About Lesley
Lesley Gustafson, M.A., LMHC, brings 39 years of clinical experience to her practice. She has worked in inpatient psychiatric settings and with the American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Team. Lesley offers both individual and group sessions and focuses on clear, direct support for people in distress.
She helps people manage stress and anxiety with straightforward strategies. Her work also covers trauma and abuse, grief, bipolar disorder, depression, and addiction.
Background and approach
Lesley addresses anger and coping with major life changes in everyday terms so clients can use what they learn right away. Lesley has long experience supporting first responder issues and multicultural concerns. She also pays attention to paranoia and problems arising from prejudice and discrimination.
Her background makes her comfortable in high-intensity settings and disaster response work. Her approach centers on support, education, and practical guidance. Sessions aim to build coping skills, clarify goals, and create step-by-step plans for change.
Lesley uses both individual and group formats depending on what will help most. Lesley practices in Massachusetts and works in English. She encourages people who are willing to accept help to reach out and start a conversation about their needs.
Evidence-based approaches delivered online
Lesley uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help people manage symptoms and build coping skills. One approach focuses on practical skill building - identifying unhelpful patterns, trying new behaviors, and rehearsing coping tools in everyday situations to reduce anxiety and improve mood. Another approach emphasizes trauma-informed care - working at a pace the person can tolerate, naming reactions to stress, and teaching tools to calm the body and mind after upsetting events.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Lesley will work together with each person to understand their needs, goals, and how they respond to different strategies. Over time she adjusts methods based on what is helping and what feels workable in daily life.
Online sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy fit a busy schedule. Video is useful for in-depth conversations and skill practice. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or a quieter setting is preferred. Live chat and text messaging allow shorter check-ins and flexible communication between sessions. These formats let people access care from where they are and keep therapy consistent with their routine.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- First responder issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Paranoia
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Experience
- 39 years
- Licensed
- Massachusetts
- Languages
- English
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