Carol Bolstad
Hello, I'm Carol. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop new ways of thinking that can lead to behavior change and more stable moods and emotions. Through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, I encourage the use of mindfulness skills and values exploration that can lead clients to living as their most authentic selves. I also offer Sand Play Therapy as a more creative or expressive approach to self-discovery by gaining insights into what is currently going on in your life and how you want it to be. Through non-judgmental, compassionate care, I seek to develop a strong helping relationship with clients that can assist them in exploring the values, strengths, and skillful strategies that clients may already possess. These can increase confidence that can start the process that leads to wholeness. I welcome all people and have positive regard for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Additionally, for those who are interested, my specialty is helping people find transformation through spiritual solutions and healing. I draw from Christian, Buddhist, 12 Step practices and non-religious spirituality as ways to tap into clients' spiritual dimension. I accept all people and offer this only for those who have an interest in this dimension. My experience stretches back 40 years, from initially working with college students on issues related to life skills, career counseling, and substance use. I have experience working with the elderly living in specialized housing, and for ten years I worked with HIV-positive men and women who were reintegrating into their communities after a period of incarceration in county and state facilities. After working in residential substance abuse treatment and a methadone clinic, I received my license for mental health counseling and worked with children, adolescents, and adults in an outpatient mental health clinic and then started my private practice. Some of the common issues I assist clients with are anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, major life transitions, stress management, mood, and substance use disorders. Prior to receiving my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University, I received my Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Episcopal Divinity School. After divinity school, I was ordained a priest in an independent sacramental church and was received as a priest in the Ecumenical Catholic Diocese of New England in 2013. My ministry has always centered on providing mental health and addictions counseling to people from all walks of life, as well as spiritual direction. My interest in Buddhism, which has no opinion on the existence of any god, led me to taking Five Precepts to 1) Abstain from killing, 2) Abstain from stealing, 3) Abstain from sexual misconduct, 4) Abstain from wrong speech, and 5) Abstain from the use of intoxicating substances in the Kwan School of Zen. If you feel that my approach and experience resonate with you, I would be honored to work together on your journey towards healing and self-discovery.
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