Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders

Anxiety is a natural response to stressful life events. Most individuals will experience worry, nerves and apprehension during their lifetime. In fact, some degree of anxiety can be helpful, such as motivating you to prepare for a big exam or presentation. However, at a certain point it negatively interferes with daily functioning and physical health.

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

• Constant and uncontrollable worry about any aspect of your life including career, health, family and social life
• Panic attacks or sudden peaks of anxiety that cause intense physical sensations like heart palpitations and trouble breathing
• Struggles in social situations or when you feel like attention is focused on you
• Specific anxiety, like constantly worrying about your health or an extreme fear about a specific situation or object

• Feeling restless or on edge
• Trouble sleeping
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Feeling weak or tired
• Trouble concentrating
• Feeling irritable

How do I treat anxiety?

Research indicates that CBT is an effective treatment for a range of anxiety disorders. Based on the idea that thoughts, feelings and behaviors constantly interact and influence us, CBT aims to alleviate anxiety by adjusting unhelpful thought patterns, beliefs and behavioral patterns of avoidance. CBT is an overarching type of therapy with many different types or “flavors” to help with different symptoms and needs. For example, individuals experiencing panic attacks might go through exposures to get used to certain physiological sensations. This helps patients relearn beliefs about what those sensations mean.

Sleep, exercise, mindfulness and nutrition are also helpful in managing anxiety and everyday stressors.

Finally, research indicates that medication management is an effective way of treating anxiety.

More specific details on the various types of treatment we offer can be found on our clinic page.

Can I get involved in an anxiety research study at CATSD?

Yes. You can learn more information here.

What is trauma?

Experiencing and coping with stressful life events is a normal part of life. Sometimes, you might experience a particularly upsetting or horrifying event in which you are directly or indirectly exposed to death or violence. These types of stressful events are called traumatic events. Some examples include:

• Sexual assault
• Domestic violence
• Community violence
• Serious car accidents
• Serious injury
• Life-threatening illness

What are the symptoms of trauma?

• A depressed mood
• Panic attacks
• Obsessive-compulsive behavior
• Difficulty in controlling anxious thoughts
• A cluster of symptoms in reaction to this traumatic event or PTSD

What is PTSD?

• Intrusive symptoms in which you feel that you are re-living the event long after the traumatic experience occurred. For example, recurring flashbacks or nightmares of the event, or unwanted memories of the event that feel impossible to escape
• Avoiding thoughts, feelings, places or activities that remind you of the trauma
• Changes in thoughts and mood such as gaps in memory about the traumatic event, persistent negative views of yourself or the world, or intense feelings of guilt or shame surrounding the event
• Physiological and reactive symptoms such as jumpiness, sleep disturbances, hypervigilance and irritability

If you experience one or more symptoms above, you may have symptoms that resemble PTSD.

How do I treat PTSD?

There are a variety of ways to get treatment for PTSD. If you are interested in seeking therapy for your PTSD, research indicates that CBT is an effective treatment. Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) are considered the two “gold-standard” evidence-based treatments for PTSD as based on principles of CBT.

PE for PTSD is designed to help you confront the upsetting memories and situations associated with the traumatic event. By approaching your trauma triggers, as opposed to avoiding them, you may be able to reduce the impairing emotional and physiological symptoms associated with your PTSD.

CPT for PTSD targets unhelpful thought patterns surrounding the trauma by focusing on restructuring the thoughts and beliefs surrounding the event. By challenging these beliefs, you may be able to regain a sense of trust, control and positive mood in your life.

Finally, research also indicates that medication management is an effective way of treating PTSD.

Can I get involved in a PTSD research study at CATSD?

Currently we do not have any active PTSD research studies. Please continually check our page for updates on new studies.

What is grief?

Grieving is a normal and expected process that follows the loss of a loved one. It is painful, and may lead to symptoms such as yearning, avoidance and isolation. For most individuals, these symptoms decrease over time, but for some they can last months or years after the loss and negatively impact day-to-day functioning. This experience is known as prolonged grief (PG) and affects about 12-15% of bereaved adults.

What are the symptoms of grief?

You may have PG if you experience symptoms like:

• An inability to accept the death of your loved one or feeling numbness about the loss
• Intrusive thoughts about your deceased loved one
• Strong pangs of emotion related to your deceased loved one
• Powerful yearnings or wishes that your loved one was still alive
• Intense feelings of loneliness
• Avoidance of people, places, or activities that remind you of your deceased loved one
• Loss of interest in work, social or personal activities

How do I treat PG?

Complicated Grief Treatment (CGT) is a short-term, evidence-based treatment for PG. It was developed at the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia University, and consists of 16 sessions, done weekly. CGT for PG will help you move through the experience of persistent grief to progress the natural bereavement process and integrate the loss into your daily life. With the guidance of a CATSD clinician, you will address a different theme each week. These include, but are not limited to, understanding your grief, accepting painful emotions and remembering the person who died. This process incorporates imaginal and situational revisiting and maintaining a grief monitoring diary. Over time, you will learn accept the loss, rebuild interpersonal connections and begin to plan for the future.

CGT for PG is delivered in time-limited individual therapy at CATSD. This treatment is designed to be delivered in 16 sessions.

Can I get involved in a grief research study at CATSD?

Yes, we are currently running one study on PG. You can learn more information here.

Dr. Rosenbaum's profile

Dr. Baker is Director of the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders. She is also a research and clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Mass General Hospital, Associate Clinical Director of psychology, and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, where she has worked since 2013. Dr. Baker received her PhD from Boston University and completed her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral training at Mass General/Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Baker's clinical and research interests focus on understanding mechanisms and personalization of empirically based psychosocial treatments for anxiety and related disorders, including the use of digital technologies. She has recently served as PI and/or Co-I on a number of NIH, PCORI and foundation funded projects examining treatments for anxiety, PTSD, and Prolonged Grief Disorder. She has a past NARSAD Young Investigator Award from the Brain and Behavior Foundation examining the use of ecological momentary assessment and wearable psychophysiological assessment to develop intra-individual networks of panic disorder and assess change in cognitive behavioral therapy.

Dr. Baker is an active member of several professional societies, including the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

Dr. Robinaugh is an assistant professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and the director of research at the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders. He obtained his PhD at Harvard University in 2015, where he studied clinical psychology under the mentorship of Dr. Richard McNally, before completing post-doctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital and at the University of Amsterdam. His research is centered on better understanding the etiology of anxiety and traumatic stress disorders, with particular focus on how these disorders may operate as causal systems.

Dr. Cohen is Associate Director of the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders. He is also a clinical psychologist and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Cohen completed his PhD from Temple University, his internship at Columbia University Medical Center and his fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Dr. Cohen specializes in integrative practice for complex presentations for which he has won numerous national clinical awards. He also practices clinically in several other clinical services in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Cohen heads a robust clinical training program and is responsible for bringing innovative clinical and research programs to CATSD.

Dr. Ishikawa is the Director of Clinical Training at CATSD. She is also a clinical psychologist in the Mass General Department of Psychiatry and an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She provides clinical treatment to adults through CATSD and the Geriatric Psychiatry Clinical and Research Program, and is a clinical supervisor for pre- and post-doctoral psychology fellows. She has written peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on the subjects of mental health treatment disparities, cultural adaptations of evidence-based treatments and the application of evidence-based treatments to older adults. Dr. Ishikawa received her MPH in international health from Emory University and her PhD in clinical psychology from Clark University. She completed post-doctoral training at the Victims of Violence program at the Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School.

Dr. LeBlanc is a clinical and research psychologist at CATSD. She completed her PhD in clinical psychology at Harvard University and her clinical internship in the cognitive behavioral track at Mass General/Harvard Medical School in 2019. Dr. LeBlanc is interested in studying the ways that social factors like loss and loneliness contribute to the development and maintenance of mental disorders. She is also interested in the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy. Dr. LeBlanc’s clinical interests include CBT for anxiety disorders, traumatic stress disorders and emerging adults.

Eric Bui, MD, PhD is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Caen Normandy (France), and adjunct investigator at the Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA)  where he served in different leadership capacities as a Harvard Medical School faculty, for nearly ten years. His research focuses specifically on understanding the mechanisms and improving the treatment of anxiety and stress-related conditions, including PTSD and Complicated Grief. To date, he has published over 150 scientific articles and book chapters, and edited two textbooks in the field of anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, complicated grief and related disorders. He currently serves as the president of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, as Associate Editor of the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, and as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Mental Health.

Dr. Ametaj is currently a post-doctoral clinical trainee at CATSD and a research fellow at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research focuses on global mental health, including improving the detection of and increasing access to treatments for common mental health disorders, such as traumatic stress, anxiety, and depressive disorders, in low resourced settings. Dr. Ametaj completed her doctorate at Boston University and pre-doctoral internship at the West Haven VA Medical Center in West Haven, CT. Her clinical interests center around providing care for anxiety, depressive, and traumatic stress disorders with evidence-based treatments.

Dr. Millstein is a clinical psychologist working in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He completed his PhD at Suffolk University, including a pre-doctoral internship at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry. He went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Rochester specializing in functional neurological disorders and completing a post-degree certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy. His clinical and research interests include integrative treatments for traumatic stress disorders and functional neurological disorders. He has also worked on projects related to mindfulness and acceptance-based cognitive and behavioral therapies.

Emily Mellen is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Clinical Science program at Harvard University as well as an advanced practicum student at CATSD. Emily's research focuses on the intersection of stigma and sexual violence. Her current projects are aimed at bridging these two literatures and exploring the ways in which structural stigma may impact mental health and treatment seeking following experiences of sexual violence. Emily adopts a translational approach to her work, investigating research questions through a neurobiological, cognitive, social, and structural lens.

Jason Jusino is the Patient Service Coordinator for CATSD. He is of Puerto Rican descent, was born in New York, and raised in Massachusetts. He has previously worked for several departments within Mass General Brigham. Jason is easygoing, approachable, and has a strong work ethic. On a personal note, he is a sports fanatic and an avid baseball, basketball, and football viewer.

Maria is the Administrative Coordinator for CATSD. Originally from Greece, she moved to the United States 7 years ago and has worked at Mass General Brigham for the past 5 years. Maria describes herself as a diligent, detail-oriented individual who is comfortable with high-volume work in an environment that is fast-paced and challenging. Additionally, she takes customer service quite seriously and enjoys delivering an exceptional experience when she interacts with patients and clients.

Dr. Loren Post is a Clinical Psychologist in the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders and the DBT Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School. She earned her PhD from Case Western Reserve University with training in the PTSD Treatment and Research Program. She completed her predoctoral internship at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and her postdoctoral fellowship in the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program and the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program at Emory University School of Medicine. She specializes in evidence-based treatments for PTSD and other trauma-related disorders, OCD, and anxiety disorders. Dr. Post has research interests in the transdiagnostic processes between PTSD and co-occurring disorders and the effectiveness and optimization of PTSD treatments.

Dr. Magoon is a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He received his Medical Degree from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine before completing residency at Columbia University Medical Center, where he also served as chief resident. He has been honored for excellence in teaching as well as providing humanistic care. His clinical and research interests include Prolonged Grief Disorder, advanced care planning, end-of-life issues, and clinical ethics. His writing for the popular press has appeared in The Atlantic, NPR, Scientific American, Huffington Post, and Foreign Policy, among others. His peer-reviewed work has been published in Academic Psychiatry, The Journal of General Internal Medicine, Palliative and Supportive Care, and CMAJ.

Dr. Diamond is a postdoctoral fellow at CATSD. She completed her PhD in clinical psychology at Boston University and her clinical internship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School in 2023. Dr. Diamond specializes in treating adults, with a particular interest in young adults, with anxiety, OCD or trauma. In addition to utilizing evidence-based treatments for these disorders, she is also interested in researching mindfulness treatments and advocating for suicide prevention.

Daniella Spencer-Laitt is an advanced practicum student at CATSD and a clinical psychology doctoral student at Boston University. She holds a BA and LLB from the University of Western Australia, and an MSW from Columbia University. Daniella’s research focus is on the nature and function of emotion as it pertains to prolonged or exacerbated symptoms of grief. Specifically, she is interested in how differences in positive and negative emotion regulation may reflect commonalities between prolonged grief disorder and other emotional disorders and inform the development, evaluation, and dissemination of transdiagnostic treatments.

Frank Dibert is a clinical psychologist who treats adults at CATSD and at the West End Clinic at MGH for those with substance use and co-occurring disorders. He completed his PhD in Counseling Psychology and Religion from Boston University and a master's degree in divinity from Harvard Divinity School. As a psychologist, he is dedicated to assisting patients in transforming adversity and hardship into meaningful, value-based growth, where a positive sense of self, healthy coping, and personal well-being are the cornerstones of one’s life.

Christa is the Program Manager for CATSD. She graduated from Barnard College in 2023, where she studied Psychology and Urban Studies. Prior to joining the CATSD, she worked in numerous healthcare and psychology research settings, including Mount Sinai Health System, where she volunteered with children and adolescents receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment, and NYU, where she worked as a research assistant for Dr. Tessa West. Christa’s research interests include social anxiety and the psychosocial factors influencing mental health.

Emily graduated summa cum laude from Barnard College in 2022, where she studied psychology and Spanish and Latin American Studies. As an undergraduate, she worked with Dr. Anna Van Meter, investigating digital assessments and interventions for youth with mood disorders. Emily completed her thesis on the effect of race and situational attributes on helping suicidal individuals. Her research interests include using real-time data collection methods to better understand the etiology of anxiety and depression, as well as developing digital interventions. She is also interested in increasing access to mental health care for underserved populations. Emily plans to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.

Dhea graduated summa cum laude from Union College in 2022. She studied psychology and studio art. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant for the Body Image Weight and Eating Disorders lab. For her honors thesis, she studied the association of creative cognition, hypomania and type of major (scientific of artistic) studied at an undergraduate level. Dhea's research interests include developing digital interventions for anxiety and mood disorders. Dhea plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

Andra graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University in 2023, where she studied clinical psychology with a minor in child studies and human development. As an undergraduate, Andra conducted research through Tufts, the Laidlaw Scholarship Program, CHA’s Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, and CATSD. Some of her research projects included studying physiological impacts of racial discrimination, mindfulness-based interventions for PTSD, and mechanisms of change in prolonged grief disorder treatment. Andra is passionate about increasing the accessibility of mental health care, and hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.

Kristin is a Clinical Research Coordinator II at CATSD. She graduated from Smith College in 2023 with degrees in psychology and applied statistics. During her time at Smith, she completed an honors thesis under the mentorship of Dr. Nnamdi Pole and received high honors. She also worked in Dr. Pole’s lab and completed various research fellowships throughout her undergraduate career. In 2024, she graduated with her Master of Science in applied psychology at Northeastern University. Her primary research interest is promoting resilience and posttraumatic growth in marginalized communities.

Study Contact: Dhea Kothari, dkothari2@mgh.harvard.edu

Do you have anxiety? Have you tried medications, but they didn’t work for you? If you have been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and have tried at least two medications, you may be eligible to participate in a research study. This study is investigating a safe, non-invasive brain stimulation device called LIFUP. This research is monitored for ethics and safety by the Institutional Review Board of Massachusetts General Hospital. Subjects will be assigned by chance to receive either brain stimulation treatment or placebo. Participants will be asked to attend seven visits with our clinical research staff to receive brain stimulation, undergo MRI scans, and complete questionnaires and a computer task. Your information will remain private. You will receive compensation for your time.

We are committed to protecting your privacy. All study data will be labeled with a unique study ID code, rather than any information that could be used to identify you such as your name or date of birth. Signed consent forms and any correspondence containing your name or other identifying information is stored in a locked cabinet. At your first appointment with us, you will receive the Mass General Brigham Notice for Use and Sharing of Protected Health Information, which gives more details about how your privacy is protected. The consent form for the study you participate in will also contain this information.

No. However, if you choose to enroll in a study, information from your medical records within Mass General Brigham that is reasonably related to the conduct and oversight of the study may be accessed during the course of the study. If health information is needed from your doctors or hospitals outside Mass General Brigham, you will be asked to give permission for your medical records to be sent to us.

No.

No, there is no cost to you or your health insurance company for you taking part in a study. Parking is available at no cost.

Evaluation and study treatments are provided at no cost. Some studies (but not all) also provide a small compensation for your time.

We ask that women who enroll in our studies do not become pregnant or breastfeed throughout the course of the study.

Our clinic primarily provides treatment through research studies. If you are interested in being seen outside of research, learn more about clinical care information and check your eligibility.

Please note: Generally, you must have a primary care physician at Mass General to be seen in the outpatient (non-research) clinics in the Psychiatry Department. If you do not have a primary care physician at Mass General, please see our list of referrals.

We only treat patients who are 18 or older. If you are under 18 or looking for treatment for your child, please call Pediatric Psychopharmacology at 617-934-4644.