Hi, I'm Elizabeth Apkin, Psy.D.
You can call me Liz!
(She/Her)
I’m a licensed psychologist supporting capable, high-achieving adults in Brookline and Boston, MA.
on a more personal note:
My Background and Approach
I'm a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts and Virginia with a doctorate in clinical psychology from William James College and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Northeastern University.
Before opening my practice in 2019, I trained in psychiatric hospitals offering crisis stabilization services, a therapeutic school working with neurodiverse adolescents, and university counseling centers, including a postdoctoral fellowship at Tufts University. I’m also trained in conducting neuropsychological assessments and have facilitated support groups for students with undocumented immigration status. In 2023, I became certified in perinatal mental health by Postpartum Support International (PSI).
Prior to my training years, I worked in a primary school in South Africa providing therapeutic services in a local township. I earned my certificate in rape crisis counseling through the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, and supported research projects looking at brain imaging in young adults at Harvard Medical School/Mass General Hospital, and perimenopause and mental illness at UMass Medical School.
This mix of settings taught me to meet people where they are, across cultures, ages, and diagnoses, which continues to shape my practice today. In our sessions, I'm an active partner. I believe people are inherently good and capable of growth, so I focus on your strengths while helping you understand the patterns keeping you stuck.
While much of my specialized training focuses on women and birthing people, some of my most rewarding work has been with men, who often appreciate my supportive yet direct style.
Every session brings you a step closer to the goals you set, with room for warmth and curiosity along the way.
Modalities I Use
Therapy modalities often look like a list of obscure acronyms, but they practically affect what happens in your session.
Here are the therapy approaches I use and what they mean:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is a form of CBT. Fighting distress can feel like being stuck in a bamboo finger trap, where pulling harder only tightens the grip, and ultimately the only way out is to lean in. ACT posits that once you (safely) make space for discomfort, moving forward becomes easier. Together, we'll identify your values and align your thoughts and actions with them, so your life can start looking the way you want it to.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and actions, and gives you practical tools to shift the patterns that aren't working. It’s a structured way to make changes in your daily life.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
ERP helps you gradually face your fears in small, planned steps. It's the gold-standard treatment for OCD and an effective tool for other anxiety-related concerns.
Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapy is a client-centered approach, meaning I see you as a whole, capable person with a natural drive to grow. Empathy and non-judgment are at the center of our work, and we'll build on the strengths you already have while identifying what's getting in the way of reaching your potential.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Our earlier life experiences shape how we relate to others and see ourselves, and those patterns often get reinforced throughout our lives without our realizing it. Understanding where a pattern began can help your reactions make more sense and become easier to change. Our therapeutic relationship can also act as a mirror for how you relate to people outside of therapy, and we'll use it as a tool to understand what is and isn't working for you.
Whatever brings you in, we'll blend these approaches to help you understand how you got here, what's holding you in place, and where you'd like to go next.
Here, the story that gets told is yours
In relationships in your daily life, the conversation usually goes both ways. You listen to your friend’s news and think about how your words might land, probably holding some things back.
Therapy is one of the few (or, for many high achievers and people-pleasers, only) places where you don't have to do that.
In our sessions, you'll get to know my personality and how I think, but our narrative always stays focused on you. You can say what's on your mind without worrying about offending or burdening me. In fact, I don’t share much about my life outside of therapy on purpose, so you feel like you can share anything without accounting for the context of who I am.
Cultural Humility in My Practice
Cultural humility means paying close attention to how your identities intersect, including age, race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, religion, immigration status, nationality, ability, and socioeconomic status, and how they shape our work together.
Through ongoing supervision, training, and self-reflection, I stay aware of how my own identities and areas of privilege influence the therapeutic relationship.
Adults of all genders, sexual orientations, and relationship structures are welcome here, including trans and nonbinary clients and people across the queer spectrum.
Areas of Clinical Focus
Infertility and Loss →
Support through fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, and termination (for medical reasons or voluntary) because no one should have to go through it alone.
Pregnancy and Postpartum →
Certified perinatal care for the anxiety, depression, OCD, and adjustments that can surface during pregnancy and the first year with a new baby.
Trauma and PTSD →
Trauma work grounded in re-establishing safety. Together, we will work to reclaim your sense of empowerment and control.
OCD →
Specialized treatment using ERP, the gold-standard approach that helps loosen the grip of obsessions and compulsions.
Anxiety and Depression →
Relief from anxiety, depression, and perfectionism that leaves many ambitious, high-achieving people feeling that they're never quite doing enough.
Life Transitions →
Steadier footing through change—such as career shifts, burnout, divorce, and new roles, including parenting—and the identity questions that come with it.