Therapists:

Rachel Hulstein-Lowe
992 Great Plain Avenue
Needham, MA 02402
617-470-9035

I am a licensed independent clinical social worker assisting school-age children (5-year-old and up), adolescents, and adults. My specialties include child, adolescent and family therapy, as well as addressing trauma associated with past abuse or neglect. I see children and adolescents with a wide range of emotional difficulties such as depression and anxiety disorders, as well as behavioral issues. Common themes in my work with young people include relationships, confidence and self-esteem, independence, and familial issues. I have succeeded in engaging adolescents who have resisted treatment or had past negative experiences. I also work with issues such as eating disorders and identity questions (including GLBT).

Where appropriate, I collaborate closely with family members to build understanding, empathy and communication skills. Our communities greatly influence the quality of our lives, so when necessary and always with the consent of the client, I also consult with educators, clergy, coaches or other important individuals in a young person’s life.

I endeavor to work with all clients as a compassionate witness. My clients are the experts of their own experience -- my role is to empathically listen and facilitate each individual's or family's desire to improve the quality of their lives. My therapeutic framework is rooted in psychodynamic concepts. In other words, my clients benefit from exploring relationships and past events to understand the here-and-now.

However, to these theories I have added more current ways of working, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and narrative therapy. CBT identifies how we make meaning of our lives, whether or not our current definitions fit our values and, if not, how to go about challenging and changing those definitions to our benefit. Narrative therapy “externalizes” problems. For example, instead of asking a client, “Why are you feeling depressed?” I might ask “How are 'The Blues' getting in the way of enjoying time with friends or succeeding in school?” I find this latter approach particularly useful for work with children and adolescents.

Raised in the Midwest, I obtained a B.A. in English from Truman State University (MO) in 1993, and my M.S.W. from Smith College School for Social Work in 2002. After obtaining my M.S.W, I worked in Northern California on the child and adolescent mental health team of Kaiser Permanente, then served as clinician for an outpatient recovery program for HIV+ mothers. For 5 years, I lived in London, England, where I developed a therapeutic program for adolescents in foster care. I believe my time abroad greatly enriched not only my clinical practice, but also my appreciation for the diversity of human experience. Overall, my work as a therapist is incredibly rewarding and, therefore, I bring energy and enthusiasm to it.

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