Mark Sorensen, PhD

Experience

I received my doctorate from Temple University in Philadelphia in 1982 and have lived in the Boston area since that time. I was the Director of Psychology at Westwood Lodge Psychiatric Hospital back in the mid-eighties and have been in a full-time private practice since 1988. Since there isn’t enough time in graduate school to learn much about couple therapy I pursued post-graduate training to become skilled in this area. I think of myself as an “integrationist” and I value a number of different approaches when working with both individuals and couples. I have received advanced training in couple therapy and marriage counseling from the Cambridge Family Institute, from Susan Johnson in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and at the Psychodynamic Couples and Families Institute of New England. I have also found that being married for 35 years has taught me the most about the challenges and rewards of marriage.

Therapeutic Style

At the end of the first session, you will have an opportunity to ask me any questions that will help you decide whether I am the right therapist for you. Very often that question is “what is your style?” So here it is. I tend to be fairly active in my work. I ask questions, direct attention to important patterns in your own behavior and in your relationship, encourage reflection and understanding of motivation (yours and your partner’s) and suggest ways of engaging that might be more effective. When a difficult conversation takes place in couple therapy, my job is to help make it a productive experience. Above all, I try to arrive at a deep understanding of you and your relationship so that I can help you to learn to engage with each other in ways that bring you closer.

Practical Matters

While one of the most important aspects of therapy is having you feel comfortable with me (which you will only know after you meet with me the first time) there are a few practical matters that you may need to know about before you give me a call. One is my availability and the other is my fee. I work Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM until 7:30 PM, and Fridays from 8:00 AM until 12:00 PM. If you can come during those hours then feel free to contact me by phone or email to find out whether I have any openings.

My fee is $250 for a 45 minute session. I accept credit card payments for all services. If you have an insurance that provides out-of-network benefits (most PPOs), I can usually submit to your insurance company the information they need for you to get reimbursed. I do not belong to any insurance panels. Therapy is costly so I try to be responsive in a number of ways. First, I help clients overcome the obstacles to closeness as quickly and effectively as possible. I don’t think therapy has to be a long, drawn-out process, however every relationship is different. I also offer the option to meet every other week as long as that will still allow us to get the work done.