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.

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.

Erica Munro

Hello! My name is Erica and I am a practicum student studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Antioch University.

I wholeheartedly believe that our most important relationship in life is the one we have with ourselves, and thus my goal in counseling is to support you on your journey of self-exploration, healing, and growth. It is important to me that while working together you feel truly heard, validated, and supported.

A bit about my background: I am bi-cultural Franco-American, and grew up in South Florida. I received my undergraduate degree from UCF (University of Central Florida) in psychology, and then moved to rural Japan for a few years to teach English. After my time in Japan I moved to Scotland, and received a Master’s in Science in Counseling Studies at the University of Edinburgh. My dissertation was on the impact of person centered theory on women’s healthcare, and how without empathy, non-judgment, and congruence from our physicians it leaves us feeling unheard. I then worked for Scottish Women’s Aid for a number of years at Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Crisis Helpline. I finally returned to the United States in 2019 and have been working in the mental health tech startup world since, as a care navigator, provider specialist, and clinical educator. In my current program of study I have taken a focus on trauma and LGBTQ+/Trans inclusion and am pursuing certificates in both subjects.

I currently work with individuals (18+) and groups predominantly, though I hope to start working with couples as well sometime in mid to late 2024. My areas of specialization are particularly around anxiety, depression, ADHD, domestic abuse/violence, trauma, LGBTQ+ support/exploration, experiences of marginalization, life transitions (such as quarter/mid life crisis), career exploration, culture shock, relationship issues, sexual issues, women’s health, and more.

In my free time I love to travel to new places, read, watch movies and shows, make quirky cross stitches for friends, and hangout with my cat.

I speak French, but am not up to date on relevant vocabulary for counseling, and so can offer sessions in a mixture of French/English if needed.

I am available in person or through tele-health.

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

Erica Munro

Not accepting new clients.

Gretchen Reynolds

Now accepting new clients, both individuals and couples!

Hi, my name is Gretchen and I’m excited to follow alongside you with your journey in counseling. I know how daunting the process can be and taking the first step is a step closer to reaching a new level of comfort and peace within yourself. I am currently in my last chapter of graduate school at University of Southern Maine studying Clinical Mental Health and Family Systems. I work with individuals and couples and am a big believer in everyone has their own story to tell and life experiences to share. My goal is to be with you and share the space in an

authentic, genuine and non-judgmental way, allowing the natural process of awareness to unfold in our sessions and providing tools and coping skills that aid in healing.

My areas of interest and focus are psychotherapeutic in nature with Emotion-focused techniques, person-centered therapy as well as some work in somatic body awareness to help

identify physical symptoms and body sensations that help with symptom relief, working through areas of being stuck and stagnated grief. I also practice the Rogerian approach of utilizing unconditional positive regard, honesty with the client to help you discover your own strengths and how resilience and purpose continue to nourish our path in emotional growth.

My previous experience in working in the school system as a behavioral health professional with children and young adults led me to this passion I hold for working with young adults and their continued levels of development in their life. This experience and previous work is grounding in my relation to better understanding their evolving mature growth and discovery of themselves and their future.

When I am away from engaging with clients I love to be outdoors; at the beach (lake or ocean), biking through the woods, walking my dog, exploring the coast of Maine, reading nonfiction and quality time spent with my family and friends.

I am excited and open to meeting you and would love to connect. I can see you in person or telehealth. Please feel free to reach out!

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

Gretchen Reynolds

Not accepting new clients.

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.