Dr. Nancy Kenyon Richardson, LCMHC

Dr. Nancy Kenyon Richardson, known professionally as Dr. Nancy, brings a research-informed and compassionate approach to helping people recover from trauma, addiction, and other mental health struggles. She holds a master’s degree in psychology with a concentration in counseling and a Ph.D. in psychology focused on addiction research. Her doctoral work examined recovery after medication-assisted treatment and contributed to an emerging theory about how MAT can support long-term opioid recovery even when medication is ultimately discontinued.

She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and also holds a license as a substance use counselor; these credentials reflect formal training and clinical experience in treating mental health and addiction concerns. In addition, she has earned certifications in EMDR therapy and in approaches developed by Dr. John Gottman for working with couples and children. Her clinical practice blends evidence-based methods, drawing on trauma-focused therapies and interventions that address both symptoms and the underlying patterns that maintain them.

Dr. Nancy often incorporates psychoeducation about brain science and trauma to help people make sense of why certain behaviors persist and why past events continue to affect daily life. She has substantial experience helping individuals identify the "hooks" from their histories that keep them stuck and supports clients in developing practical strategies to move forward. She is known for a direct and grounded style and sometimes jokes that if the same issues are being worked on five years later, clients should find a new therapist.

Originally from a Portuguese immigrant community in Rhode Island, she has lived in Vermont for nearly three decades. Her commitment to survivors of intimate partner violence was recognized in 2012 when she received the Victim Activist of the Year Award. Outside of work she and her family enjoy travel—she has visited 49 of the 50 states—and are navigating the transition toward an empty nest as their youngest children become teenagers. Dr. Nancy describes it as a privilege to support people through healing and recovery and to be part of their journeys forward.