OUR CLINICIANS

JULIA HALE, LICSW, ACT

FOUNDER/OWNER AND PSYCHOTHERAPIST

My name is Julia and I am a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist with over 16 years experience helping clients overcome a wide range of developmental, psychological, and health-related disorders. I am licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and New York.

I received my BA in Psychology from the University of Vermont, and after several years in the field, continued on to earn a Masters in Social Work (MSW) Summa Cum Laude from New York University. As a graduate student, I received training and education in both outpatient and inpatient settings, holding internship positions at New York Methodist Hospital and the New York State Psychiatric Hospital at New York Presbyterian. During this time I received an award from the New York Office of Mental Health for my commitment to evidence based practice in the field.

Early in my career, I spent my days in New York City helping street homeless individuals living with mental illness achieve a better overall quality of life through various emotional wellness programs and supported housing opportunities. Since then, I have worked in various settings, including the outpatient psychiatry department at Mount Auburn Hospital, where I developed a deep appreciation for the close connections between physical and mental health and the challenges facing patients and their families.

Because I value life long learning and being up to date on the best treatment, I receive ongoing clinical case consultation and regularly attend continuing education opportunities. I completed and received a certificate in CBT from Boston University, and graduated from the International OCD Foundation's Advanced Behavior Therapy Training Institute. I also earned the distinction of Diplomate by the Academy of Cognitive Therapy after completing the rigorous certification process. I have also had extensive training and supervision surrounding Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

I regularly give presentations, provide training and consultation on OCD and related disorders. I enjoy a range of teaching opportunities such as speaking at conferences and providing supervision to newer clinicians in the field. I have a particular interest in the intersection of OCD and eating disorders. And after my own experience with post partum anxiety, I have developed a strong interest in perinatal OCD.

I have considerable experience working with high performers. Many of the individuals I work with are lawyers, engineers and those working at the big 5 consulting firms. I love working with women in academia and technology. I have a strong understanding of the challenges that come along with these industries and work with my clients on maintaining balance and emotional wellness in a landscape that doesn’t always support it.

I would describe my approach with clients as interactive and collaborative. I assume my clients are the experts of their mental health and I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for their ability to show up each week with the willingness to do hard things. My practice is rooted in a combination of ERP, ACT and CBT. I am flexible and always open to feedback and learning new ways of approaching clinical concerns.

When I am not working, I enjoy outdoor activities such as skiing and running. I also love seeing live music and am sometimes known to travel far distances to catch a particular concert. I also enjoy spending time with my husband, toddler and Australian Shepherd “Stella” who is always keeping us on our toes.

SARAH LOGSDON, LICSW, PMH-C

ASSOCIATE, PSYCHOTHERAPIST

My name is Sarah and I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and psychotherapist. I specialize in treating anxiety disorders, perinatal mental health issues, difficulty with life transitions, relationship challenges, and trauma. 

I provide trauma informed and LGBTQIA affirmative treatment, while incorporating intersectionality and feminist theory. I utilize an eclectic blend of therapeutic modalities, including psychodynamic psychotherapy, CBT, ACT, and ERP. I value meaningful, long-term therapeutic relationships to explore outside relationships and create change. Additionally, I am a yoga practitioner and I have completed a 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Program. I value the exploration of the mind-body connection and mindfulness in the therapy space.

I received a BFA in Theatre Arts from the University of Mississippi and graduated Magna Cum Laude. From there, I moved to Chicago where I worked for six years at the Erikson Institute, providing to support to clinicians who worked with some of the most vulnerable children and families in the city. Inspired by their work, I decided to pursue a Masters in Social Work (MSW) from Loyola University Chicago, where I earned a membership in the Jesuit Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Nu. While in graduate school, I focused my training on clinical work with individuals, utilizing a systemic lens. I was also part of a grant program that provided training in holistic, integrative, and collaborative care. During my master’s program, I held an internship in the foster care program at Jewish Child and Family Services, providing psychotherapy to families and children in the foster care system. I also held an internship in the Intensive Outpatient and Family Programs at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, providing psychotherapy and psychoeducation to adult clients with substance use disorders and their families.

Following graduate school, I worked for several years at Second City in Chicago as a group psychotherapist in the Improv for Anxiety Program. The program offers an 8-week course of treatment for adult clients experiencing social anxiety. The curriculum combines experiential improvisational theater, psychoeducation, and CBT to help clients learn about and manage social anxiety. I also worked as a psychotherapist at a group practice called Live Oak, providing individual therapy to adult clients experiencing a wide range of presenting concerns.

I am passionate about pursuing continuing education and expanding my areas of expertise. I regularly seek advanced trainings in anxiety disorders and psychodynamic psychotherapy. 

Maria Rossiter, LCSW

ASSOCIATE, PSYCHOTHERAPIST

My name is Maria and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychotherapist helping people improve their emotional, behavioral, and relational health to feel more aligned with the life they’d like to live. I am licensed in both Massachusetts and New York.

I received my Masters in Social Work (MSW) from Boston University. My clinical training focused on work with adult individuals utilizing a trauma-informed and person centered lens. I received training in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and motivational interviewing.

During my graduate program, I held an internship with the CUNY Language Immersion Program in New York working with a non-traditional, largely first generation, immigrant student population studying to access post-secondary education. I also held an internship at Baycove Human Services in Boston working with adults with severe and persistent mental illness working to increase independence and improve quality of life.

Following graduate school, I worked at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the inpatient hospital setting providing clinical services to patients and families in psychiatric, medical, and surgical units. I also worked at a group practice in NYC providing holistic and evidence based treatment to adults experiencing a range of concerns. During this time, I received training in attachment theory, which is a framework that can help understand our relationships with others and our relational needs. I also received training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is a somatic therapy that helps process anxiety and phobias, trauma, creative blocks, and memories stuck in the brain. 

I also have been trained in Exposure and Response Prevention for the treatment of OCD.

I have volunteer experience working with Gilda’s Club in NYC, an organization developed in honor of SNL’s Gilda Radner to support people with cancer, their family and friends. I am also part of Vibrant Emotional Health’s Crisis Emotional Care Team, where I have volunteered to deliver crisis intervention, counseling, and emotional support in the face of disaster.

 As a psychotherapist, my approach is collaborative and integrative, drawing on evidence based and somatic modalities to address the unique needs of the people I work with in an individualized way. In session, this can feel interactive, non-judgmental, and supportive. I have a deep appreciation for the connection between emotional and physical health as well as the strength that lives within each of us. I feel grateful to work alongside my clients in this way.

I currently work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, life transition challenges, perfectionism, and relationship issues. I also enjoy working with people who are impacted by specific phobias or past trauma.

I truly value and enjoy the experience of learning, whether that means advanced clinical training, a fun new recipe, or Greek language lessons.

CARA WEBER, LMHC, LPC

ASSOCIATE, PSYCHOTHERAPIST

My name is Cara and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and psychotherapist. Throughout my clinical experience, I have treated a wide range of mental health issues with an emphasis on anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety, panic, simple phobias, social anxiety, agoraphobia), as well as OCD, perfectionism, and trichotillomania. My background and counseling concentrations also include addressing adult ADHD, executive functioning difficulties, somatic and mood disorders, stress, grief, and relationship challenges. In my current practice, I focus on adults, both individuals and couples. While I am informed by existential and attachment frameworks, I am a pragmatic and skill-building clinician who enlists evidence-based treatment strategies such as MI, CBT, ACT, ERP, SFT, Gottman Method, psychoeducation and mindfulness. I have pursued advanced professional training in these areas and have participated in multiple learning groups to further develop my expertise. I have also completed the BFRB training and received a certificate by the TLC Foundation (www.bfrb.org).

I first began my work in the field at McLean Hospital where I encountered the complexities of trauma and its effects on the brain and body. My focus on the mind-body connection continued in my health educator positions at Boston hospitals. I provided bedside support and promoted health behavior change among staff and patients at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Cambridge Health Alliance. In these settings, I facilitated health and wellness education groups, using motivational interviewing principles, stress management, and goal-oriented behavioral techniques. I had the opportunity to present to academic institutions on these subjects. In subsequent roles at the New England College of Optometry and Massachusetts General Hospital, I conducted clinical research, oversaw study protocols, and assisted with the interpretation of research results. I remain interested in research and its application to counseling psychology.

I earned a BA in Psychology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. In addition, I hold an MFA in Creative Writing and a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University where I was a Counseling and Psychology Presidential Merit Scholar and graduated with highest distinction. While in training, I interned at an outpatient mental health center with adults across the lifespan. I completed a second internship at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Counseling Services, working with university students entering healthcare professions. Along with my graduate courses, I took part in a year-long specialized class examining existential philosophy and psychoanalytic theories. I am a 200-hour trained yoga teacher.

As a clinician, I look to collaborate with my clients and seek purposeful, effective approaches to life challenges. I am committed to combining compassion with science. As a perpetual learner, I engage in peer consultation and formal trainings to expand my clinical understanding and tools. I have cultivated a deep appreciation for the structures of the mind, the demonstrations of human behavior that are growth enhancing or self-limiting, and the ways in which an individual relates to their interior and exterior worlds. I have a particular interest in working with those whose anxiety or life experiences have led to avoidance as a psychological coping tool and compromise. I also counsel couples who are contending with communication or relationship impasses. My intention with clients is to understand their struggles and stuckness, clarify what is meaningful to them, and help them move towards personal goals through a path that builds confidence and equanimity, new templates of change, and a sound sense of self.

I am licensed in Massachusetts and Connecticut. In my free time, I enjoy tennis, dancing, yoga, weaving, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends. I look forward to meeting you.

Jeff Adams, LMHC

ASSOCIATE, PSYCHOTHERAPIST

My name is Jeff and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and psychotherapist. My work focuses on increasing one’s awareness of, and investment in, all aspects of their wellness: emotional, mental, physical, relational, and spiritual.

I provide an eclectic blend of therapy that combines cognitive and behavioral modalities, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), with insight-oriented therapies, such as psychodynamic and existential psychotherapies, and actionable wellness frameworks from holistic health and mindfulness. I have a long-standing meditation practice and have sat on multiple silent retreats, and am passionate about many different forms of exercise. I have also spent much time over the years learning about and experimenting with cooking and the relationship between eating, culture, spirituality, supplementation, and mental health. My focus on the relationship between all pillars of wellness is paramount to my psychotherapeutic approach.

After receiving my undergraduate degree in Human Development from Binghamton University, I spent a few years as a high school educator focusing on wellness education, sex and sexuality education, mindfulness, harm reduction, and relational wellness. This path led me to a greater interest in mental health counseling and the decision to obtain a Master of Education in Counseling from Boston University.

In my first year of graduate school I was the Peer Education Graduate Assistant in Boston University Student Health Services’ Wellness and Prevention Services division, overseeing the Student Health Ambassador peer health education program. In my second year, I completed a clinical internship at The Groton School, an independent residential school in Massachusetts for grades 8-12. There, I gained experience doing clinical work within a school setting, coordinating with faculty and staff about student concerns, and promoting wellness services on campus. I was supervised in the usage of ACT, ERP, and CBT for treating obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, phobias, perfectionism, academic stress, adjustment challenges, and depression.

After graduate school I worked at Riverside Community Care’s Life Skills program in Somerville, a day treatment program for adolescents transitioning from a psychiatric hospitalization back into their schools and communities. Afterwards, I became a Counselor at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. These positions deepened my clinical experience across a wide range of presentations while strengthening my ability to work with individuals as members of larger relational networks, focusing always on access to various resources, connections with peers and programming, and managing the demands of school, work, and life.

I view clinical work not through a lens of specific pathologies but rather as an evaluation of where one’s personality, coping skills, mental and physical behaviors, lifestyle choices, avoided experiences, and relationships combine either to promote or impede our all-around wellness. I am passionate in particular about helping people who suffer from obsessions, compulsions, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, perfectionism, and other such unhelpful behaviors and attachments. My attention to all-around health and behavior change is useful for working with individuals experiencing depression or a lack of meaning or fulfillment in life. In addition, I enjoy supporting those who are experiencing relational difficulties, romantic or sexual dissatisfaction, exploring non-traditional relationship structures, or working through men’s issues. I am also pleased to be able to offer empathy and direct lived experience for those exploring the impacts of their Jewish ethnicity or upbringing.

Jessie Birnbaum

Clinical Social Work Intern, MSW Candidate

My name is Jessie and I am an advanced-year Masters of Social Work student at Boston University. My own experience with OCD treatment inspired my passion for treating OCD, anxiety, and related disorders. 

I graduated summa cum laude from Wake Forest University with a BA in Psychology and minors in Education and Counseling. I spent a year working as an Undergraduate Admissions Counselor at Wake Forest and continue to work with young adults as a college application specialist. 

In my first year at the School of Social Work at Boston University, I interned at the Boston Living Center, where I specialized in leading support groups and finding resources for individuals with HIV and AIDS. 

I have a wide range of experience related to OCD, including delivering 7+ presentations at the International OCD Foundation’s (IOCDF) in-person and online conferences alongside IOCDF lead advocates and experts in the OCD field. I have also been a guest on multiple podcasts, including Your Anxiety Toolkit and The OCD Stories podcast. 

In addition to OCD, I live with a chronic illness, and am passionate about advocating for both. I co-founded the IOCDF Chronic Illness & OCD Special Interest Group and have been on the leadership team for the IOCDF Young Adult Special Interest Group for many years. 

In my free time, I enjoy playing pickleball, watching medical tv shows, and searching for the best chai latte in Boston (so far, I think it’s at Flour!).