Charles Peterson

I’m a licensed therapist in Massachusetts and Connecticut with over 20 years of experience in the mental health field. I work primarily from Existential, Reality Therapy, and Gestalt perspectives, helping people who feel stuck, disconnected, or trapped in patterns that no longer serve them.

I’m a veteran, and my work is practical, direct, and grounded in real life—not endless analysis or pathologizing. Therapy with me focuses on personal responsibility, meaning, and choice, while also honoring the very real impact of trauma and life circumstances.

I specialize in working with men’s issues, addiction, trauma, and major life transitions. Many of the people I work with feel stalled—emotionally, relationally, or professionally—and want more than coping skills. They want clarity, direction, and a way forward.

My goal is to help clients face reality honestly, grieve what didn’t happen, and take meaningful action toward the life they want to live now.

My approach is existential, reality-based, and experiential. I work actively and directly to help people who feel stuck face life honestly, understand how the past shaped them, and take responsibility for meaningful change in the present. Using Existential, Reality Therapy, and Gestalt approaches, I focus on personal agency, trauma, addiction, men’s issues, and building a life that feels grounded and worth living.

In the first session, we’ll focus on understanding what’s brought you to therapy and where you feel stuck right now. I’ll ask direct but respectful questions to get a clear picture of your goals, challenges, and history—without pushing you to relive your past unnecessarily. You can expect an honest, collaborative conversation that begins clarifying direction and what meaningful change could look like moving forward.