About Us—a true collaborative venture…

Two women sitting on beige couches in a living room, having a conversation. The woman on the left has short blonde hair, glasses, a blue top, and brown boots. The woman on the right has long dark hair, a white cardigan, and black pants. Between them is a small wooden side table with a lamp and a clock. There are framed pictures on the wall behind them.

Dr. Katharine “Kim” Larsson, a doctoral level psychiatric nurse specialist, and Dr. Amaro Laria, a clinical psychologist, spearheaded the launching of Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC (BBM) in 2008.

After working several years in the Boston-Cambridge area at various Harvard Medical School affiliated settings as clinicians, researchers, instructors, and trainers they decided to invite a group of like-minded colleagues to establish a professional home where they could practice authentically according to their personal and professional values.

They were joined by a selected group of psychologists, clinical social workers, and a licensed mental health counselor to launch a private practice group in the heart of Brookline, MA. (just a few blocks from famous Fenway Park in Boston, MA).

A man and woman sit across from each other in a therapy or counseling session in a bright, cozy office. The man wears an orange sweater and khakis, sitting on a light gray couch. The woman, with glasses and blonde hair, wears a patterned blouse with floral and leaf designs, sitting on a patterned armchair with yellow pillows. Between them is a glass-top side table with a vase of sunflowers, near a window.

All the mental health professionals who founded BBM were trained as psychotherapists using a variety of therapeutic orientations, including: psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral,    humanistic, and systemic approaches, among others.

In addition, all of them had completed specialized training in the field of behavioral medicine, which, besides treating all mental health conditions, specializes in the treatment of medical conditions that are exacerbated by stress and other psychological factors.

While BBM clinicians value the implementation of empirically-based interventions in their treatments, they also prioritize an integrative approach that appreciates each individual’s uniqueness and believe that treatments need to be tailored to everyone’s particular experience.   

A woman is sitting on a patterned armchair, taking notes, during an interview in a room with a sofa, a small table with a lamp and vase, and a painting on the wall.

From the beginning BBM’s mission has been characterized by:

  • A patient-centered integrative psychotherapy approach that highlights the therapy relationship as the primary agent of change                

  • An appreciation for the value of an inter-disciplinary approach to mental health

  • A commitment to make our state-of-the-art interventions available to everyone regardless of financial means         (for which we take most health insurances and offer a sliding fee scale)

  • A passion for offering cutting edge training to mental health clinicians in training

  • A respect for individuals’ diverse identities with regard to: race, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, and ableness, among others. 

Scenic landscape with a lake, green hills, and mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.

“You are your best thing”

–Toni Morrison

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