slessard

Dr. Sari Lessard earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology
from the University of California, San Diego. She received her doctoral
degree in Clinical Psychology from the Pacific Graduate School of
Psychology in Palo Alto, California in 2004. As part of her training, Dr.
Lessard completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral
residency at Riverbend Community Mental Health, Inc. in Concord,
New Hampshire where she provided outpatient psychological services
to children, adolescents, and adults, including psychological testing
and psychotherapy.

Dr. Lessard brings with her experience in treating individuals and
families who struggle with issues of depression, anxiety, trauma and
abuse (victims), parenting stressors, relationship problems, difficulty
adjusting to life changes, grief and loss, child and adolescent
behavioral problems, and self-injurious behavior. Dr. Lessard has also
received specialized training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT),
which helps individuals increase coping skills, emotion regulation
skills, and interpersonal effectiveness skills, and in child sexual abuse
treatment. In addition, she is a member of the American
Psychological Association, and the New Hampshire Psychological
Association.

Dr. Lessard utilizes a cognitive behavioral approach to treatment, which focuses on the relationship
between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, in conjunction with a psychodynamic and interpersonal
approach to help clients eliminate or control troubling and painful symptoms so that they can more fully
understand themselves and their environment, improve the quality of their interpersonal world, and return
to previous levels of functioning. Dr. Lessard also values and respects the importance of genuineness,
empathy and acceptance in the therapeutic relationship. She believes that these factors are necessary
components to foster an environment of healing, insight, and growth.