Anxiety, Grief and Life Transition Therapy in Massachusetts
Alison Pugh (she/her)
Licensed independent Clinical Social Worker
Licensed Therapist in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Texas
I help adults and older adults navigate anxiety, grief, and moral injury with clarity, steadiness, and self-trust through every season of life.
Hi! I’m Ali
Maybe you’ve always been the one everyone counts on. The one who keeps it together, solves the problems, and makes sure everyone else is okay.
Lately though, it feels like you’re running on E.
You’re constantly thinking ahead, carrying the mental load, caring for aging parents, adjusting to an empty nest, navigating a career change, processing grief, or trying to find yourself again after years of putting everyone else first.
From the outside, it might look like you’re handling it all. Inside, you’re exhausted.
You don’t have to keep doing it alone.
Whether you’re carrying the weight of grief, trauma, or moral injury, therapy can help you make sense of experiences that continue to follow you long after they happened.
My goal is to create a space where you can take a deep breath, let your guard down, and be yourself. Therapy is about understanding what’s weighing on you, building practical tools, and moving forward in a way that feels meaningful.
You have spent your life showing up for others. I’d be honored to show up for you.
My background & approach
For more than a decade, I’ve supported adults and older adults navigating anxiety, caregiving responsibilities, health changes, grief, and major life transitions. I hold a master’s degree in clinical social work and am a licensed therapist with experience supporting adults and older adults through a wide range of life experiences and emotional challenges.
I understand that even when you are functioning well on the outside, it can still feel exhausting to carry so much internally, especially when life no longer feels aligned in the way it once did. My clinical background includes working with individuals navigating anxiety, stress, caregiving responsibilities, career shifts, health-related changes, later-life transitions, and the evolving roles and responsibilities that can come with different seasons of life. I enjoy supporting Veterans, First Responders and Active Duty Members work through life stressors and find paths forward.
My approach is thoughtful, grounded, and evidence-based while still feeling deeply human and collaborative. I integrate cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, life-review work, strengths-based reflection, and practical coping strategies to help you better understand yourself while building tools that support meaningful change outside of sessions. Throughout my career, my focus has remained the same: to provide steady, compassionate care that helps you feel supported, understood, emotionally clearer, and better equipped to move through change with more confidence, intention, and self-trust.
I can't wait to work with you. Schedule a 15-min consultation with me today to get started.
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Veterans and active duty members, EMS, Fire, First responders
Women and moms
Caregivers
Older adults
LGBTQ+
High-achieving individuals
Adults navigating career changes, retirement, grief, caregiving, and other major life transitions.
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High-functioning anxiety
Life transitions and identity shifts
Grief and loss
Burnout and chronic stress
Caregiving stress and changing family roles
Trauma and attachment wounds
Aging and older adult concerns
Emotional regulation
Perfectionism
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I integrate evidence-based therapies including CBT, ACT, mindfulness, somatic approaches, IFS-informed work, and trauma-informed care.
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Licensure:
Texas LCSW (60605), April 2014
Rhode Island LICSW (ISW04292), November 2024
Massachusetts LICSW (LICSW1143199), March 2026
New Hampshire LICSW (6003), June 2026
Education:
University of Texas at Arlington, Master of Clinical Social Work 2014
Certifications:
ASW-G: The ASW-G credential represents master’s level expertise for social workers specializing in gerontology. Masters level social workers specializing in gerontology possess knowledge and skill in the areas of: assessment of older adult needs, functional capacity, expertise regarding physical and mental health issues, case and care management, long-term care, elder abuse, quality of life issues, and advance care planning.
Certified Strength at Home Provider: Refers to a trained professional delivering the evidence-based Strength at Home (SAH) program, a trauma-informed intervention for Veterans and others struggling with Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), focusing on conflict management, communication, and assertiveness, often available virtually or in-person through the VA or specialized providers.
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WHOLE Communication: A High Reliability Organization Approach to Post-Acute-Long-Term-Care Education
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, Volume 25, Issue 5, B26


