Sue Gifford Barrett, PsyD

1040 Great Plain Avenue
3rd Floor, Suite B
Needham, MA 02492
617-901-1298

I am a clinical psychologist who works with children, adolescents, and adults. I use a combination of therapeutic approaches to help people who are struggling with issues such as anxiety or depression. Therapy is an interpersonal process where the relationship between the client and the therapist can be both informative and curative. Through this relationship people can work on understanding the nature of their interpersonal difficulties as well as the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In addition, people can learn the ways in which they might be influenced by their past relationships and experiences. I also think it is important that people learn to identify and capitalize on their strengths while working on healing their pain. Finally, I do use a variety of cognitive-behavioral approaches such as identifying subconscious patterns of negative thinking or learning to manage stress through the use of relaxation exercises.

My specialization is working with very young children and their families. In particular I work with the more serious developmental/learning/emotional difficulties including Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Mental Retardation, or Learning Disabilities. Depending on the family’s needs, the focus of my work can be on the behavioral, school, and/or emotional issues. This includes helping the family cope with the stresses they face when one of its members has been diagnosed with a significant problem.

Finally, in addition to providing psychotherapy, I also do psychological assessment. That is, I do neurodevelopmental/cognitive/learning assessments as well as evaluations of people’s psychological/emotional functioning. I specialize in the evaluation of children from infancy through age six. Depending on the age of the child and the presenting concerns, these assessments may include developmental assessment or intelligence (I.Q.) and academic achievement testing as well as projective (or personality/emotional) testing. The latter may include drawings, story telling, or the Rorschach (the inkblot test).

I received my Master’s degree in Special Education from Boston University and my Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D.) from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. I completed a one-year internship in child and adult psychology at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center followed by a one-year fellowship in Pediatric Psychology at Boston Children’s Hospital. Once I completed my fellowship, I became a staff psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital in the Developmental Medicine Center where I specialized in the evaluation of very young children who presented with a wide range of developmental and learning difficulties. In addition, I provided psychological assessment and treatment to children and families.

Needham Psychotherapy Associates

Main Location

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