Healing for Overfunctioning, Anxiously Attached Women Navigating Life's Biggest Transitions

Somatic EMDR, ACT, & Perinatal Mental Health Therapy in Norwood and Virtually Across MA, RI, & OR

I’m Nicole, a licensed therapist providing in-person sessions in Norwood, MA (one day per week) and virtual therapy across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Oregon.

I specialize in supporting high-achieving women, professionals, and mothers who are tired of feeling burnt out, chronically anxious, and ready to feel more deeply connected to themselves.

My clients are often excellent at "doing it all." But internally, they are struggling with the heavy weight of people-pleasing, fixing, and carrying everyone else’s expectations. Whether you are navigating dating anxiety, a painful breakup, a divorce, or the massive identity shift of becoming a mom (matrescence), I’m here to help. Together, we will work to move you away from over-functioning and self-abandonment, so you can feel solid, securely attached, and grounded in who you are.

WHAT GOT ME HERE

Early in my career, I worked with children and families across school, outpatient, and inpatient settings. I saw firsthand how our earliest relationship patterns shape the ways we navigate adulthood, dating, and family life. I learned that when women, mothers, and helping professionals are given the protected space to do their own healing, it creates a powerful ripple effect across their entire lives.

As a therapist with a specialized Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMHC), I am deeply passionate about maternal mental health—but my door is equally open to women at any stage of life. Whether you are reinventing yourself after a relationship ends or trying to find your footing in a demanding career, I don’t believe it’s ever too early or too late to begin this journey.

MY APPROACH & BACKGROUND

My approach is trauma-informed, collaborative, and compassionate. By integrating Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR (S.A.F.E.) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we focus on both the mind and the nervous system. Therapy with me often includes:

  • Understanding Survival Mechanisms: Building awareness of how overfunctioning, perfectionism, and anxious attachment were once skills that kept you safe and connected.

  • Reprocessing Relational Trauma: Untangling learned patterns from childhood or past relationships so they stop driving your present-day reactions.

  • Somatic Regulation: Learning body-based interventions to calm your nervous system and increase self-connection.

  • Sustainable Boundaries: Learning to set firm limits in your relationships and career, and navigating the guilt that often follows.

  • Navigating Life Transitions: Processing the grief, anxiety, and growth that come with dating, breakups, or entering parenthood.

  • Values-Based Living: Defining what you actually want in this season of life, completely independent of the roles you play for everyone else.

PERSONAL:

Before returning to my home state of Massachusetts, I lived and traveled across the U.S. and Mexico. Outside of therapy, I can often be found hiking with my family or drinking coffee at the local bookstore.

Nicole Smith, LMHC, LPC, PMH-C, licensed therapist specializing in somatic and attachment-focused EMDR for anxiously attached women in MA, RI, and OR

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I am a licensed mental health counselor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and a licensed professional counselor in Oregon. My core credentials and specialized trainings include:

    • Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMHC) through Postpartum Support International, specializing in maternal transitions, postpartum anxiety, and matrescence.

    • Trained in Somatic & Attachment-Focused EMDR (S.A.F.E.)

    • When Survivors Give Birth Foundational & Advanced Clinical Skills Training

    • Trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    • In-person practice in Norwood, MA, and virtual telehealth practice across MA, RI, & OR.

  • Unlike traditional talk therapy or standard EMDR, Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR (S.A.F.E.) more intentionally targets the mind/body connection. It helps overfunctioning women process relational wounds, people-pleasing patterns, and childhood or relationship trauma at a nervous system level. If you intellectually understand your anxiety but still feel physically triggered or like you’re on autopilot, this approach untangles those loops so you can feel truly grounded.

  • No, I do not only see parents. While much of my training is focused on maternal mental health, my practice is designed for any high-achieving, overfunctioning woman moving through a major life shift. I frequently work with professionals processing burnout, women navigating dating anxiety or a painful breakup, and individuals rebuilding their lives during or after a divorce.

  • I offer a hybrid practice model:

    • In-Person Therapy: Available Fridays at my office in Norwood, Massachusetts (conveniently serving Eastern MA).

    • Virtual Telehealth: Available via a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform for anyone living anywhere in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Oregon.

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