Mat Barbosa(He/Him/His)
Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC
Massachusetts•Connecticut•Rhode Island
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)-Phobias & fears-Panic attacks / panic disorder- Anxiety -Chronic pain- Trauma-
Mat Barbosa
Vetted
(He/Him/His)
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Professional statement
Mat is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with the private practice providing telehealth individual therapy throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Mat's clients range in the issues they are struggling with but all have at least one thing in common: they are all human beings. Part of being human is to experience thoughts and emotions. Sometimes this can be overwhelming and this is likely why you are searching on this website now.
Mat’s therapeutic approach is a behavior therapy (like CBT) called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) although he uses ideas from other therapies based on what the individual needs. In ACT, an aim in therapy is to help you with getting your life going in the direction you want it to be going while also helping you to better handle the obstacles along the way. This is done through a goal-oriented, mindfulness based approach tied to YOUR values, not anyone else's.
OCD, phobias, and anxiety are Mat’s specialties. He has training in exposure and response prevention (ERP) which is the gold standard for treatment for OCD and phobias and can also be used for trauma work. It does require hard work, commitment, and stepping out of your comfort zone. In doing ERP from an ACT approach, Mat will work with you on this and move at your pace. While he enjoys working with these specialities, Mat enjoys helping anyone dissatisfied with how mental health is impacting their lives.
While he is trained in ERP to help with OCD and anxiety, Mat also has experience and enjoys helping those with a variety of issues ranging including gender and social justice issues, depression, anger management, addiction, trauma, and chronic pain.
Work and Education
Years of Experience: 12 years
Learning to Bend Counseling Services, Mental Health Counselor, 2021 - Present
Private practice (not my own practice), Mental Health Counselor, 2017 - 2021
Child and Family Services, Lead clinician on crisis unit, 2016 - 2017
Child and Family Services, Emergency Services/Crisis Clinician, 2015 - 2016
Northwest Human Services (Oregon), Mental Health Counselor, 2014 - 2015
Community mental health, Mental Health Counselor Intern, 2013 - 2014
Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital, Mental Health Worker, 2010 - 2014
Child and Family Services Crisis Unit, Mental Health Worker , 2009 - 2010
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MA - Clinical Psychcology, 2014
Licensure
Massachusetts: 10150 - Rhode Island: MHC01946 - Connecticut: 9415Languages
EnglishSpecialties
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) - Through exposure you will learn that you can still do the things you want to do/live the life you want to live even though there will still be some anxiety along for the ride. The anxiety does not need to disappear for you to move forward. By staying in contact with the anxiety (through exposure) and not engaging in safety behaviors (compulsions), your confidence in your ability to handle the anxiety and discomfort is going to gradually grow.
Phobias & fears - Providing techniques and support to overcome intense fear, anxiety, and panic related to specific triggers, such as heights or crowded spaces. Description of treatment under OCD applies here as well.
Panic attacks / panic disorder - Brief, intense periods of overwhelming fear or anxiety. Description of treatment under OCD applies here as well.
Anxiety - Coping with excessive worry, nervousness, or stress; intense discomfort in social settings (social anxiety); sudden and intense feelings of panic (panic disorder)
Chronic pain - Managing the biological, psychological, and emotional aspects of pain. My role as your therapist is not part of your medical team but, rather, is to help you change your relationship with pain to reduce and even eliminate the secondary suffering which is often common with chronic pain.
Trauma - Exposure therapy is an effective approach in trauma work. Through exposure you will learn that you can still do the things you want to do/live the life you want to live even though there will still be some anxiety along for the ride. The anxiety does not need to disappear for you to move forward. By staying in contact with the anxiety (through exposure) and not engaging in safety behaviors (e.g. avoidance), your confidence in your ability to handle the discomfort is going to gradually improve.
General expertise
Treatment approaches
Clientele
- Adults (24+)
- Teenagers (13-18)
- Young adults (18-24)
Locations & Hours
Insurance
- AllWays Health Partners (formerly Neighborhood Health)
- Berklee College of Music Student Health Insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA HMO
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA PPO
- Harvard Pilgrim
- Harvard Student Health Insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO)
- Health Plans Inc.
- Lesley University Student Health Insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO)
- MIT Student and Affiliate Extended Insurance Plan (Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO)
- Mass General Brigham
- Northeastern University Student Health Insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO)
- Optum
- Tufts Health Plan
- UMR
- United Healthcare
- United Healthcare Shared Services
- United Healthcare Student Health Plan
- UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicaid
Mat Barbosa is accepting clients using listed insurances, paying listed fees, or using health insurance out-of-network benefits other than:
- Tufts Health Plan (Commercial Plans, not via Mass Health or Navigator)
Out-of-pocket fees
- Individual sessions:$150 (53min)
Additional session information
Payment options
- Credit Card
Session frequency
Frequency of sessions this provider offers to see clients once you are an established client.
- Weekly
- Every other week
Client testimonials
"very understanding and a good listener!"
- Zencare client • April 2024"I think Mat is great and I look forward to working with him!"
- Zencare client • May 2024Reach out to Connect
Small steps make a big difference. Start by connecting with Mat Barbosa today.