Rachel McGowan, LICSW

Rachel McGowan is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) based in Massachusetts with 11 years of clinical experience working in schools, outpatient settings, and residential programs. She has supported people across a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, social skills challenges, Autism Spectrum Disorders, OCD, and ADHD, and she spent four years working in a residential setting with individuals who experienced physical, sexual, and emotional trauma.

Her primary clinical interests center on children and adolescents, where she focuses on helping young people identify triggers, build and practice coping strategies, integrate mindfulness into daily routines, strengthen self-esteem and confidence, and expand communication skills. She approaches care with warmth and interaction, combining client-centered methods with evidence-based techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness therapy, motivational interviewing, solution-focused therapy, and trauma-focused therapy to tailor treatment to each person’s needs.

Rachel emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion while avoiding stigmatizing labels, and she views the therapeutic relationship as the cornerstone of effective work. Treatment planning is collaborative, with goals shaped by the individual or family and adjusted over time. She also has a certified therapy dog, Bauer, a 2-year-old Goldendoodle, who has served as a co-clinician and helped people feel more at ease during sessions.

Her clinical experience extends to a variety of specialty and focus areas, including stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, LGBT concerns, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, eating concerns, parenting support, anger, self-esteem, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, attachment issues, autism and Asperger syndrome, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD), mood disorders, panic disorder and panic attacks, post-traumatic stress, and social anxiety and phobia.