Petra McCarthy

I thought about listing all my education, training and clinical experience here but I don’t think that’s what you are truly interested in. I believe you want to know whether I would be a good person to work with, whether I can really understand what you are going through, whether you will feel safe talking to me, whether I know what I am doing, whether I am the right match for what you are seeking in therapy. All of those questions and concerns are absolutely valid and I know I was asking myself the same things before I started my own therapy many years ago.

So maybe I will tell you a little bit about what it may be like working with me.
I am a very active therapist who will get in the weeds with you. I will want to get to know you – who you are as a person, what is going really well in your life, what is missing, what you feel you would like to explore more or change, what your goals and dreams are and the obstacles that have prevented you from creating the kind of fulfilling life you deserve. I use humor often and we laugh a lot in my sessions. I aim to be authentic and honest while creating a warm and non-judgmental space for us to work in. I will be invested in your success and transformation – I get tremendous joy out of supporting my clients through their process of self-discovery and change. I will also challenge you to look at things that may make you feel uncomfortable and hold you accountable to achieving the goals we set up together.

My specialties include anxiety, adjusting to college and stress related to academics or relationships, perfectionism, eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder) and disordered eating (including emotional eating, chronic dieting, excessive exercise, body image issues, binge eating, etc.).

I want you to know that I am passionate about what I do and believe that therapy can truly be a transformative experience. Please reach out for a free 15-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit. I am excited to get to know you and work together to create lasting change in your life.