Bruce Barrett , LMHC

Bruce Barrett is a Massachusetts-based Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) who brings a decades-long commitment to helping people find meaning in their experiences. He centers his work in narrative therapy, drawing on the Dulwich Model to help clients examine and re-author the stories that shape their lives. His practice also incorporates elements of Gestalt dream work and Gendlin's Focusing to explore inner contradictions and sift through psychological uncertainty, alongside mindfulness-based stress management techniques that support ongoing personal growth.

Barrett has been licensed as an LMHC in Massachusetts since 2012 and previously worked as an associate psychologist at the master’s level in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Earlier in his career he served as a Certified Alcoholism Counselor in both inpatient and outpatient settings, working with a strong 12-step orientation. He speaks openly from personal experience as a recovering alcoholic with 40 years of continuous sobriety, which informs his understanding of addiction and recovery.

He has a particular interest in working with people on the autism spectrum and prides himself on connecting with adults and younger clients alike. Barrett also brings life-long familiarity with military family experiences and third culture upbringing - a perspective that shapes his work with veteran families and those who spent their developmental years overseas. His approach is flexible and client-centered, tailored to each person’s needs, goals, and life context.

Approach-Focused Online Therapy with Practical Flexibility

Bruce Barrett draws on narrative therapy to help clients examine the stories they tell about themselves and to explore alternative narratives that can open new possibilities - an approach that is often helpful for identity questions, relationship patterns, and life transitions. He also integrates mindfulness therapy, teaching present-moment awareness and stress-management practices that support emotional regulation and reduce reactivity. When trauma is a focal concern, trauma-focused techniques are used to address painful memories and their ongoing impact on daily functioning, with attention to pacing and stabilization.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Barrett works with clients to identify which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adapts techniques as the work evolves. Licensed professionals and therapists often mix elements from different models to suit each person, and Barrett takes a flexible, client-centered stance in making those decisions.

Online work is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, which makes scheduling easier and reduces travel time. These options provide greater accessibility for people with busy schedules, mobility limitations, or those who live at a distance, while allowing continuity of care when life circumstances change.