Compassionate Therapy for Adults in Wellesley & Greater Boston, MA
Finding the right therapist can feel overwhelming, especially when you're already struggling. You deserve care that understands your unique challenges and helps you move forward with confidence and clarity.
At Irena Cafasso Counseling, we provide specialized, evidence-based therapy for adults in Wellesley and throughout Massachusetts who are navigating eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma, and life's most difficult transitions.
Whether you're in Wellesley, Greater Boston, or anywhere across the state, our secure telehealth platform brings compassionate, personalized care directly to you. You don't have to figure this out alone.
Therapy That Meets You Where You Are
Starting therapy takes courage. You might be feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain about what help even looks like. That's exactly where we begin. Our approach recognizes that you already have strengths, even if they feel buried right now. We're here to help you build on those strengths while developing new skills that actually fit your life.
Therapy here isn't about fitting into a rigid treatment plan. It's about creating a collaborative space where your goals, your schedule, and your needs shape how we work together. Through flexible telehealth sessions available statewide in Massachusetts, you can access high-quality mental health care from the comfort and privacy of your own space. We meet you where you are, literally and emotionally.
Specialized Care for Eating Disorders, Anxiety, Trauma & More
When you're dealing with complex challenges like eating disorders, body image struggles, or trauma, working with a therapist who truly understands these issues makes all the difference. General talk therapy isn't always enough. You need someone trained in the specific frameworks and interventions that create lasting change for anxiety disorders, disordered eating patterns, trauma recovery, and depression.
Our practice focuses on the issues that often go unspoken or misunderstood. We provide specialized treatment for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, body image distress, panic attacks, PTSD, complex trauma, grief, and the overwhelming stress of major life transitions. This focused expertise means you won't have to explain or justify your experience. You'll be understood from day one, and we'll use proven therapeutic approaches tailored to what you're actually facing.
Warm, Relational Style with Evidence-Based Tools + Deeper Self-Exploration
Effective therapy needs two things: genuine human connection and proven clinical frameworks. You'll find both here. Our therapeutic style balances warmth and authenticity with structured, evidence-based interventions. You're not a diagnosis or a collection of symptoms. You're a whole person with a unique story, and that matters in every session.
We integrate multiple approaches to support both immediate relief and lasting transformation. Psychodynamic insight helps you recognize patterns from your past, understand relationship dynamics, and explore the deeper "why" behind your thoughts and behaviors. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you clarify your values and take meaningful action even when discomfort shows up. DBT-informed skills support you in managing intense emotions, tolerating distress, and navigating relationships effectively. Mindfulness practices bring present-moment awareness, grounding, and self-compassion into your daily life.
But these aren't just techniques we apply to you. They're tools we explore together, adapting them to fit your personality, your goals, and your life.
What We Help
Many adults come to therapy feeling like they should have it all figured out by now. The truth is, life brings challenges at every stage, and seeking support is a sign of wisdom, not weakness. We work with adults throughout Massachusetts who are facing a wide range of struggles, from clinical mental health conditions to the everyday stresses that feel anything but small.
Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating
Support for AN, BN, BED, OSFED, chronic restriction, binge-purge cycles, and compulsive exercise. We'll reduce shame, interrupt unhelpful patterns, and build flexible, values-aligned routines. When useful, I coordinate care with your PCP and dietitian to support medical safety and sustainable progress.
You'll learn skills to manage urges, tolerate feelings, and rebuild trust with your body. Learn More
Body Image Issues
If mirrors, photos, or clothing sizes dictate your day, you're not alone. We'll work on body neutrality/respect, reduce body checking and avoidance, and loosen the grip of appearance anxiety and perfectionism.
Expect practical practices that challenge comparison loops while strengthening self-compassion and embodied living.
Trauma
Trauma can affect sleep, concentration, trust, and feelings of safety. We work slowly and collaboratively, focusing on stabilization, grounding skills, and nervous system support.
Together we strengthen boundaries, inner resources, and meaning so life can feel more spacious again.
Relationship Issues & Life Transitions
Major life shifts like moves, breakups, parenthood, or career changes can be overwhelming. We explore values, strengthen communication, and create practical boundaries. You will gain scripts, small habits, and flexible tools to navigate change with clarity and confidence.
Each of these challenges deserves specialized attention, and each person's experience is different. Below, you'll find more detail about how we approach the most common concerns that bring adults to our practice.
Anxiety, Depression & Panic
Racing thoughts, worst-case thinking, flat mood, loss of motivation, or panic surges can crowd out the life you want.
We'll use ACT and DBT-informed skills, defusion, opposite action, behavioral activation, while making gentle space for the emotions you've been carrying.
You'll build a personalized toolkit to respond to stressors without burning out.
Stress Management
Stress from work, caregiving, or overload can leave you stuck and drained. We build skills for emotional regulation, time boundaries, pacing, and energy protection. Together we choose micro-practices that help you create steadier routines that fit real life.
How Therapy Works
We'll start with a thoughtful intake to understand your history, context, and hopes. Then we co-create clear goals and check progress regularly. We may use brief measures (symptom scales, values-aligned actions) so you can see change over time. Sessions are active and conversational; your feedback shapes the plan. If something isn't helping, we adjust.
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Psychodynamic
Recognize patterns, attachment themes, and protective strategies that once helped but now limit freedom.
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ACT
Clarify what matters and take small, values-aligned steps even when discomfort shows up.
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DBT-informed
Emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness (scripts, worksheets, and real-life practice).
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Mindfulness
Present-moment awareness, grounding, and compassion to reduce reactivity and shame.
In-Person Vibe via Secure Telehealth (Throughout Massachusetts)
Therapy happens on a HIPAA-secure platform with clear privacy tips (e.g., headphones, door signs, sound masking).
Telehealth offers flexibility, cuts commute stress, and makes weekly care realistic, even during busy seasons. If you're physically in Massachusetts at the time of session, you can be seen via telehealth.
What You'll Take Away
Therapy isn't just about feeling better in the moment. It's about building lasting skills and insights that serve you long after sessions end. Here's what you can expect to gain from our work together.
Skills for emotion regulation
You'll learn to identify, understand, and manage intense emotions without being overwhelmed by them.
Instead of feeling at the mercy of your feelings, you'll know how to ride emotional waves without being swept away.
Values-aligned actions
Clarifying what truly matters to you and learning to make choices based on those values rather than on fear, shame, or others' expectations is transformative. You'll have a clearer sense of direction and purpose in your life.
Relapse prevention strategies
For issues like eating disorders, anxiety, and depression, learning to recognize early warning signs and having a plan to intervene before things spiral is crucial. You'll leave therapy with concrete strategies to maintain your progress and seek support when needed.
Body image resilience
Whether you're working on eating disorder recovery or general body image struggles, you'll develop a more peaceful, neutral relationship with your body. The goal is freedom from constant appearance monitoring and the ability to engage fully in life regardless of how you feel about your body on any given day.
Communication tools
Expressing your needs, setting boundaries, and navigating conflict effectively are learnable skills. You'll practice assertive communication that strengthens relationships rather than avoiding difficult conversations or exploding in frustration.
Ready to Get Started?
If you're thinking, "It might be time," that's enough to begin. Schedule an appointment and share a few lines about what you're looking for, most clients book an initial consultation within 1–2 weeks.
Prefer to talk first? Call 617-913-2181. Together we'll decide on a good starting plan and pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
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