Rachel Woodward

I began working with children when I was a child myself. I worked in afterschool programs, camps, internships, public schools, private schools, and more. I obtained an undergraduate degree in English Teaching when I knew I wanted to work with kids in some capacity. I then discovered that I actually wanted to help children with their deeper emotional, social, and behavioral worlds, rather than teach them in a classroom. That was when I attended graduate school at Lesley University and obtained my Master Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Afterwards I got my license as a LMHC, a licensed mental health counselor. I am also married with two small children of my own.

I have been working with children and families for the past 10 years. My experience has been in therapeutic school settings, both in the classroom as a therapeutic teacher, and as an individual and group therapist for children, siblings, parents, couples, and whole families. My specialties are working with children with diagnosed special needs, dual diagnoses, ADHD, anxiety, mood disorders, depression, school issues, attachment, trauma, adoption, and ASD. I am well versed in the IEP process, collaborating with schools, and using many different modalities to match the needs of the child.

I work with children individually, focusing on understanding their specific needs, coping strategies, managing their behavioral, emotional, or social challenges, how to get their needs met in an adaptive and healthy way, and how to create and maintain healthy relationships. I also work individually or in collaboration with parents, focusing on parent guidance, individual therapy, or couples work that focuses on how to best parent their unique child. I have experience working with newly divorced or divorcing couples, and how to best co-parent and help their child adjust to the transition. My goals are to help parents attune to the specific needs of their child; using the parents' expertise to shift their parenting lens to match and create a happier and healthier home for everyone. I aim to collaborate with parents or caregivers to process what may come up for them individually since becoming a parent.