At a glance
- Credentials
- LMHC
- License
- LMHC, Massachusetts / LMHC10000659
- NPI
- 1669241642
- Experience
- 14 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Massachusetts
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
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- Motivational focus
- Practical tools
- Addiction support
About Lynda
Lynda Harkins is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 14 years of experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, addiction, and relationship concerns. She focuses on practical, collaborative work that helps clients make steady changes in everyday life. Her style is direct and caring, with an emphasis on clear goals and small steps that add up over time.
Her approach blends Motivational Interviewing with cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness practices. She uses these methods to help people build motivation, change unhelpful thinking patterns, and develop calm, present-moment skills. Narrative therapy is also part of her toolbox, inviting clients to reframe personal stories and discover new ways of understanding themselves.
Lynda has spent years supporting people facing substance use and process addictions, including gambling, exercise, and pornography-related problems. She also works with panic, mood disorders, social anxiety, and the emotional fallout from abandonment or isolation. She helps with intimacy issues, self-esteem struggles, guilt and shame, and challenges around communication and impulsivity.
In sessions she incorporates experiential tools such as writing and role play when useful, and she frames therapy as a partnership. Clients set the pace and goals, and she offers techniques to practice between meetings. Lynda practices in Massachusetts and conducts therapy sessions in English.
To begin, use the platform's Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability. The subscription used for sessions can be canceled at any time.
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How her approaches translate to online therapy
Motivational Interviewing helps people find their own reasons to change by focusing on strengths and personal goals. It is useful when someone feels stuck or unsure about making a change, including in substance use and behavior patterns.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts affect feelings and actions, then teaches practical skills to shift unhelpful patterns. CBT is often used for anxiety, panic, depression, and problems with impulsivity or low self-esteem.
Mindfulness Therapy encourages simple attention practices to reduce reactivity and manage stress. Mindfulness pairs well with CBT and motivational approaches for managing anxiety and mood symptoms.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to identify which methods fit their goals and preferences, and may combine techniques as needed. That process happens together over early sessions so plans feel realistic and doable.
The biography does not list specific online or in-person formats, so confirm available session types before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit meetings into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when helpful. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises like role play, written homework, and mindfulness practices to remote sessions to keep work progressing between meetings. -
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentCommunication problemsDrug and alcohol addictionGuilt and shameImpulsivityIsolation / lonelinessMood disordersPanic disorder and panic attacksPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesTherapeutic approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyExperience
14+ years
Listed in
Massachusetts
Languages
English
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Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does this therapist help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, and intimacy-related issues. Additional focuses include panic, mood disorders, social anxiety, and women's issues.
How would you describe the therapeutic style?
The approach is collaborative and goal-oriented, using Motivational Interviewing to build motivation alongside cognitive behavioral and mindfulness techniques. Narrative methods are used to help reframe personal stories.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 14 years of experience in mental health and substance abuse counseling. That background includes work with process addictions and related concerns.
What credentials and location apply to this therapist?
She holds an MA and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in Massachusetts.
Are sessions offered in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats. Please confirm current session options with the platform before booking.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions operate through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with this therapist?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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Online talk therapy is not emergency or medical care. Stopping or cutting down alcohol or other drugs can be unsafe without medical advice. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers