Meet Our Interns

We believe therapy should be accessible to all.

Trusted & loved by our patients

Reduced Fee Services

Are you looking for an affordable counseling option?

Maybe you have a high deductible, you’re in between jobs or you don’t have insurance. We believe therapy should be accessible to all! As an internship training site, we offer low cost, self-pay services with our master’s level interns. Our interns are highly skilled and supervised by fully-licensed clinicians. You’ll find them motivated, engaging and great to work with! Meet our interns below!

Free 10–15 Minute Consults Available

Meet Our Interns

You can still receive excellent therapy services with a master’s level intern for a reduced fee of $25-$35 per session. Offering individual and couples therapy when available.

Erin Sawyer

At times life can feel overwhelming, heavy, or disconnected. Many people seek therapy when they feel stuck or uncertain about their direction. I offer a supportive space to slow down, find meaning, and explore your experiences with curiosity and care.

I work with adolescents (15+) and adults across different stages of life who are navigating self-discovery, life transitions, anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, and relational challenges. I’m especially interested in supporting clients who feel out of alignment with themselves or others and who are seeking greater meaning, balance, and self-understanding.

My therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, and person-centered. I draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and somatic awareness practices to help clients better understand their internal experiences, improve communication, and build healthier relationships.

Outside of the therapy room I bring a wide range of life experiences to my work. I am a Mainer with a deep appreciation for animals and spending time in the natural world. My background includes independent landscape gardening, teaching abroad, extensive travel, and supporting youth and adults in community based settings. I value creative pursuits, movement practices, outdoor activities, and hands-on learning including self guided home renovation projects. These experiences shape my holistic view of healing and growth.

Ready to get started? Please contact us or email Erin.

Erin Sawyer

Available mid-January 2026.

Renée Bacher

There’s so much in life we can’t control, but there are tools to help us respond in ways that can bring us peace.

In my practice, I aim to create a warm, supportive space for Mainers ages 18+, including LGBTQ+ folks, people of color, and elders. I work with individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, procrastination, creative blocks, trauma and phobias. I also work with couples on communication skills to deepen their friendship and love.

Has a traumatic event impacted your life? I’m trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), a short-term trauma therapy used successfully with veterans, first-responders, and healthcare workers. ART grew out of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and helps some in as few as 1-5 sessions.

Struggling with a big decision? I’m also trained in Motivational Interviewing, which can help people decide what they want most.

After a career as a freelance writer, I decided what I wanted most was graduate school in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Southern Maine, where I am in my last year. I’ve also spent more than three decades as a wife and mom, so I understand partnership and parenthood first-hand. For fun, I foster shelter dogs.

Ready to get started? Please contact us or email Renée.

Renée Bacher

Available mid-January 2026.

Edie Forbes

Thank you for opening my profile. If you are searching for a counselor, then you may be experiencing a conflict in your relationships, perhaps a conflict with yourself, or facing a transition. Everyone can benefit from counseling. My goal is to offer an environment where you can ask questions, speak freely, and take time to reflect on your life, what is going right, and what you hope to improve.

The past needs to be examined so we can move forward. We don’t have to rehash every detail from your childhood, but sometimes we get stuck in patterns, maladaptive patterns that stem from our earliest experiences. The famous Socrates quote, “An unexamined life is not worth living,” deeply resonates with me. Let’s explore your unique perspective, how you view the world and why, what gives your life meaning, and how you can create the most authentic, joyous life possible.

I work with adults 18 years and older as well as couples. All relationship configurations are welcome, whether romantic or not.

A bit about me: although not officially a “Mainer,” I have lived here for over thirty years. My professional background includes over twenty years in social services and public health, where I worked with clients experiencing addiction, chronic mental illness, homelessness, and HIV/AIDS. I am a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ communities. When I’m not working, I’m usually in the ocean, swimming, paddling, or boating, walking my dog, or watching a film.

I’m currently accepting clients for in-person or telehealth appointments. Please reach out and we can discuss if we’re a good fit.

Ready to get started? Please contact us or email Edie.

Edie Forbes

Available mid-January 2026.

Gabriel Thompson

I approach therapy through a relational psychoanalytic lens, with a strong emphasis on what unfolds between us in the room. The therapeutic relationship itself often mirrors how we relate to ourselves and to others in our lives. By paying close attention to these moments—patterns of closeness, distance, conflict, or care—we can gain meaningful insight into long-standing ways of being that may no longer serve you.

This approach can be particularly helpful for people who find themselves repeating the same patterns despite painful or unwanted consequences, or who notice feeling unexpectedly reactive, stuck, or “out of character” in certain relationships. When impulses feel hard to control—whether in relation to other people, substances, or oneself—and when life begins to feel increasingly unmanageable despite genuine effort, having a safe, confidential space to explore these experiences can be deeply stabilizing and, at times, life‑saving.

Because our earliest relationships begin even before birth, a relational framework can be applied across all stages of life. I work primarily with individual adolescents and adults, as well as with couples. I believe that seeking therapy is an act of courage, and that choosing to begin this work marks the beginning of a potentially transformative process. My goal is to offer a thoughtful, attuned, and collaborative space where meaningful change can emerge over time.

I am available in person or through telehealth.

Ready to get started? Please contact us or email Gabriel.

Gabriel Thompson

Available mid-January 2026.

Joe Arel

Now accepting new clients.

Hello! My name is Joe, and I am currently finishing up my graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Southern Maine.

I provide psychotherapy to adolescents, couples, and adults, aiming to foster a safe and non-judgmental environment. Therapy is a collaborative process that can help us to overcome blocks, process challenging emotional experiences, and find new ways of relating to ourselves and others in the service of a flourishing life. We all deserve the opportunity to live healthier and more meaningful lives.

I come to psychotherapy after working as a philosophy professor for over a decade, teaching a variety of courses on topics like existentialism, philosophy of art, and ethics.

As a result of my background, I come to therapy from an existential-humanistic approach that is rooted in a philosophical understanding of and sincere appreciation for basic concerns that motivate us all as people. Additionally, I draw from a number of approaches, including a psychodynamic understanding of the person, a focus on the significance of family (and other) systems, as well as emotionally-focused approaches to therapy.

Ready to get started? Please contact us or email Joe.

Joe Arel

Not accepting new clients.

Alexandra Hood

Now accepting couples for couple’s therapy!

Hello! My name is Alexandra, and I am a counseling intern studying clinical mental health with an area of expertise in family systems through the University of Southern Maine’s Counselor Education program. I am currently offering couple’s therapy.

I believe in meeting couples where they are at with compassion, and I offer a safe space to feel seen and heard. I hope to help couples strengthen their relationship, feel increased connection, develop security, and deepen emotional intimacy. In my work with couples, I focus on providing thoughtful treatment using modalities such as Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT). I am intentional in adapting my chosen modalities and interventions to the needs of my clients. My style is collaborative, curious, supportive, authentic, and non-judgmental. I welcome couples of all backgrounds and beliefs.

My clinical work is often informed by person-centered and systemic approaches, and I integrate a strengths-based and trauma-informed focus. I am interested in attachment, life transitions, and codependency. I believe that our individual relationships, behavior patterns, and life choices are interconnected, and that better understanding the systems we live within can make room for empowered action.

When I am not counseling, I enjoy quiet moments in nature, long walks, a great cup of coffee, puzzles, cooking, and spending quality time with my partner and our dog, Piper.

Ready to get started? Please contact us or email Alexandra.

Alexandra Hood

Available now until August 2023.