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3 therapists available in Lexington
As someone who has experience working with people from diverse backgrounds, I offer a compassionate, supportive, and understanding...
About
As someone who has experience working with people from diverse backgrounds, I offer a compassionate, supportive, and understanding space for healing and growth.
I am a Master’s Level Counselor with 5 years of experience supporting children, adolescents, and adults navigating anxiety, depression, emotional and behavioral concerns, and autism spectrum-related challenges. I have worked in outpatient and in-home therapy settings, incorporating strong family involvement to promote growth, resilience, and meaningful progress.
I earned my master’s degree in mental health counseling from Suffolk University and my bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in education from Emmanuel College. I utilize person-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy to help clients better understand the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
I prioritize building a strong therapeutic relationship where you feel safe, understood, and supported. Taking the first step toward therapy can feel challenging, but you do not have to do it alone. I look forward to partnering with you on your journey toward healing and growth.
Education and training
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Why does everything have to be a syndrome or a disorder? Maybe you're just interesting and cool....
Why does everything have to be a syndrome or a disorder? Maybe you're just interesting and cool.
I am a masters-level clinician seeking my LMHC with 2 years of experience supporting clients through anxiety, depression, ADHD, and life challenges. I work primarily with children and adolescents ages 8–18 and strive to create a warm, nonjudgmental space where clients feel safe to be themselves. My approach is grounded in person-centered principles, emphasizing trust, empathy, and a strong therapeutic relationship.
I earned my master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Cambridge College. My work is influenced by humanistic and relational approaches, drawing inspiration from practitioners who emphasize unconditional positive regard, reflective listening, and gentle redirection to help clients explore their emotions and experiences.
I invite you to begin therapy in a space where you are seen, valued, and supported. Together, we will focus on your goals, strengths, and personal growth rather than labels or diagnoses. You are more than what you’re struggling with, and I’m here to help you better understand yourself and build skills for a healthier, more confident future.
I am grateful for the long life I’ve lived so far and hopeful for many more years. Through clients and coworkers, I’ve learned tha...
I am grateful for the long life I’ve lived so far and hopeful for many more years. Through clients and coworkers, I’ve learned that with support, problems can be solved, challenges can be improved, and open conversations can truly enhance quality of life.
Sue Gillis is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 40 years of experience supporting adults and seniors. She specializes in treating depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, addiction, and family or parenting challenges. Sue has worked in hospitals, outpatient clinics, residential care, and community health settings. Her clinical background includes service with the U.S. Army and the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Brockton, MA. Her approach is grounded in compassion, trust, and collaboration.
Sue holds 2 Master’s degrees in Public Health and Guidance and Counseling from Boston University. She uses evidence-based approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and acceptance and commitment therapy to meet clients where they are.
Sue values the therapeutic relationship and considers walking alongside her clients an honor. She focuses on building trust and helping individuals enhance their quality of life. Sue believes counseling can support both large and small goals, empowering clients through each step of the healing process.
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
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My go-to approach for helping people in family therapy is to help families organize a vision and preferred direction in life. Family therapy focuses on possibilities of what family life can look like rather than what is wrong. It focuses on pulling everyone in the same direction.
I teach families how to organize a shared vision by identifying obstacles, feelings, and support within the family system. It helps family members articulate a shared vision of hope. The plan is to work with family members to overcome obstacles. Problems come into play, and a family therapist neutralizes shame and blame.
The art of making the family members comfortable by creating a therapeutic relationship with each person is the hallmark of family therapy. The goal is to help each family see themselves in the best possible way and give the benefit of the doubt to their own family.
The family members can work to communicate their needs, find shared interests to have fun and play together, and develop their individual interests and share them with other family members
To prepare for a first family session, an individual can think about what they appreciate about their own family. They should be prepared to share something about themselves which is not the reason for starting therapy. Then, they should decide on goals and what they want to accomplish.
Family therapy helps families resolve conflicts and strengthen their relationships. It is led by qualified mental health professionals like psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), and licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) who have extensive training in family dynamics and group communication.
Thriveworks family therapists in Lexington, MA usually begin by asking what everyone’s goals are for family counseling. Family members may need help with very specific issues or with general relationship functioning. But there are three main purposes in family counseling: to educate, to counsel, and to strengthen. Thriveworks also offers online family therapy and in-person services, so you may all meet in an office together or join a video call from your home depending on everyone’s location and availability.
The most effective form of Family therapy will often depend on the family itself, as there are many types of family therapy for therapists to use as they see fit in order to best meet the needs of their clients. However, one of the most commonly used types of family therapy is structural family therapy (SFT). SFT focuses specifically on family dynamics and interactions, looking at how they shape the relationships and structure present in the family. It can be effectively used to treat a variety of concerns.
This answer often looks different to each family that starts family therapy. However, some signs that your family might need to consider family counseling include frequent fights or misunderstandings, constant tension, experiencing loss, behavioral issues, marital issues, divorce, and blended family issues, among others.
In family therapy, therapists will often start by asking questions and assessing individual and family dynamics. From there, they may employ therapeutic techniques such as structured family therapy, CBT, strategic family therapy, and more depending on the present concerns and conflicts. From there, a therapist will work to open lines of communication between family members and facilitate emotional healing and growth.
Family therapy can be incredibly successful, with some studies reporting a success rate of almost 90% for improving participants’ emotional and mental health, and around 66% for improving their physical health.
Thriveworks therapists in Lexington, MA offer both online family therapy and in-person family therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
Family therapy is usually short term and solution-focused, with most families accomplishing their goals in 12 sessions or fewer. However, it can also last for longer if the probles at hand are more complex — and that’s okay, too.
Thriveworks Counseling in Lexington, MA has family therapists and counselors on staff who can help you today. They offer assistance and support as you work through your difficult feelings, resolve arguments, and reconnect with your family members.
Call (781) 386-0443 to schedule.
Family therapy, also known as family counseling, helps people work through issues harming their relationships with their family members. These issues include major problems involving the whole family as well as individual-specific issues that affect the group as a whole.
A family can find value in meeting with a family counselor or psychologist if they’re experiencing significant stress or encountering problems harming their relationships. Common stressors and problems that might lead a family to seek family counseling include:
If your relationships are being harmed by these issues or another problem, consider working with a family therapist at Thriveworks. Our team can help you work through tough times and come out stronger.
Family counseling at Thriveworks in Lexington is led by licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT). These individuals are qualified to help your family, as they have skills and experience specific to familial issues. Additionally, social workers and psychologists sometimes step in to help their clients using techniques from family therapy.
Family counseling is often a short-term treatment. Most families complete their time in therapy after about 9 sessions (with each session averaging 60-90 minutes). However, some families may require more or fewer sessions depending on their specific needs and goals. Your Thriveworks family therapist will get to know your family and design a personalized treatment plan just for you.
If you believe your family could benefit from family therapy, reach out to Thriveworks in Lexington, MA. To schedule your first family therapy appointment, call us at (781) 386-0443.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
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