Anxiety, Burnout, and Life Transition Therapy for Women in Massachusetts

I help high achieving women navigate anxiety, caregiving stress, aging-related concerns, grief, and major life transitions with clarity, steadiness, and self-trust through every season of life.

Alison Pugh (she/her)

Licensed independent Clinical Social Worker

Licensed Therapist in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Texas

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let's chat

Hi! I’m Ali

You’re the one everyone relies on. The one who keeps showing up, pushing through, staying productive, and handling what needs to get done. But underneath it all, you feel overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, anxious, disconnected from yourself, or stuck in survival mode.

Maybe you are navigating burnout, high-functioning anxiety, perfectionism, motherhood, caregiving stress, trauma, aging-related concerns, or a major life transition that has quietly changed you. Maybe you’re raising children but also caring for aging parents and you’re exhausted. Maybe your mind never fully shuts off. Maybe you are constantly carrying the invisible mental load of everyone and everything around you.

If that sounds familiar, I get it- and therapy with me can help.

My background & approach

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. 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 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 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. I have worked in both outpatient and community-based settings, supporting clients through acute stressors as well as longer-term transitions. Across every setting, 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.

    • Women and moms

    • Caregivers

    • Veterans and active duty members, EMS, Fire, First responders

    • Older adults

    • LGBTQ+

    • High-achieving individuals

    • Adults navigating major life transitions

    • high-functioning anxiety

    • burnout and chronic stress

    • perfectionism

    • maternal mental health

    • emotional regulation

    • trauma and attachment wounds

    • life transitions and identity shifts

    • aging and older adult concerns

    • caregiving stress and changing family roles

    • Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)

    • Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

    • Family Systems

    • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

    • Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)

    • Motivational Interviewing

    • Person-Centered

    • Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)

    • Somatic

    • Strength-Based

    • Trauma Focused

    • University of Texas at Arlington, Master of Clinical Social Work

    • 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.

FUN FACT: I’m a Texas native, mom, and a United States Air Force veteran. When i’m in session, I’m with my family fueled by a Bang energy drink.

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