Brittany Sterling, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) is a clinical psychologist specializing in therapy with adults and teenagers and her approach is down-to-earth, skilled and kind; she puts her clients at ease with her competence, and by allowing room for humor and relatability in therapy. Her areas of expertise include neuropsychological and psychological assessment, psychodynamic therapy, and targeted interventions such as applied behavior analysis (ABA), cognitive behavioral techniques and cognitive restructuring for PTSD. Her compelling career of service has focused on working with LGBTQIA+ and deaf communities, members of the military, individuals with academic difficulties, trauma, ADHD and mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

“Therapy is often regarded as painful and exclusively reserved for those in acute distress. But therapy is also a space to reflect on our lives, our goals and even our strengths. It’s an opportunity to be seen and heard, to feel valued and cared for and to form genuine connections for working through whatever might be holding us back. It reveals power where we thought we had none. It teaches us how to stop avoiding thoughts and feelings we may not even realize we hide from. Therapy is a way to flip the script and rewrite our future.”

Dr. Sterling holds a Ph.D. from Gallaudet University, a graduate school immersed in a language (American Sign Language), and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School through the Cambridge Health Alliance Program for Psychotherapy (PFP) and the Neuropsychological and Psychological Assessment Service (NAPA), where she provided outpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy for adults with a range of diagnoses, many with multiple stressors in addition to a trauma history.

A strong Doctor/Client relationship is foundational to Dr. Sterling’s work. She believes that it is through the development of a safe, accepting bond (one where authenticity, humor and curiosity can grow) that individual transformation becomes possible.

Caterina Hill (she/her/hers) is a mature clinician who specializes in working with adolescents, couples, and adults using an integrative approach to therapy that is rooted in neuroscience, attachment theory, and a trauma lens. She believes that therapy is not just about reducing symptoms; good therapy is a transformational process that helps you thrive in your personal and professional life and brings you closer towards living your best life.

She has a nonjudgmental and grounded presence and she connects with her clients in a genuine person-to-person way. “The foundation of my work with clients is our respectful and warm therapeutic relationship,” Caterina says. “Whether it’s working on grieving losses, identifying your life goals or navigating life transitions — I find it a privilege to be part of your life.” She is particularly adept at helping clients get more in touch with their emotions and how they are holding their stress physically. “Stress and trauma are physical processes and it is exciting how modern therapy gives us the skills to learn how to heal and manage our emotions.”

Caterina is a mid-career changer and she brings this life experience to her clinical work. Prior to training as a therapist, Caterina was part-time faculty at Harvard Medical School’s Global Health and Social Medicine Department for ten years and worked for various organizations addressing the social determinants of health here in the US as well as in South Africa and the UK. She is dedicated to providing inclusive and affirming therapy.

Caterina received her Master of Social Work degree from Boston College with a certificate in trauma. She trained at Cambridge Health Alliance’s Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Department and MIT’s sexual and domestic violence advocacy program and completed a fellowship at Boston Behavioral Medicine. She also holds degrees from Cambridge University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK.

Adeline Dettor is adept in helping couples, twenty-somethings, and working professionals become “unstuck” from painful emotions and ineffective ways of relating to themselves and others. Her expertise with grief, anxiety, depression, and trauma are accompanied by an approach to therapy that creates space for curiosity and for seemingly small and inconsequential observations to grow into life-altering insights.

She uses analytical, emotional, and somatic therapies to foster personal transformation within a welcoming atmosphere for dialogue with clients. Adeline models self-compassion, saying, “Therapy is a boundaried space wherein healing occurs by decreasing shame, increasing cognitive flexibility and emotional agility, and improving relationships.”

Individuals and couples will be guided through a process of understanding and improving relationships (independently and in couples therapy) and focusing on intrapsychic processes and psychological symptoms (anxiety, experiences of stress, obsessive or compulsive behavior, etc).

Adeline is skilled in mental health assessment and deftly connects knowledge of the interchange of what is happening within an individual and what is happening in their relationships as well as their larger social context. Her capacity to think systemically and readily move from one level of information to the next aids the efficacy of her work.

Addy received her Master of Social Work with a Mental Health Concentration and certification in Trauma from Boston College, afterwards completing a two-year advanced clinical fellowship in psychodynamic therapy through the Psychotherapy Institute of the Back Bay. She also completed a two-year couples therapy certification program through the Psychodynamic Couples and Family Institute of New England, and a year-long certification in understanding and treating complex trauma from The Trauma Institute. She has held positions at Fenway Health, The Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, and the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, and has served as a junior editor and co-facilitated research and teaching in the fields of psychology and critical philosophy.

Sarah Mitchell is a clinical social worker who specializes in therapy with women and teens. She has considerable experience in family systems approaches and is gifted in helping adolescents to demystify and better cope with strong emotions. She has an enjoyable approach to therapy and is committed to providing clients the skills and encouragement needed to successfully navigate life’s storms.

“Therapy can be hard work, but it can also be fun work. And if our goal is to get to a place in life where our relationships, our self-care and our outlook are all improved, that adds up to a significantly more enjoyable life. In my experience, the therapeutic environment is a reflection of that vision for a fulfilling, enjoyable life.”

Sarah is passionate about helping clients discover their hidden strengths and her style is warm, engaging and expressive. She is particularly adept at helping clients gain clarity and creates a nurturing environment in which it is possible to maintain levity even when discussing the most painful of topics or situations.

Sarah adds, “The thoughts in our heads – both positive and negative – influence us, outside of our own awareness. We are in a conversation with ourselves all day long, and when we become more aware of how we talk to ourselves, it gives us the chance to become gentler with ourselves and more compassionate toward others. By changing the internal dialogue, we are empowered to make healthier choices and to live with greater clarity and fulfillment.”

Her approach is similar to thinkers like Brené Brown and Carl Rogers, who understand the power of vulnerability and the need for unconditional positive regard. These core principles have governed her work with clients for over two decades; she has worked with children, teens, and adults in school, wilderness, and private practice settings, and has taught the next generation of therapists as a Masters-level social work professor.

Kristina Harter is a psychologist with over 20,000 clinical hours and a longstanding expertise in treating anxiety and shame. Her career has been dedicated to bringing depth to therapeutic work and helping clients learn the skills needed to take immediate, actionable steps toward making life changes. This mix is the cornerstone of 1A Wellness’ approach.

She graduated phi beta kappa with highest honors in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) and received her doctorate in clinical psychology from UNC-CH under Dr. Frank Floyd (in the lineage of Dr. John Gottman). There, she specialized in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) research, focusing on the immediate process of communication as a means of improving relationships.

After completing a post-doctoral fellowship in psychodynamic psychotherapy through the Program for Psychotherapy (Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Hospital), she spent two years running the couples portion of “The Harvard Study of Adult Development” through Harvard Medical School/Brigham & Women’s Hospital, before transitioning to private practice to work with adolescents, adults and couples, during which time she pursued additional training in Internal Family Systems (IFS).

In 2019, Dr. Harter launched 1A Wellness to serve more people and to create a collaborative community of like-minded clinicians who can excel in the essential and sustaining work of therapy. She is a principle-based leader and the visionary for 1A Wellness and believes that “good therapy can change the world.”
Kristina is a social scientist whose scholarly work focuses on how small shifts can lead to transformational change, and is also a writer who has documented her own relational experiences for over a decade. She serves as a supervisor, consultant, and IFS coach and conducts short-term therapy and intensives for 1A Wellness.
Originally from South, she is now solidly a New Englander; before the pandemic hit, she was often newly surprised when she returned to her native home and total strangers would say hello on the street.