Ryan Aylward, Psy.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Aylward works with adults across the lifespan struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship problems, family issues, work and school challenges. He is trained in Internal Family Systems therapy and draws from psychodynamic and attachment theory, Buddhist psychology and mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Dr. Aylward graduated from Boston College and received his Psy.D. from William James College. He completed internships at McLean Hospital and Brandeis University as well as a post-doctoral fellowship at Boston College. Dr. Aylward has worked as a therapist and supervisor at Emerson College Counseling Center and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates.

"Our work together will change your relationship with yourself and transform your relationships with the important people in your life. Developing a balance of acceptance and change will help you move past the challenges that bring you to therapy, so that you can move forward with what is valuable and meaningful in your life."

Adam Bazari, M.D.

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Bazari (he/him) provides psychotherapy and therapy combined with medication management to adults across the lifespan. His areas of interest include anxiety, depression, PTSD/trauma, navigating life transitions, relationship concerns, and working towards a greater sense of self and purpose.

His approach is relational, collaborative, and culturally affirming, and he employs an integrated but primarily psychodynamic approach to understanding patterns of relating to others and oneself, deriving meaning from past experiences, and recognizing the ways one’s choices may interfere with their life goals and sense of wellbeing.

Dr. Bazari received his M.D. from the UC Berkeley – UC San Francisco Joint Medical Program and he completed his psychiatry residency training at Cambridge Health Alliance. He is currently a staff psychiatrist and psychotherapy supervisor at Cambridge Health Alliance and a fellow at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.

"I see therapy as grounded in the creation of a collaborative, trusting space where clients feel affirmed in their identities and safe to explore their emotional life and past experiences. In this work, I hope to assist clients with fostering self-compassion and developing and working towards personal goals that are aligned with their values."

Andrea DeBarros, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. DeBarros-Jensen works with adults, providing psychotherapy that integrates different approaches. Her areas of interest include: Anxiety, depression, trauma, marginalization stress, identity development, self-compassion, and interpersonal issues. She utilizes a psychodynamic perspective and incorporates elements of Relational Cultural Therapy with a trauma-informed lens to address the underlying impact of personal and racial/generational trauma. She has extensive experience helping young adults and adults establish healthier, more authentic relationships with themselves and with others.

Dr. DeBarros-Jensen also has extensive Health Psychology training, helping people with chronic pain, challenges with medication management, and terminal illness. Dr. DeBarros-Jensen is trained in heart-rate variability biofeedback and has extensive experience using this approach to help clients manage their physiological response to stress and anxiety.

Dr. DeBarros-Jensen graduated from Boston University and received her Ph.D. from Brigham Young University. She completed her APA-accredited internship at University of Massachusetts, Amherst and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Boston College.

"My goal is to help my patients feel seen, safe and free of judgment. As a clinician of color, I am passionate about intersectionality, social justice, and centering the voices and experiences of oppressed and marginalized folks. I prioritize the therapeutic relationship and work collaboratively with my patients in order to develop healthy ways to cope with life stress and help facilitate the changes people want in their lives."

Sophie DelDonno, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. DelDonno works with adults across the lifespan. Her primary specialty area is obsessive-compulsive disorder and related conditions such as hair-pulling and skin-picking. She also specializes in working with individuals experiencing chronic depression, anxiety, loneliness and disconnectedness, and perfectionism. While drawing from evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), her therapeutic approach is grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Radically Open DBT.

Dr. DelDonno earned her undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University and her doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed her doctoral internship at the University of Chicago, where she received specialized training in the treatment of OCD and body-focused repetitive behaviors. During her post-doctoral fellowship at the Depression and Anxiety Specialty Clinic of Chicago, she served on the DBT treatment team while continuing her training in ACT and ERP. Prior to KPA, Dr. DelDonno was a staff psychologist and the Quality of Care Coordinator at the Depression and Anxiety Specialty Clinic of Chicago.

“I use evidence-based practices to support clients in gaining insight, psychological flexibility, and fulfillment. I strive to bring compassion, warmth, humor, and a collaborative style into the therapeutic relationship. Using your values and life dreams as our compass, we will practice new ways of dealing with difficult experiences as you work towards your goals. Ultimately, I aim for you to feel empowered with the skills and knowledge not only to sustain your therapeutic progress after our work together, but to continually build a life of meaning, richness, and vitality.”

Michael Di Bianca, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Di Bianca (he/him) works with older adolescents and adults across the lifespan, with a particular focus on the self-discovery and challenging transitions of emerging adulthood. His primary areas of specializations include: Trauma recovery, masculinity and men’s mental health, grief and loss, family and relationship issues, substance use, financial stress, and identity development. When working with survivors of any kind of trauma, he prioritizes the trust and pace that each person needs to create a sense of safety within therapy, in their own bodies, and in their relationships. He integrates various lenses to therapy, including relational psychodynamic theory, trauma-focused and neurobiological frameworks, and cognitive-behavioral approaches, and strives to use all of these in the context of a safe and warm therapeutic relationship.

He earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Boston College, completed his pre-doctoral internship at Towson University Counseling Center in Maryland, and his post-doctoral fellowship in clinical psychology at MIT Student Mental Health & Counseling Services. He has also trained at MassArt’s Counseling & Wellness Center and Massachusetts General Hospital's Charlestown Health Center.

Outside of work, Michael is an avid soccer fan, enjoys cooking, biking, and playing guitar, and can often be found reading anything from fiction to political history.

I hold on to a deep appreciation for the vulnerability it takes to come to therapy, and for the ways we as human beings learn to survive and adapt to stress. I bring a compassionate curiosity to learn about each person I meet and their experiences, so we can understand together any patterns in your life or relationships that you may want to change. Even as the emotional work of therapy is uncomfortable and painful at times, my hope is for us to create a space where you feel accompanied and believed in along the way. I believe that just as our lives are interwoven in social and cultural context, so too is therapy - my commitment to you is to welcome all parts of yourself, be authentically myself, and remain curious about how our shared or different backgrounds shape our conversations."

Kelley Durham, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Durham works with adults providing individual therapy for a variety of concerns, including: Anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, life transitions, and relationship difficulties. Dr. Durham’s therapeutic approach is integrative, trauma-informed, and flexible based on clients’ needs. She is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and frequently incorporates mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches into treatment. Dr. Durham also draws from humanistic theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and trauma-specific treatments such as Prolonged Exposure.

Dr. Durham received her B.A. from Boston College and her Ph.D. from Drexel University. She completed her internship at Middlesex Hospital and her post-doctoral fellowship at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital.

In her free time, Dr. Durham loves solving crossword puzzles, reading mystery novels, and practicing yoga.

“Some of therapy’s power comes from pretty simple things - human connection, empathy, validation. With those building blocks, we’ll create a safe, collaborative space in which we can explore what brings you to therapy. Maybe you feel like difficult thoughts and feelings are holding you back from your most meaningful life. The good news is we don’t actually have to change those thoughts and feelings to help you pursue what really matters to you. Together we can change your relationship to them and help you get unstuck.”

Mayte Forte, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Forte (she/her) works with young adults and adults. Her areas of interest include: Anxiety, depression, working with individuals along the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, including transgender and gender-expansive identities, difficult life transitions, acculturation/adjustment to immigration, interpersonal difficulties, and trauma.

She is a warm, affirming therapist who brings authenticity to the therapeutic relationship and whose work emphasizes acceptance and exposure-based treatments, integrating ACT, interpersonal psychotherapy, CBT, and prolonged exposure therapy.

Dr. Forte immigrated from Cuba in 1998, is fully bilingual, and provides therapy and in English and Spanish. Her approach is social-justice driven, culturally-responsive, and trauma-informed.

Dr. Forte graduated with her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from University of Massachusetts-Boston. She completed her APA-internship through the Harvard Medical School at the Cambridge Health Alliance and she did her postdoctoral fellowship in LGBTQIA+ health at the DeBakey VA Center in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Forte’s training was all accredited by the American Psychological Association and prioritized evidence-based, culturally-responsive, social-justice work. She also enjoys teaching and providing educational workshops on cultural sensitivity and affirming practices.

Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, hiking, dancing, and practicing yoga and daily meditation.

“Your life is important. By grounding yourself in the present moment, you can decide what matters the most to you and move in that direction, one step at a time. I work collaboratively with patients and focus on creating a safe, open space to support you along your journey of self-awareness, healing, and skill development. Together, we work to move you towards living a meaningful life, while effectively handling the challenges that go with it.”

Jennifer Gowins, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Gowins works with adults across the lifespan as well as with couples. Her areas of interest include: Depression, anxiety, early life attachment/trauma, life transitions, relationship concerns, academic issues, and the exploration of creativity and personal identity. She also works with couples to improve communication and intimacy and to explore relationship ruptures and transitions.

Her approach is active, relational, and collaborative, using an integrative but primarily psychoanalytic framework for recognizing patterns in ways of relating to others or in making choices that interfere with functioning and life satisfaction.

Prior to joining KPA, Dr. Gowins was a post-doctoral clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance. She earned her doctorate from Northwestern University (Chicago) and completed an APA-accredited internship at Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. She has trained in community mental health, inpatient, outpatient hospital care, college counseling, and group practice settings. She is currently a lecturer at Harvard Medical School and a supervisor at both Cambridge Health Alliance and Yeshiva University as well as an advanced fellow at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (BPSI).

"Sometimes ways of interacting with others and the world that once worked or protected us may begin to inhibit our relationships, work, creativity, and efforts at living in meaningful ways—and may even begin to cause distress. Together, we will work to create a therapy relationship in which to explore the origin of these patterns that also fosters a better understanding of how you relate to yourself, to others, and to the world so that you may begin to live more deliberately, freely, and in connection to your own goals and desires."

Shawntay Grasso, Psy.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Grasso works with children (8+), adolescents, and adults struggling with: Depression, anxiety, relationship issues, emerging adulthood, trauma, lgbtqia+, identity issues, marginalization stress, and body-image concerns.

Dr. Grasso utilizes both a person-centered and goal-directed approach to assist individuals in meeting their healing potential. She uses evidence-based treatment models and holistic approaches to support individuals in reducing symptoms and regaining a sense of control and mastery in their life.

Dr. Grasso received her doctorate from William James College and did her Postdoctoral Fellowship at LifeStance Health. She has worked with a wide range of mental health conditions in many settings including community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, partial hospitalization programs, and primary school settings.

“My therapy approach is largely collaborative and meant to place emphasis on honesty, respect, and empowerment between therapist and client. I attempt to develop a therapeutic relationship with clients based on a shared goal of finding solutions for their mental health concerns. Approaching treatment collaboratively with clients also increases their internal motivation to take action toward helpful change. Ultimately, I make great efforts to assist clients in fostering a sense of peace, balance, and positivity in their life.”

Ben Herzig, Psy.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Herzig's primary areas of interest include: depression, anxiety, relationship issues, academic concerns, men's issues, and recovery from trauma. He has a special research interest in issues facing American Muslims. Dr. Herzig graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received his doctorate from Antioch University New England. He did his internship at the Westborough and Worcester State Hospitals and completed post-doctoral training in community mental health at Advocates, Inc. in Framingham.

“As unique individuals, we should all be appreciated and understood from several angles – social, biological, psychological, cultural, and sometimes spiritual – to get the best sense of who we are as complete people. This requires a focus not just on our problems and challenges, but also on our strengths and resources. These aspects of our identities color the way we give meaning to our past, our future, our relationships, and our struggles. Psychotherapy should be a process that recognizes these factors while creating a safe, caring, and creative atmosphere to provide treatment based on sound theory and research. These are the goals to which I aspire as a therapist. I am especially interested in working with young adults, men, people entering therapy for the first time, and individuals who represent the full cultural diversity of the Boston area.”

Sarah Hines, Psy.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Hines specializes in working with older adolescents, emerging adults, and adults. Her specialties include: Anxiety, depression, ADHD, sports performance, academic performance, managing life transitions, loss, infertility, pre- and post-natal challenges, parenting challenges, and relationship issues.

Dr. Hines provides a compassionate and grounding space within which clients can feel safe to explore and change ineffective patterns. Her warm and collaborative approach integrates a variety of therapeutic modalities including CBT, DBT, Mindfulness, Psychodynamic, Humanistic, ACT, and Emotion-Focused Therapy to meet each individual's needs. Her work involves helping clients to develop a cohesive sense of self and create a life worth living through partnership, curiosity, understanding, and perseverance.

Dr. Hines completed her undergraduate work at Rollins College and earned a double master’s in the education field. She worked as an elementary school teacher before pursuing her doctorate in psychology at William James College. She has trained in a variety of contexts including school settings, behavioral medicine clinics, and with veterans. In her spare time, Dr. Hines love to run, cook, and be outdoors with her kids.

"I love helping clients feel empowered to live a life that feels meaningful and connected."

Saeide Kaivani, Psy.D.

Staff Psychologist
Administrative Coordinator

Dr. Kaivani works with adults, and her areas of interest include: Anxiety, depression, interpersonal challenges, trauma, difficult life transitions, acculturation/adjustment to immigration, creativity blocks, and issues of meaning and personal identity, especially around gender and sexuality. She believes in a therapeutic pluralism in which individually tailored treatments are drawn from several different therapy approaches. She primarily utilizes psychodynamic and existential perspectives with a trauma-informed and relational framework. Dr. Kaivani immigrated from Iran in 2010 and provides therapy in Farsi in addition to English.

Prior to joining KPA, Dr. Kaivani was a postdoctoral clinical fellow at Columbia University. She received her doctorate from William James College and completed her APA-accredited internship at the Brenner Center for Psychological Assessment & Consultation. She has worked with patients across the lifespan in residential, college counseling, and community mental health settings.

Outside of work, she enjoys playing music, reading, and hiking.

“People have an inherent propensity toward growth. I work collaboratively with my patients and prioritize co-creating a safe and comfortable space to facilitate growth and fulfillment. Within a therapeutic relationship based on compassion, engagement, and openness, I support you along your journey of healing and self-awareness. Together, we explore the underlying patterns that contribute to your distress and help you relate to yourself, others, and the world in a more meaningful and authentic way.”

Amy Mitchell, Psy.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Mitchell works with adults, young adults and older adolescents. Her areas of interest include: Relationship problems, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, grief, and family issues. Dr. Mitchell most often works in a solution-focused manner while drawing from interpersonal therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and emotion-focused work. She also incorporates stress-reduction and mindfulness techniques to provide clients with tools to implement in their everyday lives. Dr. Mitchell graduated from Loyola University and received her doctorate from Widener University. She has worked at the counseling centers of both Swarthmore and Skidmore colleges.

“I believe it is very important to develop a therapy relationship that feels like a good fit. I provide an empathic and nonjudgmental space for people to talk openly and genuinely about their feelings and concerns at their own pace. My approach to therapy is flexible and collaborative as I work with clients to develop a greater understanding of themselves, their relationships, and the patterns in their life that are contributing to their dissatisfaction or distress. People often seek therapy because they feel their regular coping skills are no longer working. I think it is important to provide people with tools to improve self-care, decrease stress, and feel more in control as they work toward the positive changes they would like to see in their lives. I am experienced in working with difficulties related to college and graduate-student life, life transitions, peer and family relationships, grief, and eating issues.”

Briana Reid, Psy.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Reid provides individual psychotherapy for adults who are struggling with trauma and PTSD, post-traumatic growth, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, adjustment to life transitions, stress management, family caregiver support, issues related to physical health (i.e., smoking cessation, medication adherence, women's health, etc.), and issues related to culture and diversity (i.e., marginalization stress, identity issues, relationship strain, etc.).

Her approach to therapy is relational, person-centered, culturally affirming, trauma-informed, warm with a bit of humor, and she is intentional about developing a meaningful, collaborative relationship with her clients. She aims to help her clients cultivate empowerment with insight, compassion, and new skills.

Dr. Reid uses an integration of different therapeutic approaches, including interpersonal, mindfulness-based, and cognitive-behavioral (CBT, ACT, DBT, etc.). She is also trained in evidence-based treatments for PTSD (i.e., Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, Written Exposure Therapy, and Narrative Therapy).

Dr. Reid graduated from Merrimack College and earned her doctorate from William James College with a concentration in Clinical Health Psychology. She has experience treating clients in a variety of settings, including outpatient group practice, outpatient hospital programs, partial hospitalization programs, structured outpatient addiction programs, college counseling centers, and intensive outpatient and residential substance use programs. Dr. Reid received specialized training in providing evidence-based treatments for PTSD through her postdoctoral fellowship at the Albany VA.

“Therapy is a space where we can be vulnerable and explore our experiences without fear of judgment. I’m always rooting for my clients – we develop a genuine, trusting therapeutic relationship throughout our collaborative work together. I believe people are the experts of their own lived experiences, and the addition of my clinical expertise as a therapist can help grow the knowledge, skills, abilities, strengths, and resources they need to thrive, not just survive.”

Matt Richardson, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Richardson’s primary areas of interest include: Depression, anxiety, problems in personal and romantic relationships, disordered eating, and body image issues. He is particularly interested in working with gay and bisexual men. In therapy, Dr. Richardson uses an integrative therapeutic style, combining interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral and emotionally-focused therapies. Dr. Richardson approaches his work with clients experiencing body image and eating concerns from an intuitive eating, anti-diet, and Health At Every Size (HAES) framework.

Dr. Richardson received his doctorate from the University of Kentucky in Counseling Psychology. He has experience working in college counseling, private practice, community mental health, and inpatient facilities.

“My primary goal as a therapist is to help my clients feel safe, respected, and understood. I frequently check-in with my clients about their experience in session and integrate humor and levity to balance out the tough moments. I see a therapy as challenging us to begin to own our lives and start to unlearn patterns and ways of being that no longer serve us in the present.”

Setareh Rossman, Ph.D.

Pre-Licensed Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Rossman supports adults of all ages to build lives of greater meaning and connection. Her primary areas of interest include: Life transitions, family and relationship difficulties (including loneliness, disconnection, and conflict) trauma, bereavement, disordered eating, and self-acceptance.

Dr. Rossman’s approach to therapy is rooted in mindful presence and the cultivation of a genuine, caring relationship. She integrates principles from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and the humanistic, psychospiritual, and relational traditions. When appropriate for clients’ goals, she also delivers brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for disordered eating and trauma recovery.

Dr. Rossman graduated from Wesleyan University and received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Clark University. She has experience delivering therapy in a variety of outpatient settings, including university counseling centers, couple therapy and eating disorder specialty programs, and a Veterans Affairs clinic. She is currently a pre-licensed post-doctoral clinician.

Outside the therapy office, she can usually be found doing creative projects around her home or hosting small gatherings of friends. She also enjoys watching and learning about women’s basketball.

The foundation of our work is a warm, attentive, and nonjudgmental relationship. I value coming to know you as a person. Together, we work to deepen your self-understanding and to cultivate new ways of relating to your experience that help you feel more connected and fulfilled.

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” - Jelaluddin Rumi

Kel Thomas, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Thomas (they/them) works with adults with a variety of concerns and has specialties in treating: Trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, existential concerns, stress, and the ongoing trauma associated with experiencing micro-aggressions and otherwise being a part of a marginalized group. Dr. Thomas is a queer, transgender (non-binary and transmasculine), chronically ill, disabled, neuro-divergent and non-monogamous psychologist and they often work with clients from these communities. They also enjoy working with fellow care workers and others who engage in social-justice work.

Dr. Thomas begins therapy from a client-centered perspective and tailors treatment to clients’ unique needs. They draw particularly from mindfulness-based approaches, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Internal Family Systems Therapy. Dr. Thomas is highly attuned to the role of trauma in chronic mental and physical health challenges and relational difficulties and they approach work with their clients from a holistic perspective. Dr. Thomas is sex-work and kink affirming and liberation is at the core of all their work.

Dr. Thomas completed their PhD in School Psychology at Indiana University Bloomington and has worked in community mental health, integrated care, university, and private practice settings providing a variety of group, individual, relationship, and community-based services.

“I view therapy as a sacred container capable of fostering genuine connection that enables authentic growth and transformation. I approach clients with acceptance, curiosity, openness, and compassion to foster care, resilience, strength, hope, and overall well-being.”

Jared Utley, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist

Dr. Utley’s primary areas of interest include: generalized and social anxiety, depression, trauma, binge eating, navigating relationship concerns, and family of origin difficulties. He has specific expertise working with groups affected by international adoption, Asian and Asian American experiences along with minority identity development.

Dr. Utley utilizes a client-centered and evidence-based approach that is flexible based on the client’s cultural background and presenting concerns. He incorporates Emotion-Focused Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy frameworks when working with clients.

Dr. Utley received his doctorate from the University of Denver in Counseling Psychology and has worked in college counseling and various outpatient settings prior to joining Kendall Psychological Associates.

"Therapy is a unique opportunity to experience a relationship grounded in openness, curiosity, and kindness. My style emphasizes present moment awareness to identify patterns affecting client's lives. I want to work with clients to explore and examine each person's unique needs, wants, and goals within every therapeutic process. I prioritize customizing the therapeutic experience based on each person’s social, cultural, and familial history. I strive to demonstrate emotional attunement, compassion, and engagement with each client I meet with. I want to encourage clients to be an empowered member of their own change process."