LGBT therapists in Amherst, MA

Are you having difficulty adjusting to a new environment, relationship, identity, or phase of life? Do you overanalyze social interactions or struggle to connect with others? I have worked in community mental health, college counseling, and private practice settings. I work with adults who struggle with anxiety, depression, life transitions and relational concerns. As a queer-identified therapist, I am also dedicated to working with LGBTQ+ folks, and affirming of kink and ENM/polyamory as well.

I am Dr. Maribel Aheran, a neurodivergent, licensed mental health therapist and Certified Autism Specialist dedicated to helping individuals finally get answers. Drawing from my background as a K-12 special education staffing coordinator and counselor, I specialize in adult Autism and ADHD evaluations. Every day, I assess, identify, plan, educate, and build strong therapeutic alliances. Moving past "the tip of the iceberg," I use advanced pattern recognition and differential diagnosis to find underlying issues, equipping clients with targeted psychoeducation and the exact tools they need.

I have professional and personal experience with many mental health issues. I only share what has worked for clients and me. I am curious and open to learning about everyone's unique culture and way of life.

My very general bio would be:

I grew up in MA. I went to both public and catholic schools. I earned a 2nd degree black belt from Premier Martial Arts. I earned a BA in Psychology from uml. I worked at a group home for teenagers, then one for adult men with schizophrenia. I worked as a support and then a lead teacher at a day program for adults with developmental disabilities. There, I learned a lot about Behaviorism and ABA. I was then able to work as a clinician as I finished my graduate degree.

I earned my graduate degree at Fitchburg State University. I did my internship at the Community Health Center in Fitchburg. I worked in community mental health before venturing out on my own.

I earned my Bachelor of Nursing from University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!) before moving to Boston to start my career in bedside nursing in 2019. After serving as an RN and Director of Nursing at a residential treatment center, I earned my PMHNP at Regis College to specialize in mental health. Since then, I’ve gained diverse experience providing cutting-edge ketamine therapy in outpatient clinics and managing complex cases in inpatient psychiatry. Now, I’m bringing that clinical expertise—along with post-graduate training in CBT—to my full-time private practice, where I provide comprehensive, compassionate care for patients navigating anxiety, depression, OCD and ADHD in the South Boston area.

I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with years of experience working with a variety of clients, including both children and adults. I have experience supporting individuals with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, functional neurological disorder, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder, psychosis, personality disorders, trauma, and more.

Healing Across the Lifespan: A Partnership in Mental Wellness

Choosing a mental health provider is a deeply personal decision. You aren’t just looking for a prescriber; you are looking for a witness to your story, an expert in the biological complexities of the brain, and a partner in your recovery.

My name is Jessica Stanley, and I am a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). My journey to this practice has been defined by a unique duality: the macro view of a healthcare executive and the micro focus of a dedicated clinician. Before opening the doors to this practice, I served as the Clinical Director for a large-scale healthcare organization. In that role, I was responsible for the oversight of complex systems, the mentorship of large clinical teams, and the implementation of evidence-based protocols across diverse populations.

While my time in leadership allowed me to impact mental health at a systemic level, my true passion has always remained in the quiet, transformative moments of the exam room. I have returned to full-time clinical practice to bring that high-level expertise back to where it matters most: the individual human experience.

Mental health does not exist in a vacuum, nor does it look the same at age seven as it does at seventy. I specialize in treating patients across the entire lifespan. Whether I am working with a child struggling to navigate their first years of school, an adolescent facing the pressures of identity formation, or an adult managing the heavy mantle of career and family, my approach remains the same: comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.

Areas of Specialization

I am trained to treat a broad spectrum of psychiatric conditions including:

ADHD & Neurodivergence

Anxiety Disorders

Depression

PTSD & Trauma Recovery

You need insight into your problems, not more advice. I'm Matt, a licensed professional specializing in helping teens and emerging adults (13–30) keep their footing in the whirlwind of adolescence and becoming an adult.