BIPOC Therapists in Boston Area Via Telehealth and in-person in Western MA

Mayrena is an immigrant from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She moved to the USA in 2005 to pursue her master’s degree. Mayrena has a BS in Clinical Psychology from Universidad Católica Santo Domingo and an MS in Mental Health Counseling from Fitchburg State University. Mayrena worked in community mental health for many years before starting her private practice in 2015. Mayrena founded Colorful Resilience LLC in February 2022 to help meet the outpatient mental health needs of the various communities to which she has provided services throughout her career. She is passionate about designing and executing for her team the healthy and genuinely inclusive working environment she wishes she had over the course of her career. Mayrena identifies as Queer. Mayrena speaks openly of all her intersectionalities to normalize conversations about them.

“All of my different identities paint a picture of who I am. I am proud of every single one of them”, she says.

Fun fact: When not at work, Mayrena can be found belting out some Whitney Houston songs at the local karaoke bar.

Stephanie was born and raised on the Connecticut shoreline and in 2013 made Western MA home. Stephanie graduated from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT in 2010 with a BA in Sociology, and went on to obtain her MSW from Fordham University in NYC in 2012.

Over the course of her career, Stephanie has held clinical roles across the continuum of care. She has worked as a crisis clinician, inpatient social worker, outpatient clinical supervisor, as well as assistant program director of an eating disorder program. While wearing different hats, she has worked with folks on an individual basis, couples, running groups, as well as family therapy.

In her work, Stephanie strives to provide a welcoming, supportive and collaborative space to all. She takes pride in providing an LGBTQIA+ affirming, anti-racist, ethical non-monogamy-affirming space. She takes a relational approach, aiming to meet clients where they are, and tailor the therapeutic relationship to meet their hopes, needs and goals in treatment. Stephanie feels passionate about providing a trauma informed, client centered space.

Fun fact about Stephanie: When she isn’t working, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, or taking care of her plants. She also enjoys exploring with her dog Penny, who at times likes to make a cameo during virtual sessions!

Julia was born and raised in San Francisco, California. In 2013, after spending many years living in Florida, Julia moved to Western Mass and decided to call this area of the country home.

In the past 20 years, Julia has held different clinical roles across the continuum of care. She has worked as an adolescent youth counselor, a residential program clinician, an outpatient clinician for community mental health, a substance abuse counselor at a methadone clinic, a women’s residential program clinical director, and an outpatient clinician at a group private practice. Julia has experience providing individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and substance abuse counseling. Julia graduated from Webster University in Florida in 2012 with a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Julia approaches therapy through a person-centered lens. She describes her style as open, honest, and affirming. Together, she will work with clients to replace thinking patterns that no longer serve them and set goals to improve their quality of life. Julia identifies as queer and specializes in working with people within the LGBTQIA+ community and also working with parents to discuss the struggles of becoming a new parent, being pregnant, or raising a young child. Julia also has extensive experience in treating clients who struggle with managing feelings of anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem. Julia has experience working with clients from many different backgrounds and is sensitive to providing culturally responsive care to clients of all identities.

Fun fact about Julia: In her free time, you can find Julia enjoying a game of bowling or trying to master playing arcade or carnival games. Julia also enjoys being outside in nature, taking walks or hikes, or camping with her young child and wife.

Originally born in the Philippines, Vaughn grew up in upstate New York and spent much of their adulthood in Salt Lake City, Utah. They moved to Western Mass in 2019 in order to pursue rural life with their cats Florence and Clementine. Vaughn is neurodivergent, queer, and non-binary. They received their bachelor’s in International Studies from the University of Utah and a Masters in Social Work from Smith College. Additionally, they are certified as a yoga instructor (RYT-200) through the Yoga Alliance as well as being in mentorship with meditation teacher Devon Hase. 

Vaughn began their career working with individuals struggling with substance use disorders. They also worked in crisis, hospital, and community mental health settings before beginning private practice in 2020. These days, they specialize in offering therapy to the LGBTQ community in addition to folks practicing non-monogamy and the kink community. They also have extensive experience treating complex trauma, including religious trauma. In addition, Vaughn enjoys supporting clients with regard to ADHD and autism. They work with individual adults, older teens, couples, and groups. As a therapist, Vaughn seeks to create a space where the entirety of the individual can safely unfold and be witnessed. In their spare time, Vaughn studies Hindi, Urdu, and French.

Bridie (Brye-dee, she/her) grew up in Southern Massachusetts and moved to North Carolina in her adolescence, where she attended the University of North Carolina in Wilmington and received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She moved back to Massachusetts in 2018 to earn her Masters in Social Work from Boston College. Bridie started her social work career working in hospitals in the Greater Boston area. During this time, she worked primarily with older and younger adults, as well as adolescents, in an inpatient psychiatric setting. She also worked in a Neurological Intensive Care Unit and general surgery unit, where she gained skills in crisis intervention, end-of-life discussions, and stress management.

Bridie identifies as queer and fosters a trauma-informed, gender-affirming, and culturally competent environment for her clients. She has worked with people of varying socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, and has experience in PTSD (including medical trauma), ADHD, anxiety, grief, and mindfulness practices. Certified in Motivational Interviewing, Bridie believes in the innate power each person holds, and strives to help her clients reach their full potential. She looks forward to applying her skills in the outpatient setting, and cultivating therapeutic alliances with her clients!

Fun facts about Bridie: She has a black cat named Pepper and has traveled to 12 countries!

K identifies as a queer, non-binary Licensed Mental Health Counselor. They have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Bay Path University and a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Boston College. K has over ten years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in various settings, including outpatient clinics, a therapeutic day school, telehealth, and community and school outreach. K’s passion for this field has been helping uplift others to embrace their true selves and live authentically. They specialize in supporting individuals, couples, and families across the gender and sexuality spectrum, including those looking to explore their identity, experiencing gender dysphoria, or seeking gender-affirming medical care.

Fun Fact: K has traveled over twenty countries, reads three books a week, and enjoys spending quality time with their partner and two cats, Theodore and Eleanor.

Nell (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, white person who grew up in Vermont. They are a second-year Clinical Social Work intern at Smith College.

Nell believes that relationships are the center of our lives and mode through which we change; they consider the therapeutic relationship to provide a profound opportunity for self-exploration, deeper self-knowing, and growth. They offer a space to practice new ways of relating to ourselves and others.

Nell knows that nothing is “wrong” with any of us. Therapy can be a space to both interrogate our inherited ideas of “badness” and explore new strategies for self-acceptance and choiceful change.

Nell received a B.A. in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies at Middlebury College; this education sparked a fascination with thinking through the ways that systems of oppression inform our lives and understanding of ourselves. Their practice is informed by critical feminist, queer, and anti-racist thought.

Nell offers a self-directed, collaborative space through which to meet and learn yourself. They are honored to get the chance to hear your story and present moment.

Fun fact: Nell plays guitar, bass, and loves to sing. They also love all types of movement– specifically dancing, running, and swimming in rivers.