Book a therapist or psychiatrist in Maine covered by Aetna

I am a husband, a father of two adult children, and a corgi dad. I am not a true Mainer as I moved here about 4 years ago from Pennsylvania where I spent most of my life. But, I have adopted Maine as my own. I love the outdoors and spend as much time as I can in them.

As far as the more formal stuff, I spent a lot of time in school. My credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Ursinus College, a Masters of Education in Counseling from Rutgers University, an Executive Masters of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration from California Pacific University, a Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a Juris Doctorate in Law all from Widener University.

I have 20+ years management experience in behavioral health, managed care, academia and private practice settings. I have run my private practice for more than 30 years, have been a program administrator, corporate compliance/privacy officer, clinical director, program chairperson, and director of quality management during my career. I have taught at more than 20 colleges and universities. I have advised, supervised, trained, and taught hundreds of graduate students and professional counselors. I have also presented at many state, regional and national conferences and provided numerous trainings to social service and criminal justice professionals.

I have worked in this field for over 30 years in hospital, residential, day treatment, outpatient and home settings. My experience is primarily with young adults and with families who have children with special needs whether neurotypical or behavioral. I have worked with a lot of adolescents and pre-teens who are having difficulty adjusting to the demands of individuation and separation. It is important to regard everyone's life situation as unique and to support the process of personal awareness and growth.

Hi!

My name is Katie Thornton and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, Nevada, Maine, and Wyoming. I am trained in EMDR therapy possess 7+ years of experience working with various backgrounds from outpatient and residential settings to working with children, adolescents, adults, veterans, and families through a variety of different challenges.

Mental health struggles impact everyone. It is up to us to take action to seek out those professionally trained to help us navigate our challenges. This assists us in achieving our goals of better coping, higher functioning, and creating stronger connections that result in happier, more resilient and better versions of ourselves. I have experience working with clients from every socioeconomic background and most diagnoses including those who struggle with the lasting effects of ongoing or past substance use and trauma. I have a greater understanding of the impacts declining mental health can have on every aspect of our lives.

I’m a graduate of Columbia University’s School of Social Work and I have been working in community mental health for more than a decade.

I specialize in helping women, millennials and high achievers with:

• Life Transitions: marriage, breakups, relationships, career changes, emerging adulthood, depression, anxiety
• Perinatal Health: depression, anxiety, adapting to new roles, IVF, infertility, body image & change
• High Achieving: perfectionism, work/life balance, imposter syndrome, competitiveness

I provide supportive therapy to adults and adolescents who are struggling with complex trauma, depression, anxiety, codependency, OCD and relationship issues. I work to help you evaluate what thought patterns, core beliefs, and behaviors are no longer serving you and to develop tools to self-soothe, affirm yourself, set boundaries, enhance authenticity and communicate effectively.

My primary focus is the restoration of the nervous system. I specialize in supporting recovery from complex, relational, and medical trauma. Because trauma impacts every layer of how we function, my practice also centers on the deeply connected challenges that come with it—including severe anxiety, chronic stress, mood fluctuations, complex personality patterns, and the profound journey of grief and loss.

I’m an LCSW, and my practice name, Life Shift Happens, comes from a truth I see every single day: people don’t come to therapy because they’re broken. They come because life stopped unfolding the way they expected, and they feel entirely stuck. A lot of the humans I work with are incredibly thoughtful and trying so hard. They usually don't lack insight; they’ve read the coping skills and talked things through with friends. Yet, they still find themselves procrastinating, shutting down, or feeling completely frozen by past stuff. When that happens, change isn’t a matter of forcing more willpower. It requires slowing down to look at the patterns and defense mechanisms we build to protect ourselves when life gets heavy.

My style is collaborative, deeply conversational, and entirely human. I’m not here to judge, lecture, or pretend I have all the answers. Instead, I’m active in our sessions through asking questions, noticing patterns, and gently pushing back when I see you getting in your own way. We will work on the practical things like boundaries, follow-through, and managing emotions, while sitting with the messy overthinking, panic, burnout, or feeling checked out underneath it all. Therapy with me is a relationship where we make sense of the sudden crises and quiet paralyses that come with life shifts. The goal isn’t a perfect, flawless life, but rather a therapeutic space where you can figure out what changed, sprinkle in compassion, and learn how to move forward in a way that feels genuinely your own.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist with over a decade of counseling experience in a variety of environments. I am an LGBTQ* and neurodiverse celebratory therapist! I have always been drawn to hearing people's stories and want to know all about you-what are your passions? What are your stressors? How can we get you where you want to be? I firmly believe that everyone possesses both resiliency and a unique spark that makes them who they are. I love to help people find their strength and spark.