Meet Our Interns
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!
Meet Our Interns
Kelsie Gagnon
Not accepting new clients.
Hello! My name is Kelsie, and I am a counseling intern studying Clinical Mental Health at the University of Southern Maine.
Thank you for reading my profile. The decision to begin - or resume - therapy services is a decision to invest in yourself, and I appreciate you taking the time to be here.
My approach to counseling aims to be holistic and blends together elements of Person-Centered, Emotion Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Polyvagal theory and Somatic therapies also influence my work with clients. Despite the “technical terms,” at the core of it all is an accepting, empathetic, and nonjudgmental relationship which we will build together. As a former elementary school teacher, I am passionate about creating and fostering relationships that encourage development and growth through humor, openness, and curiosity.
My interests include both couples and individual work focused on attachment and relationship distress, life transitions, self-esteem, as well as the common stress and anxiety that accompany everyday life. No matter the reason you seek out therapy, in session we will create a space where you are free to safely explore and express yourself in order to reach your goals.
When I am not in session with clients, I love to spend time at the beach, watch movies, do puzzles, read mystery novels, and hunt down the best chocolate chip cookie around.
I am currently accepting clients 18 years of age or older, including couples. I am available via telehealth. I look forward to hearing from you.
Ready to get started? Please contact us or email Kelsie.
Available now until Fall 2023.
Abby Szotkowski
Now accepting new clients, both individuals and couples!
Hello! My name is Abby, and I’m glad you’re here. I truly believe that there is no greater investment than the one you make in yourself. I know starting therapy with someone new can be scary, but I’m here to support you in your journey toward change, healing, and growth. I admire your courage in taking this first step.
My goal as a counselor in training is to provide you with a safe and trusting environment where meaningful change can occur. Our time together is about you, your needs, and your goals. I look forward to getting to know the unique story of your life, and what brought you here. I take a collaborative and holistic approach to counseling, which means I will work alongside you, and will consider your physical, psychological, environmental, social, and spiritual needs. I use a strengths-based approach to uncover the resources and resiliency already present within you, as well as cognitive-behavioral, motivational interviewing and emotion focused techniques. I will also take into consideration your family background and relationships as part of my interest in couples work and family systems. Ultimately, my goal is to support you in meeting your wellness and healing goals.
My training in the Counselor Education program at USM has focused on providing individual and group mental health counseling for adults of all ages. I have also taken classes pertaining to work with children as well as family systems. My undergraduate degree is in psychology from the University of Maine at Orono. While I work with clients presenting a variety of concerns, my areas of interest include couples and individual work focused on common stress and anxiety that manifest in everyday life, especially during times of transition. I am also interested in women’s issues, self-esteem, and the incorporation of mindfulness.
In my free time I enjoy going for walks in nature and surrounding myself with the peace and wonder it provides. I love to travel and explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things. I adore plants and animals of all varieties and am continuously working on my green thumb. I also enjoy yoga, puzzles, reading/audiobooks, and listening to true crime podcasts.
I am currently accepting clients ranging from the teenage years through older adulthood, including couples. I am available via telehealth.. I look forward to hearing from you.
Ready to get started? Please contact us or email Abby.
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.
Available now until August 2023.
