Meet Betsy Harris, LICSW: Experienced Therapy at MCG

About Betsy

Therapy languages: English

Pronouns: she/her

Betsy Harris is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™ specializing in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), PTSD, and recovery from developmental trauma. Betsy has extensive experience providing individual and group psychotherapy for adolescents and adults who struggle with depression, anxiety, difficulties regulating emotions, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and borderline personality disorder (BPD). She has a special interest in treating body image concerns utilizing Intuitive Eating Principles and Health at Every Size (HAES). Betsy also has experience providing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (ERP) and anxiety disorders. Furthermore, Betsy is interested in multiculturalism and examining the impact of race, culture, gender, and equality in identity development and in the therapeutic environment.

Betsy received extensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and worked previously at McLean Hospital 3East DBT Continuum of Care.  DBT is an evidence-based, skills-focused treatment that has been found to be effective for clients struggling with self-harm and suicidality, impulsivity, difficulties with emotion regulation, maintaining healthy relationships, and issues related to self-esteem and self-worth. This skills-focused treatment has also proven effective for clients struggling with PTSD and trauma related symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, dissociation, and avoidance.  In addition to DBT, Betsy uses DBT-Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in her clinical practice.

In addition to her role as Director of DBT at MCG, Betsy works as Adjunct Faculty for Boston College School of Social Work, where she teaches Dialectical Behavior Therapy to graduate students.  She received a B.A. from Wheaton College and a Master of Arts in Social Work from Boston University. She completed her practicum and internship at The Bridge of Central Massachusetts and Cambridge Health Alliance Outpatient Addictions Service. Formerly, Betsy worked as a staff therapist and trauma specialist at the Brandeis University Counseling Center, and developed the trauma track for the La Selva Group Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) in Palo Alto, CA.

Using empathy and validation, along with direct feedback and humor, Betsy enjoys helping clients discover how to build a life worth living.