Grief makes ordinary logistics harder. Getting dressed, getting across town and sitting in a waiting room can feel like too much, and for some people that alone decides the question. For others, leaving the house is the point. Neither choice is the correct one.
This page is about choosing a format for grief and loss therapy. For how video sessions work in general at this practice, see online therapy in Massachusetts.
What is the same online and in person?
At Dr. Rabin's practice, quite a lot. Telehealth sessions are the same length and fee as in-person sessions: 45 to 50 minutes, usually weekly. The approach is the same too. Before each online session she sends a secure video link, and you open it at your appointment time from a private place. You need a reliable internet connection and a device with a camera. A laptop, tablet or phone all work.
In-person sessions are at 1577 Beacon Street in Brookline, near Coolidge Corner. Her site notes that the office is reachable by the Green Line C Branch and by car, with street and lot parking nearby.
Do you have to be in Massachusetts?
Yes, in general. The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists takes the position that psychology is practiced where the client is physically located at the time of service. For telehealth with a Massachusetts-licensed psychologist, that means you generally need to be physically in Massachusetts during the session. Your home address is not what counts. Where you are sitting that day is.
Some states have joined PSYPACT, an agreement that lets psychologists practice across state lines. Massachusetts has not. The official PSYPACT map lists Massachusetts as having legislation pending, and the bills (H.2528 and S.1487) had not been enacted as of October 2026. So you should not plan on sessions from another state.
If you expect to travel, tell Dr. Rabin before the session. The board advises psychologists to check with the licensing board of the state where the client will be, and the answer differs from state to state. This matters for students whose family home is outside Massachusetts and for anyone who spends part of the year elsewhere.
What does research say about online grief treatment?
Two statements can be made with care. A 2024 review of treatments for prolonged grief disorder reported that web-based therapies do not appear to be less effective than in-person therapies, while also noting significant variation and bias among the studies. The American Psychiatric Association says that online interventions in which mourners express their grief in virtual notes to the person who died have been found effective in reducing symptoms.
Notice the scope. Both statements are about prolonged grief disorder, a diagnosis only a clinician can make, and mostly about CBT-based treatments. Web-based programs are not necessarily the same thing as weekly video sessions with a therapist. None of the studies this guide draws on compared psychodynamic grief therapy by video with the same therapy in an office. So the fair summary is that online delivery looks reasonable where it has been studied, and that for many situations nobody has measured it. Types of grief therapy and what the research says has more.
Who tends to prefer each format?
These are practical observations, not research findings. Online sessions often suit people who:
- Live far from Brookline, or anywhere else in Massachusetts.
- Are caring for children or a family member and cannot easily leave.
- Are worn out, and find that travel uses energy they do not have.
- Feel more able to cry or speak freely in their own space.
- Are students, or have a work schedule that makes a midday trip unrealistic.
In-person sessions often suit people who have no real privacy at home, who want a place that is separate from the house where the loss is felt most, or who find that screens make it harder to stay with a feeling. Being in a room with another person matters to some people in grief and not to others. It is also worth noticing, as Dr. Rabin's site puts it, whether convenience is supporting your attendance or whether staying home has become a way of avoiding a hard conversation.
How do you make a home session private?
Grief is hard to talk about if you are listening for footsteps in the hall. A few common-sense steps help:
- Pick the most private room you have and close the door.
- Use headphones, so only your half of the conversation can be heard.
- Tell the people you live with that you need the time uninterrupted. You do not have to say why.
- Put a fan or white-noise machine outside the door if voices carry.
- Silence notifications and keep tissues and water within reach.
- A parked car can work if it is private and you can stay for the whole session. Never join a session while driving.
One thing is particular to grief at home. When an office session ends, the trip back gives you a little time before the rest of the day. At home the call ends and you are in your kitchen. If you can, leave ten minutes afterward before you return to work or family.
Can you switch between the two?
In many cases, yes. Dr. Rabin's site says some clients meet in person in Brookline when that is convenient and by secure video when travel or schedules make it easier, and that the arrangement can be revisited as your needs change. You could start in person and move online later, or do the reverse.
If the connection drops during a session, she tries to reconnect and decides with you how to use the remaining time. Her site suggests agreeing on a backup plan at the start. If connection problems become frequent, meeting in person is an option.
If you are not sure which format fits, raise it on the free 15-minute phone consultation. You can request one on the contact page, and you do not need to have decided beforehand.
Keep reading
Sources
- Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists, Board Policies and Guidelines for Psychologists: Provision of Services Via Electronic Means (2015)
- Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) Commission, PSYPACT Map (2026)
- Massachusetts Legislature, 194th General Court, Bill H.2528, An Act establishing the psychology interjurisdictional compact (2025)
- Massachusetts Legislature, 194th General Court, Bill S.1487, An Act establishing the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (2025)
- LaPlante, Hardt, Maciejewski and Prigerson, State of the Science: Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Prolonged Grief Disorder, Behavior Therapy (2024)
- American Psychiatric Association, Prolonged Grief Disorder (2025)
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) FAQ (accessed 2026)
Last reviewed October 2026. This guide is general information, not medical advice or a diagnosis. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.
