Deborah Berkman, PhD, MAT

Deborah received her Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst in 1991. Previous to that, she earned her Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) from the University of Iowa. Deborah taught at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA for 17 years, where she also developed and directed the Writing Center. The Writing Center's mission to address writing blocks and other forms of academic performance anxiety led Deborah to her Ph.D. specialization in psychotherapy with college students. She then worked at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst in their Mental Health Services. Throughout her tenure at UMASS, she was fortunate to work with young adults, older returning students, graduate students, and their families. She also provided clinical supervision to a wide variety of the UMASS mental health staff. After 27 years at UMASS, Deborah retired in order to focus solely on her private practice. Her private practice has enabled her to expand into more long term work with both young adults and older adults, and to continue providing clinical supervision.

Deborah works from a psychodynamic frame to help her clients work through internal obstacles preventing them from achieving change and growth. She helps her clients identify patterns from their past which were once adaptive, but no longer serve them. Deborah believes that the relationship between the client and therapist is an essential element of psychotherapy. While insight-oriented, psychodynamic therapy is the heart of her work, Deborah also incorporates her training in both cognitive-behavioral therapy and an internal family systems approach. 

Deborah provides individual and group supervision for Psychotherapy for Insight & Change.