Michelle Barrett

I’ve been doing this work for over a decade, supporting adults through some of the hardest, messiest chapters of their lives — often while they’re still expected to show up like everything’s fine. I started my career in inner-city community mental health, where I gained deep respect for the resilience people carry when systems fail them. That experience shaped how I show up: with warmth, directness, and zero judgment.

I earned my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Bay Path University and am licensed in Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut. I’m trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and I’m a Certified Autism Clinical Specialist. I specialize in working with adults (ages 25–64) navigating trauma, neurodivergence (especially late-diagnosed or self-identifying AuDHD), family estrangement, grief, burnout, and emotional overwhelm.

If you're used to being the “strong one,” the caregiver, or the person who pushes through even when everything feels like too much — you're exactly who I work best with. Therapy with me is collaborative, grounded, and real. You don’t have to show up fixed — just honest.

My approach is honest, collaborative, and deeply respectful of your lived experience. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all therapy — I meet you where you are, and we build from there. I bring warmth, humor, and a direct style that gently challenges old patterns while supporting self-trust and clarity.

I’m trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and I use trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming strategies to help clients process what’s heavy, untangle emotional overwhelm, and create meaningful change at a sustainable pace. Whether we’re addressing trauma, grief, masking, or burnout, I focus on helping you build awareness, self-compassion, and tools that actually work in your real life.

Therapy with me is not about fixing you — it’s about helping you reclaim your voice, your boundaries, and your sense of self.

Clients often leave sessions with a deeper understanding of themselves — not just what’s happening, but why it’s happening and how to move through it. You can expect to build tools for emotional regulation, boundary-setting, and executive functioning, along with greater self-compassion and clarity.

My clients often tell me they feel seen in ways they never have before — like they don’t have to explain every detail for me to get it. You’ll leave with permission to be messy, space to unpack the hard stuff, and support that’s honest, steady, and practical.

Whether you're working through trauma, burnout, or identity shifts, I’ll help you stay connected to your values, your voice, and what actually matters to you.