Nicholas M. Brisbon, Ph.D., LMHC

I am a research psychologist and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with over two decades of experience working with adults in a range of clinical settings. My main clinical specialties are in addiction, men’s issues, anxiety, depression, stress, anger management, life transitions, and spiritual concerns. I earned a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at Springfield College in 2008 and a PhD in Social/Cognitive Psychology at Brandeis University in 2016. My academic research has focused on the concept of mindfulness and how meditation and prayer can affect stress, sleep quality, and problems with memory.

I have worked in mental health since 2005. I began in Northampton, Massachusetts, providing community-based outreach to people living with severe mental illness. After completing my master’s degree, I conducted psychiatric crisis evaluations in outpatient and emergency department settings while also providing case management and counseling through a crisis-stabilization unit. Since earning my Ph.D., I have continued work in psychiatric emergency care at Boston Medical Center and provided outpatient counseling for an intensive residential addiction-treatment program on Penikese Island, off Cape Cod.

Alongside my clinical work, I have contributed to health-care research and data-science initiatives at Mass General Brigham and IQVIA. My work has included research related to patient quality of care, emergency department treatment, medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, COVID-19 outcomes, and statistical methodology in pharmaceutical and medical-technology research.

Although my career has included advanced education and research, I come from a working class background. Before entering the mental health field, I worked alongside family in the trucking and diesel service industry. That experience continues to shape how I approach counseling: I value directness and practical problem-solving, and I hold a deep respect for people who carry significant responsibilities and are often used to handling difficulties on their own. I aim to provide a down-to-earth, nonjudgmental space where we can speak honestly about what is happening and identify realistic steps toward meaningful change.

I recently opened Athelas Counseling & Consulting in Swansea, Massachusetts, with plans to expand my work into consulting and teaching. I live in Rhode Island with my family. Outside of work, I enjoy boating, playing guitar, going to concerts, riding motorcycles, and the occasional video game.