Find a therapist, counselor or psychologist in Amherst, MA

"As a bi-cultural Black woman, I am committed to providing intentional and culturally responsive work."

Herdine Cheridor is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 5 years of experience. She specializes in supporting survivors of trauma and community violence and also treats mood disorders, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, stress, and life transitions. Herdine meets clients where they are and creates a space to collaboratively prioritize well-being. This may mean learning new skills, reframing thoughts, and processing emotions and events. Herdine’s therapeutic approach is focused on men and women who often hear they are "too much" when they express themselves.

Herdine obtained her Master's in Social Work from Lesley University, specializing in Black and Brown communities and racial trauma. She provides relational and supportive therapy and incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive reprocessing, and psychoanalysis.

Herdine believes everyone can change and would be honored to walk alongside you. She invites you to put your needs first and heal and grow in a space where you feel heard and supported in your journey. Schedule your first appointment today!

"Starting therapy is a courageous first step to making changes and feeling empowered."

Samantha is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with 6 years of experience in the mental health field. Her clinical experience has focused on helping adults 18+ to work through their fears and develop attainable goals. Her experience treating patients in community health centers, schools, and in-patient facilities has assisted in developing her understanding of how to help her clients work through milestone events. Samantha specializes in anxiety, depression, and substance use, as well as anger and stress management.

Samantha completed her Master of Social Work at Boston University School of Social Work. Samantha incorporates a variety of modalities including CBT, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based interventions for adults over the age of 18.

Changing perspective is what helps shift roadblocks into challenges that can be overcome. Schedule a session with Samantha to begin understanding your needs and how to create change in a meaningful and lasting way.

"I believe one of the most important things I can do as your therapist is to provide a safe and supportive environment that allows for trust and exploration."

Christopher Hawkins (AKA Topher) is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). He has spent years honing his skills in different settings working with children, adolescents, adults, and their families struggling with the impact trauma, depression, anxiety, bipolar, and other mental health disorders can have on the individual, family, and their behaviors.

This experience, combined with the Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling earned at Lesley University, has shown the importance of working collaboratively with the individual, family, and community resources to create a complete picture of the client’s needs. Using both evidence-based practices and expressive therapies, Christopher works with the client to strengthen the apparatus they may require for growth and change.

Christopher’s goal for every person and family that he works with is for both the individual and family dynamic to increase their ability to enhance communication, access coping skills, and gain a deeper understanding of self and their relationship to self and others to promote healing and become more self-reliant. If you are ready to begin this journey, schedule an appointment with him today.

"As a compassionate and dedicated therapist, I aim to empower individuals like you to overcome challenges and discover their true potential."

Toni Vegiard is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 6 years of experience in the mental health field. She is passionate about helping adolescents and adults address their unique challenges and live a more fulfilled life. Toni specializes in depression, anxiety, major life transitions, grief, and trauma work. Toni has a background working in intensive juvenile services, residential, and outpatient facilities.

Toni completed her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at William James College in Newton, Massachusetts. Toni utilizes multiple treatment approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and solution-focused therapy.

We all go through difficulties in our life. Toni is someone who can listen, support, and validate you as you cope with whatever you may be struggling with. If you are ready to reach out and schedule an appointment with her, she is ready to support you on your journey.

"As a therapist who has been in the field for 9 years, I understand how complex each individual's story can be."

My clinical background includes working with individuals struggling with substance abuse, children and families in the foster care setting, victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse and assault, and clients with generalized anxiety, depression, eating disorders and trauma. I particularly enjoy working with young adults struggling with depression and anxiety who want to work on their self esteem and create a stronger sense of self-worth. I am also passionate about working with mothers, some of whom are struggling to adjust to motherhood, finding their voice, and recognizing their value within the family system. I love working with clients who are motivated and goal oriented to create the life that they want to live. I will support you along the way and help identify what exactly that looks like for you.

I offer a nonjudgmental clinical environment for clients to be able to process and identify what struggles they are currently faced with and start to unravel how those came to be. I would help to work through any experiences that you feel are relevant to where you are now and help you to connect how your experiences have shaped your thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. Clients have shared with me in the past that I am down to earth and that they feel comfortable opening up to me knowing that I will support them in their choices.

Life can be really challenging at times. Most of us go through life having some sort of idea or plan of what we want to happen and often times, we are faced with obstacles that we didn't plan for. Some of those can seem overwhelming and even impossible to navigate. I want you to know that I am here to help you figure out a way to cope and make improvements in your life. I'm hoping after reading my bio, you feel like we would be a good match together.

"I understand the importance of meeting clients where they are, and I work to tailor treatment approaches to meet individual needs and goals."

Alyssa Quann is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist with 5 years of experience in mental health. She is committed to helping both individuals and couples navigate the world around them, equipping them with skills to excel in an ever-changing world. She is passionate about creating an authentic therapeutic space and encourages her clients to lean into the discomfort that comes with healing to make room for growth. Alyssa specializes in anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and women's issues. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Williams College and her master's degree in clinical psychology from UMASS Dartmouth.

Alyssa values creativity, reflection, and humor as pathways of collaboration and connection. She uses several treatment approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and motivational interviewing.

Life is unpredictable and presents each individual with a unique set of challenges. If you are interested in building a therapeutic relationship based off of mutual respect and trust that will enable you reach your goals, book an appointment with her today!

"I take a person-centered approach to therapy and work with clients to resolve life issues, cope with stressors, meet their goals, and/or maximize their full potential through building a great therapeutic relationship built on trust, empathy, and safety."

Matthew Waite is a Mental Health Counselor with 7 years of experience working in the mental health field and 2 years of experience in practice. He has experience treating a range of populations, including individuals with depression, anxiety, dual-diagnosis, anger, grief, life transitions and PTSD. Matthew obtained his Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Massachusetts - Boston. The program taught him to take a multicultural and social justice approach to counseling while using many modalities based on what the client’s presenting problem may be.

Matthew leans heavily on the modalities of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) while taking a holistic approach that focuses on the whole person.

Life can throw us all some curveballs at times. Being able to process events in safety and without judgment is necessary to move forward. Matthew can help you to explore your thoughts and feelings, find effective ways of coping, and provide support in managing issues life can throw at you. If you are in need of any support through counseling, please reach out and schedule your appointment.