I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist who helps adults cope with mental health concerns and achieve their personal goals. I use treatments shown to improve emotional health such as Cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance-based therapy, and mindfulness. Therapy is conducted as a collaborative process and tailored to the client’s needs. Often, I will draw upon my knowledge of neuropsychology and neuroscience to explain the biological reasons for mental health symptoms and provide a rationale for selected interventions.
My goal is to empower clients to develop strategies to cope with mental health symptoms and lead a valued life.
Areas of Expertise: Anxiety and Stress, Coping with Chronic Illness, Caregiver Stress, and Depression.
Dr. Amick received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Boston University in 2003. She completed intensive training at the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders in the use of Cognitive behavioral therapies for treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Phobia, Panic Disorder, and Depression.
From 2003-2005 Dr. Amick completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Medical Rehabilitation Neuropsychology at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. She then remained as a Staff Psychologist (2005-2009) in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation providing psychotherapy and neuropsychological assessments to inpatients and outpatients with neurological and other chronic medical conditions.
In 2009, Dr. Amick joined VA Boston Healthcare System where she currently works as a Clinical Psychologist on the Spinal Cord Injury and Related Disorders Service. In this role, Dr. Amick provides psychotherapy to individuals adapting to new spinal cord injuries and individuals with existing spinal cord injuries who develop other mental health issues such as depression, anxiety disorders, and chronic pain. Her work also extends to people with multiple sclerosis, ALS, and their caregivers.
Dr. Amick has published widely on the neuropsychological features of psychiatric and neurological diagnoses. Her research has been funded by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Department of Defense, Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the National Academy of Neuropsychology.
As a Licensed Psychologist in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I provide evidence-based Cognitive behavioral treatments that have been studied in clinical research and shown to both reduce symptoms of distress and enhance daily functioning and quality of life.
Cognitive behavioral treatments are based on the psychological theory that highlights the connections between how we think, feel, and behave. Although making changes in our lives can feel daunting and overwhelming, Cognitive behavioral theory argues that even small shifts in your thoughts and actions can have widespread and positive effects. Small changes can build on themselves to progressively improve your emotional well-being over time.
During the initial session we will discuss your experiences, current difficulties, and goals. This information will be used to develop overall treatment goals. Weekly goals for practicing small changes in thoughts and behaviors in between sessions will be set. Therapy is a collaborative process and over sessions treatment goals may be adjusted in order to move your life in a direction that is consistent with your values and desired outcomes.
A key step in making positive changes is to attend sessions regularly and practice new ways of doing things between sessions. Over the course of treatment, I will consistently check in with you to make sure that you are feeling satisfied with your overall care. To help facilitate a successful relationship and positive outcome, you are encouraged to be open and direct in our communication and ask questions.
The current rate is $275 for a 50-minute initial assessment or standard psychotherapy session.
I do not process insurance. If you plan to submit to your insurance company, you will want to make sure your carrier reimburses for “out of network” providers. I will provide you with the necessary paperwork so that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement directly. Some clients wish to pay out of pocket and not involve your insurance company.
I require 24 hours notice if you need to cancel your appointment. If you are unable to provide adequate notice or you do not show up for your appointment, you will be billed the full amount for a session. Please note that you are not able to submit this session to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Please keep in mind that this is a part-time practice. If you are having a mental health crisis and need immediate assistance, you should:
To make an appointment or for phone consultation, please call 1 (857) 271-4271 or email Dr. Amick at mmamickphd@gmail.com.
My office is conveniently located in Newton Center. This central location offers:
53 Langley Road, Suite 340C, Newton Center, MA.