Therapists:

Michael J. Doran, LICSW, CGP
1040 Great Plain Avenue
Needham, MA 02492
781-449-3500

As a practicing clinician for over thirty years, I have had the pleasure of working with many adults, children, adolescents, couples, and families. Psychotherapy incorporates a rich tapestry of three important dimensions: affects, cognitions, and behaviors. My clinical work focuses on the interplay of these three factors. I focus on helping the person find ways to cope with their problems but also learn how to move forward with alternative ways of thinking about and constructively dealing with problems. My therapeutic style is active and engaged. This includes a sensitive and empathic approach toward the person. My sense of humor and optimistic viewpoint offer hope that any problem can be addressed. My therapeutic framework incorporates several approaches. I use on cognitive behavioral therapy. This means working with thoughts, actions, and feelings. Interpersonal therapy focuses on understanding your role in the difficulty and finding alternative ways of coping with problems. In addition, I use relaxation and hypnosis methods to address various issues. Finally, I hope that by creating a safe therapeutic environment, the process of therapy can help patients discover different solutions to troublesome behavioral, relational, and emotional issues.

In adult individual therapy, depression and anxiety are the most frequent presenting issues. The individual often feels dissatisfied or unproductive in their personal and interpersonal lives. I help them discover ways to improve their self-esteem and help them learn how to disengage from unproductive patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving. Often changing “negative thinking” patterns is a primary task of reducing depression and combating anxiety. I also focus on helping the adult learn the patterns and origins of unproductive interpersonal behaviors, which are often exhibited in their significant relationships. Finally, learning how to cope with life’s never ending challenges is an important part of therapy. This can include learning relaxation and hypnotic techniques to reduce stress and improve functioning.

Couples therapy has become a significant part of my practice. Here the goal of therapy is to help both members of the couple achieve a greater degree of satisfaction in their ability to communicate, effectively work on problems, and sustain a more intimate partnership with each other.

Children and adolescents usually present with behavioral and/or mood related problems, like depression and anxiety. I see youngsters and adolescents who struggle with ADHD, anger problems, various anxiety and depressive disorders, self-esteem issues, social issues, and family relational problems. With both populations, I usually involve the family so that we are all working together to achieve the desired outcome. My interventions include play therapy, for the younger child, cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation, supportive therapy, and family therapy, with the focus on improving the child or adolescent’s overall functioning.

Finally, I am a certified group therapist. Group therapy is a powerful and effective interpersonal process which can offer support and help one understand patterns of behavior and thinking that can affect relationships. Group can best be understood as a laboratory for learning alternative means of relating, while experiencing emotional support from others. Groups are offered for adults and adolescents, who wish to learn more about themselves.

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