Hi, I’m Mary Kate Little.
For over 20 years, I have been a clinical social worker, therapist, and leader in the healthcare field. Throughout my career, I have enjoyed working with a wide variety of clients including children, adolescents, and adults from widely varied backgrounds and experiences. I have a fundamental belief in the potential that all individuals possess and I know that growth and change are possible. In my work as a therapist, I utilize a range of evidence-based approaches and techniques to help clients figure out the next steps on their paths. I consider it a privilege and an honor to work with individuals on issues of mental health and personal growth.
Therapy
I have worked with clients navigating a wide range of stressors including depression, anxiety, grief/loss, personal transitions, identity development, and trauma. I strive to bring a combination of warmth, empathy, humility, and practicality to my work with clients. My hope is that each client feels truly welcomed and able to build authentic connections in order to move toward greater overall well-being.
Specialties
Anxiety and Panic Disorders
Depression
Grief and Loss
Life Transitions
Personal Growth and Self-Esteem
Trauma
Leadership
As a clinical provider and leader, I have worked in multiple healthcare environments including Boston Children’s Hospital, Judge Baker Children’s Center, Brookline Community Mental Health Center, and Bowdoin Street Health Center/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In close collaboration with colleagues, I developed and managed high-functioning, high-performing behavioral health and community health worker teams. I have also managed many grant-funded initiatives in mental health, community health, youth development, and community trauma response work. I am a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute for Community Health Leadership and am passionate about helping staff in the healthcare field to build their own facilitative leadership skills.
My Approach
Ultimately, I want to provide clients with an experience in which they feel heard, understood and come away from each session feeling capable and hopeful. I combine foundational training in psychodynamic therapy with other modes of therapy such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, narrative therapy, mindfulness, solution-focused therapy, and trauma-informed therapy. I am interested in personal stories, how we make meaning of our experiences, and how we can utilize our strengths to make progress and build more contentment into our lives.
Paying Attention
Although it can be difficult, I have seen how helpful it can be to put our concerns or issues on the table and work through them in a non-judgmental, patient, conversational space. Going through this process with someone trusted and perhaps more neutral than friends or family might be is often challenging though ultimately healing. Collaborative problem-solving is a powerful tool.
Moving Forward
Once we can look clearly at what is going on in our lives, we can figure out how to move forward. We can think about what we would like for ourselves and how to get there. It can be work to pay attention to the things that matter in our lives but that work can help us move our lives in the direction that seems best for us.