Aviva Psychology Services
Therapist in Cambridge, MA
Doctoral-level therapy for adults in Cambridge and Greater Boston. Every psychologist at Aviva Psychology Services holds a PhD or PsyD. We see adults 18 and older, virtually across Massachusetts and in person at our Northampton and Boston offices, and we are currently accepting new clients.
Therapy for Adults in Cambridge and Greater Boston
People move here for a lab, a fellowship, a company, or a partner's appointment, and the move is almost always framed as temporary. Then the temporary stretches. What results is a population that is highly credentialed, frequently exhausted, and unusually good at describing its own problems in terms of output.
You might be a postdoctoral researcher whose visa timeline and grant timeline no longer agree. You might be an engineer in Kendall Square whose compensation is fine and whose weeks are not. You might have followed someone here and built very little of your own since.
There is a specific loneliness in being surrounded by people who appear to be managing. In seminar rooms and stand-ups, everyone presents the finished version. The private conclusion many people reach is that they are the exception, the one who is faking it. That conclusion is common and it is almost never accurate.
What Brings People to Therapy
Very few people arrive with one clean problem. Concerns overlap and feed each other. Worry keeps you up, poor sleep makes the next day harder, and by the third week it is hard to say which came first. These are the concerns we hear most often.
- Persistent worry takes up more of the day than you want it to.
- You feel flat or numb, and the things that used to matter do not land.
- Memories or reactions from something that happened keep interrupting the present.
- Obsessive thoughts or rituals are taking up time and attention.
- Grief has changed shape without loosening its hold.
- The same conflict with a partner or a family member keeps repeating.
- Questions about identity, values, or belonging remain unsettled.
- A chronic illness, a disability, or ongoing pain has reorganized daily life.
- Sleep has become unreliable, and the days are harder because of it.
- Pregnancy, postpartum, or fertility treatment has brought more than you expected.
If your situation is not listed here, we may still be a good fit. You can describe your concerns when you reach out.
Evidence-Based Care From Doctoral-Level Psychologists
Every provider at Aviva has completed doctoral-level clinical training and holds a PhD or PsyD. Doctoral-level psychologists complete extensive graduate and supervised clinical training, including a full-year predoctoral internship and, in some cases, postdoctoral training.
That training shows up in how a course of treatment gets built. Our psychologists practice cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, internal family systems, psychodynamic therapy, and relational-cultural theory. Individual, group, and relationship formats are all available. The approach is chosen for the person in front of us. No two clients receive exactly the same approach.
Aviva is unwaveringly LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC welcoming. We treat identity and context as part of the clinical picture rather than as something handled separately.
Why Achievement Culture Delays Care
Where output is the shared language, difficulty gets diagnosed as a productivity problem first. People try a new system, a tighter calendar, and one more early morning before they consider that the problem was never scheduling.
The calendar then becomes the argument for waiting. There is a grant deadline, a tenure clock, a funding round, or a defense date, and none of them leave an obvious quarter free to start something new. Waiting for the clear quarter is how three years pass.
Work that is intellectually demanding and emotionally exposed carries a real cost, whatever the CV looks like. That kind of strain deserves serious clinical attention.
How to Get Started
Getting started is the hardest part for most people. Here's what to expect:
Step 1: Submit an inquiry
Complete our brief form at avivapsych.com/contact. You don't need to know exactly what you're looking for before reaching out.
Step 2: Connect with our intake team
Our intake coordinator will reach out to discuss your needs, answer questions about availability, and assess if we have a fitting opening in the practice.
Step 3: Begin your first appointment
Your first 2-4 sessions are an exploration of fit and a whole lot of information gathering. Together, you and your psychologist will create a treatment plan to reach your goals.
In-Person and Online Sessions for Cambridge
Most clients here work with us by video. Sessions run through a secure platform at a consistent weekly time, and an appointment does not require crossing the river at rush hour. Teletherapy is available to anyone located in Massachusetts at the time of the session. When meeting in person matters, our Boston office at 112 Water Street is a Red Line ride from Harvard, Central, or Kendall, followed by a short walk. We also work with adults in Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Watertown, and Medford. All services are provided by licensed psychologists authorized to practice in Massachusetts. Aviva is not a crisis service. If you need immediate help, call or text 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy in Cambridge, MA
Do you have an office in Cambridge?
We do not have a physical office in Cambridge. We provide teletherapy for anyone located in Massachusetts, with in-person sessions available at our offices in Boston and Northampton. Many clients in Cambridge choose virtual sessions for convenience and consistency.
Do you offer couples therapy?
Yes. We provide relationship and family counseling for adults, online and in person, and partners are seen together rather than referred out separately.
Do you see children or teens?
No. Aviva works with adults 18 and older. Short-term parent coaching is available for adults raising children at any age.
Do you accept insurance?
We are in network with some plans and can bill as an out-of-network provider for others, and we can provide superbills for reimbursement. Because coverage varies by plan, our billing team can verify your benefits and give you an estimated per-session cost before you start. Ask for a benefits check when you submit the contact form.
Support Is Available for You Here in Cambridge, MA
Psychological care at this level is available here, online and in person at our Northampton and Boston offices, for adults in Cambridge and across Massachusetts. The next step is a conversation.
