New England Psychologist
New England Psychologist is home to independent journalism focused on psychologists and psychotherapists in the New England region. We publish new content every month. Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter to receive updates, or sign-up for a one-year paid subscription now in order to access all of our great content.
Facilities for at-risk kids in Mass. spared from shut downs
By Eileen Weber
Massachusetts, like so many other states, is struggling with a behavioral health crisis. A staff shortage, lack of psychiatric beds, and emergency room boarding are among its issues. Then, in January, Governor Maura Healey’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget slashed funding, notably approximately $20 million in mental healthcare for children and adolescents. Backlash ensured, including about proposed cuts to three facilities that care for these age groups. The cuts would see two 15-bed residential treatment programs for adolescents in the Westborough… Read more »
Leading Stories
Facilities for at-risk kids in Mass. spared from shut downs
Advocates express concern about autism database proposals
Massachusetts hopes to legalize medical aid in dying
Clinicians saying goodbye to insurance networks
Report sheds light on police shootings
May Institute marks 70th year serving individuals with autism
Mental health screenings key in ME’s ‘yellow flag’ approach to gun violence prevention
Trevor Project research highlights LGBTQ+ youth challenges by region
Vermont considers mental health licensure reform
Five Mass. cities designated as `sanctuaries,’ for transgender population
Medicare telehealth waiver extended again
Psychological first aid available following traumatic events
Study finds unequal reimbursement rates in CT’s mental healthcare
Advice given for treating immigrant population
Practical Practice
Be your own boss: Business practices for good boundaries
By Liz Varney, LICSW
Many therapists choose a private practice to work less and make more money. Yet, when the business is all on your shoulders, you may find yourself working more than you ever have before. Setting limits for yourself is imperative – but can also be a challenge. Because your business is always available to you, the potential to overwork is high. As you become your own boss, you will need to set good boundaries for yourself. When I first opened my… Read more »
Embracing psychotherapy minimalism
By Ellen Anderson, Ph.D
The very term “psychotherapy” connotes a maximalist approach to addressing mental health challenges. The vision of spending an unknown number of hours over months, if not years, to analyze and address problems in life is a considerable deterrent to help-seeking. The brief consultation, defined as one to three sessions, represents a minimalist approach to psychotherapy practice. Clinicians in private practice can feel stagnant or overwhelmed by a caseload without sufficient turnover. A mix of short and long-term therapy clients adds… Read more »
Older Practical Practice Columns...
Psychotherapy Business & Marketing
Do therapists need an elevator pitch?
By Liz Varney, LICSW
The ‘Elevator Pitch’ tends to conjure up an image of a high-pressure moment where you have “one shot” to make a good impression with someone who can help launch your career. Having to make the most out of a time-limited interaction with a powerful person is unlikely to occur to the average psychotherapist. You might not consider “pitching” your services to others at all, yet the concept of an elevator pitch does hold value for a private practitioner. In fact,… Read more »
Learning to receive: The key to prosperity in business
By Liz Varney, LICSW
Many of you have read, or have at least heard of, the 2006 book entitled, “The Secret,” by Rhonda Bryne. The book was the wildly popular new age approach to manifesting the life you want. I watched Oprah Winfrey enthusiastically advocate for this approach, and I was swayed by her insistence that “The Secret” held the keys to financial success. I promptly read the book and then set myself up to create the abundance I so desperately needed. At the… Read more »
Older Psychotherapy Business and Marketing articles...
Interview of the Month
Q&A: Machine learning, mathematical modeling used as tools to predict suicide ideation
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Modern psychology may be about to experience a sea change. While the practice has certainly evolved over the past 100 years, the introduction of machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence that uses large data sets to look at human behavior, may vastly alter the way mental illness is understood and treated. At Yale University, Shirley Wang, Ph.D., who joined the psychology department in July as an assistant professor, is using machine learning and mathematical modeling to attempt to predict… Read more »
Older Interviews...
In Person with Alan Bodnar, Ph.D.
Reading Vonnegut in the playroom
Visiting the grandkids is always a special treat and we make the day-long drive as often as we can. As the years roll on, our visits change from participating in the routines of one baby to playing with the toddler she becomes and then sharing our attention with another baby. Now they are six and three, two active little girls. They greet us with big smiles and warm hugs. A guided tour of their rooms usually follows, and we are… Read more »
The president and the poet
It had snowed heavily the night before, and the day dawned with a frigid wind and blinding sunlight that glinted off the blanket of white spread out in all directions where the shovelers had left it undisturbed. The area around the speaker’s platform and the stands had been cleared, but the reflected light from surrounding snow cover was intense. The poet, an old man of 86, approached the podium and began to read from the manuscript he carried. He wore… Read more »