Cally Sullivan (She/Her/Hers)

I treat self harm using a harm reduction approach. This makes it possible to work on keeping you as safe as possible while you start making progress in treatment. Progress can take a little while, and I understand that if you could just stop (like someone probably has suggested), you probably wouldn't be seeing me.

First off, suicidal thoughts are a completely normal thing to be experiencing. Especially after the way all of our lives have been turned upside down the past couple of years. The biggest thing is that it's something that can get better with a little bit of help. I used to do these evaluations, so if you are worried about the therapist that freaks out and keeps sending you to the emergency room, that's not me.

It's pretty normal to have some hard times with major transitions, especially since it sometimes means that our safe people, safe places, incomes, and routine get pulled out from under us. Plus there's that thing with your mind taking longer than it should to catch up with your body. I particularly work with college students trying to figure out things sans parents for the first time. (Must be located in MA at time of therapy session)

No client I have seen using less than helpful methods to manage has ever been able to just stop. If they could, they wouldn't need me. We'll make a plan to keep you safe while we develop more skills to take the place of the ones you are using now.

It's pretty common for us to carry around misconceptions and beliefs that get in the way or alter how we are feeling on a day to day basis. Usually, these beliefs were accurate for the situation that they first showed up in, and then stuck around so long we forgot that they were there. CBT is effective in being able to identify when this happens and kick unhelpful things to the curb.

DBT therapy utilizes specific skills to build tolerance towards overwhelming emotions. It provides the buffer necessary to safely challenge unhelpful thoughts and beliefs that lead to somethings seeming harder than it might have needed to be.