similar items each month, etc.
by Alexis J. Cunningfolk | www.wortsandcunning.com
I accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Harvard Pilgrim (Point32 Healthcare), and AETNA insurance plans for Psychotherapy appointments (for clients in Massachusetts).
You may be able to submit a claim for partial reimbursement to your health insurance carrier, if you have behavioral health and out of network benefits.
I recommend that you contact your insurance company to verify coverage and out of network benefits.
If you want to sign up for Coaching sessions,
they are not covered by insurance.