Dr. KC Chiappa

I have worked with hundreds of adolescents and adults in my independent outpatient practice since 2003. And in that time I realized that anyone who has the courage to invest their time in therapy is a Badass. I mean it. I think it is incredibly gutsy to dive into our vulnerabilities and pain. Sharing our unfiltered lives with a stranger can be stressful and uncomfortable. As a therapist and fellow human I lead with patience and compassion, knowing that the best way to foster growth and positive change is with patience, empathy, and genuine curiosity.

My warm, soft approach is grounded in humanistic psychology (unconditional acceptance of the client and where they are in that moment) and honed over years of working with adolescents and their families at McLean’s ART program. I was trained in Motivational Interviewing, which allows us to focus on the client's specific and INDIVIDUAL reasons for change.

My view of psychology is a combination of Psychodynamic Psychology (explore old events and toxic narratives), and CBT (identify thoughts and behaviors that sustain the client's struggles.)

I have a casual, easy-going style that helps make the first session the least awkward possible. My intent is to meet each client with the utmost respect, kindness, and humility making a conscious effort to not act "too therapisty.” I lead my sessions with what I call ‘curious compassion.’ I want to understand what is causing distress and WHY. From there we work to find ways to approach the distress, whether it be internal or external. The aim is to minimize suffering by identifying the patterns that are preventing our desired progress and growth. Over time, together, we will carefully find areas where important changes in our thinking or behaviors can help us create healthier and more sustainable lives.