Therapy for adults, couples & teens · Burlington, Vermont
Quiet Harbor is a small practice of four therapists, two blocks up from the Burlington waterfront. Bring whatever you’re carrying. We’ll go at a pace that lets you breathe, in person or online anywhere in Vermont.
Before anything else
Most first calls begin with some version of “I’m not sure this is a big enough reason.” It is. You don’t need a diagnosis, a crisis or a tidy story to start.
Bring the tangle. We’ll look for the thread together, slowly, and you decide how deep we go and when.
Things people often say on a first call
Every one of these is a good place to start.
What we help with
Eight of the things we see most, in plain words. If yours isn’t here, call anyway. We’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right place.
What we don’t offer: medication, court-ordered evaluations, or intensive programs for eating disorders or active addiction. If that’s what you need, we’ll help you find someone who does it well.
The racing mind at 3 a.m., the tight chest before a meeting, the checking and the loops. You are not your thoughts, and there is gentle, well-proven help.
Often with Helen, Rowan
When everything feels heavy, flat or far away, or you’ve been running on empty so long you’ve forgotten what full feels like.
Often with Esther, Rowan
A death, a divorce, a diagnosis, a move. Loss comes in many shapes, and none of them keep to a schedule.
Often with Esther
The same argument every week. Distance, trust, or a big decision you can’t seem to make together.
Often with Gabriel
Something that still lives in your body. We go slowly, and you stay in charge of the pace. EMDR available.
Often with Helen
Anxiety or low mood around pregnancy and birth, a birth that didn’t go to plan, the loneliness of the 4 a.m. feed.
Often with Esther
Coming out, transitioning, a new job, an empty house, getting sober, getting older.
Often with Rowan, Gabriel
Their own hour and their own therapist. Parents join only as much as helps, and we talk about that openly.
Often with Rowan, Gabriel
Our therapists
Every one of us is licensed in Vermont, has at least eight years in practice and meets with a consultation group every week. We disagree about methods sometimes. We agree that you set the pace.
PsyD · she/her · Founder · 19 years in practice
“Anxiety is very good at making you feel alone with it. You’re not, and it is very treatable.”
One weekday opening this month
LMFT · he/him · Couples & family therapist · 12 years
“Most couples I see aren’t really fighting about the dishes. They’re fighting about feeling unseen. That we can work on.”
Evening times available
LICSW, PMH-C · she/her · Clinical social worker · 15 years
“Grief isn’t a problem to solve. It’s love with nowhere to go, and it deserves some room.”
Two openings, including evenings
LCMHC · they/them · Clinical mental health counselor · 8 years
“You don’t have to explain your identity to me before we can talk about your life.”
Saturday mornings and after school
And Bea Collier, who answers the phone. When you call, you’ll most likely reach Bea, our intake coordinator. She’ll ask a few questions, check your insurance and help you find someone who fits. She’s very comfortable with pauses.
Find the right fit
About a minute. Nothing you choose is saved or sent anywhere. It’s a starting point, not a commitment, and you can change your mind at any time.
The fit between you and your therapist matters more than any method. If it doesn’t feel right after a session or two, tell us and we’ll help you switch. No explanation needed.
Question 1 of 3
Fees, insurance & the sliding scale
Money worries are a reason people put off therapy for years. So here’s everything up front, and if something still isn’t clear, Bea will walk you through it on the phone.
Different plan? We’ll give you a monthly superbill to send in for out-of-network refunds, and we welcome HSA and FSA cards.
We hold 14 places for people who need to pay less, from $60 a session. No pay stubs, no proof. We take your word for it.
That’s a sliding-scale fee. Mention it on your consult call and we’ll hold it for you.
4 of 14 sliding-scale places open right now
If you’re paying without insurance, you have the right to a written estimate of what your care is likely to cost. Ask for one at any time.
Cancel with 24 hours’ notice and there’s no charge. Life happens, so your first late cancellation is always on us.
Card, HSA or FSA, charged after each session. We’ll never send you to collections without a phone call first.
What the first session is like
Not knowing what will happen is half of what makes a first appointment hard. Here’s the whole thing, from the first call to the walk back to your car.
The call · 20 minutes, free
Bea or one of us calls you back within one business day. We listen to what’s bringing you in, answer questions about cost and suggest who might suit you. You don’t have to decide anything on the call.
Before you come · 10 minutes
We email a brief intake form. Skip any question you’d rather answer in person. If you’re meeting online, we send a private video link. There’s nothing to download.
Arriving · whenever suits you
We’re on the second floor of the brick building at 186 Battery Street, with a lift and free parking behind. The waiting room has tea, a blanket and a window over the lake. Your therapist will come out to meet you.
The session · 53 minutes
What’s been happening, what you’d like to be different, a little about your history. You decide the depth. “I’m not ready to talk about that” is always a complete sentence here.
Afterward · take your time
You’ll leave with a sense of how we might work together and how often. Then the choice is yours. We won’t chase you with emails.
Questions
Yes. What you share stays between you and your therapist, with a few legal exceptions we’ll explain in your first session, such as when someone’s life is in immediate danger. We never share anything with employers, and we only speak with your doctor if you ask us to, in writing.
No. We’re therapists, not prescribers. If medication might help, we’ll talk it through with you and, if you’d like, coordinate with your primary care provider or a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
It depends on what brought you in. Some people come for six or eight sessions to get through a particular stretch. Others stay for a year or more. Every couple of months we check in together on whether it’s still helping.
Yes, from anywhere in Vermont. Licensing rules mean you need to be in the state during the session, so if you’re traveling we’ll move to a short phone check-in or find another time.
Tell us. It happens, it’s nobody’s fault, and it’s useful to know. We’ll help you switch within the practice or refer you to someone outside it. You won’t hurt anyone’s feelings.
Therapy is private, and our professional ethics ask us not to request testimonials from the people we see. Ask us anything you like on the consult call instead.
Get in touch
Leave a short note and we’ll get back to you within one business day, by phone, text or email, whichever you prefer. You don’t have to explain much. “I’d like to talk to someone” is plenty.
| Day | Open | Close |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 8:00 am | 8:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 8:00 am | 8:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 8:00 am | 8:00 pm |
| Thursday | 8:00 am | 8:00 pm |
| Friday | 8:00 am | 4:00 pm |
| Saturday | 9:00 am | 1:00 pm |
| Sunday | Closed | |
Free parking in the lot behind the building. Step-free entrance and a lift to the second floor. Ten minutes’ walk from Church Street, five from the waterfront bike path.