Holly Banaian

Holly Banaian is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) who received her Master's in Social Work with a certificate in Trauma Practice from Simmons University. Holly completed her undergraduate studies at University of New Hampshire, where she majored in Sociology and minored in English Literature.

Holly's career in Social Work began when she served a year-long AmeriCorps fellowship at a domestic & sexual violence agency in New Hampshire. Holly was awestruck by the power of a trauma-informed care community to provide healing and empowerment, even to those suffering the most devastating of relational/emotional injuries. As such, throughout her career in Social Work, a trauma-informed, humanistic, and person-centered approach has remained the golden thread.

Since her fellowship, Holly has gained experience providing clinical services to a variety of populations, spanning the life cycle, with experiences (or diagnoses) that range in severity and functional impact. Holly specializes in working with adults who are overwhelmed by their thoughts and emotions, dissatisfied in their connections with others and with themselves, and seeking hope that they might one day have a life worth living. If you see yourself in those descriptions or identify with experiences such as: Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, OCD, Panic Disorder, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, or Borderline Personality Disorder, then you might be in the right place.

Holly centers the importance of the therapeutic alliance to provide a safe, supportive space where her clients feel held and understood as they explore their thoughts and feelings. She utilizes therapeutic strategies informed by cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, exposure and response prevention therapy, psychodynamic and internal-family systems models to provide a flexible, person-centered experience.

When you meet Holly, you can expect a warm welcome; she is truly happy to meet you. During your first session, you will begin working with Holly to co-create the ideal environment within which honesty, vulnerability, and growth can take place. Holly will support you in identifying the relevant details about your experience that will help to set goals and plan for how to achieve them.