allison.blessen@gmail.com

Deb is recognized as one of Boston’s leading clinicians in the areas of body image and eating disorder recovery. She has dedicated her 30-year career to helping people unpack their body’s story and the wisdom it has to offer. She brings authenticity, curiosity and compassion to her work and emphasizes the profound power that connection has in the healing process. She integrates playfulness and mindfulness into her workshops, individual and group work and is inspired by how unique the growth process is for each of us. She believes wholeheartedly that we all have the ability to find our inner alignment and has seen how her confidence in her clients translates into change. Blending together her East Coast sensibility and her West Coast spirit, Deb has developed a language and an approach that is accessible to all.

Deb runs multiple body image and recovery groups and is co-author of Body Image Inside Out: A Revolutionary Approach to Body Image Healing. Deb co-facilitates workshops with Whitney Otto in person and online through their Body Image Inside Out platform, @bodyimageinsideout.com.

Beyond her private practice, Deb trains therapists and other health professionals, sharing her paradigm-shifting perspectives on body image healing and eating disorder recovery. She offers consultation as well as body image trainings for clinicians.

I am a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) and a certified eating disorders specialist-supervisor (CEDS-S) with two decades of experience treating individuals and families with a wide range of diagnoses. I work with individuals who struggle with eating disorders, OCD., anxiety disorders, and trauma. I incorporate treatment modalities such as CBT, DBT, ERP and IFS. I am also the founder and owner of a group practice, Nourished Minds Counseling + Wellness.

I am licensed in Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.

I wholeheartedly believe in the power of connection to heal and my approach is direct, honest, and collaborative while offering a warm, non-judgmental space for my clients. I use anti-diet and HAES (Health At Every Size) principles and strongly believe in reinforcing self-compassion. I specialize in helping individuals struggling with eating disorders or disordered eating find meaningful behavioral change, improve their body image, and strengthen their sense of identity. I also have extensive experience working with trauma, anxiety, depression, and athletes struggling with disordered eating and/or exercise addiction. I am in the process of becoming an EMDR trained therapist.

Greetings!! I’ve been working in the field of disordered eating for almost 30 years and am constantly inspired by the work my clients are able to do to restore, recover and discover more fulfilling lives. I primarily use EMDR, IFS and mindfullness based skills to help my clients get to the source of pain and clear out old beliefs and behaviors that no longer serve. Together we will look at what’s not working and also what IS working in your life and make that part stronger!

Maria puts a new spin on therapeutic services; integrating holistic, spiritual and individualized approach to treatment. Maria is passionate about helping her client’s access and strengthen their intuition, limit anxiety, depression and stress, hone into their internal intelligence and use more of their potential to overcome challenges related to addiction, trauma, eating disorders and relationships. Through changing the beliefs that inhibit the desired outcome, Maria can assist her clients in changing the reactionary patterns which influence the way one experiences reality-changing limiting patterns into empowering patterns. Maria may also integrate yoga into her therapy as a means to enhance the mind-body connection.

Therapy is a space for reflection, healing, and growth—and choosing the right therapist is the first step. With 20 years of experience, I bring a warm, engaged, and collaborative approach to my work. I believe that a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship can help people heal, grow, and build more connected, fulfilling lives. I’m an active and compassionate presence in the therapy room, and I tailor my approach to each person’s unique needs using a blend of psychodynamic, Internal Family Systems (IFS), behavioral, mind-body, and relational frameworks.

I specialize in treating eating disorders and body image concerns, anxiety & ocd, depression, trauma, family and relationship issues, parenting challenges, and life transitions. I work with college students, adults, couples, and families. In addition to my clinical work, I provide consultation and supervision for fellow clinicians.

My office is conveniently located in Brookline on Beacon Street, across from the Hawes T-stop and near several major universities and hospitals. I currently offer both in-person and virtual sessions. If you’re interested in working together, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to connect!



I provide individual therapy for adults (18+) struggling with eating disorders, anxiety disorders, depression, complex trauma and personality disorders. I also work with people wanting to address body image concerns, life transitions, immigration/acculturation and relationship issues. I’m interested in the exploration of co-occurring psychological presentations. People usually can experience issues with body image and eating disorders while experiencing trauma symptoms, depression or anxiety. In my work with my clients I help them to address and pay attention to their behaviors and the thoughts and feelings that are contributing to the development of their symptoms. I help my clients to gain more awareness and gain agency to manage their feelings in order to achieve their goals.
I offer in person and virtual therapy sessions for clients residing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Virtual sessions will be conducted via a HIPAA compliant, secure software platform.
I also run Virtual DBT groups during the fall and spring. Check my website for more information.