It is hard to ask for help with relationships without wondering what will be asked of you. Will you have to tell your whole life story? Will the therapist take sides? What if the thing you came about shows up in the room?
This page sets out what Dr. Rabin's own site says about the work, alongside what official sources say about psychotherapy in general. Other therapists work differently, and what to expect in your first therapy session is a general walk-through.
What happens on the consultation call?
Dr. Rabin offers a free consultation of about 15 minutes. It takes place by phone, and you request it through the contact page.
You do not need a prepared account of your situation. The American Psychological Association says that when you first get in touch, "It's enough to just say that you are interested in knowing more about psychotherapy." Her page describes it as a chance to share what brings you in and see whether the fit is right, with no obligation. You can also ask how she works. How to choose a therapist for relationship issues has questions you can bring.
What are the first sessions like?
Her sessions are usually weekly and last 45 to 50 minutes. What happens early on varies from one therapist to another. In general, the American Psychological Association says, a psychologist will probably work with you at the start to develop goals and a rough timeline for treatment.
Her approach looks at how early relationships shape present ones, so the past is likely to come up as well as the present. The American Psychological Association describes this kind of therapy in general terms: "You might spend your sessions discussing your early experiences to help you and your psychologist better understand the root causes of your current problems." How much and how fast is something you can talk about with her.
Confidentiality is covered at the start. Massachusetts law says that communications between a licensed psychologist and the people they work with are confidential, and that the psychologist must explain the legal limits of that confidentiality at the beginning of the professional relationship. Ask any question you have about it then.
What does the work focus on?
Dr. Rabin's relationship therapy is individual therapy focused on you and your relationships. It is not couples or marriage counseling. Her page speaks of:
- Finding yourself in the same kind of conflict again and again.
- Trouble trusting, or fear of being abandoned or engulfed.
- Losing yourself, or people-pleasing, in relationships.
- Difficulty setting or holding boundaries.
- Struggling to communicate needs or feelings.
- Feeling lonely or disconnected even when others are near.
Because only you are in the room, the work is about your side of a pattern: what you want from others, what you expect them to do, and how you respond. That has limits. A therapist hears one account of a relationship, and a paper written from the couples-therapy field names this among the concerns with individual therapy for couple problems. Her page names an advantage too: space to understand your own part in a pattern, whether or not anyone else is ready to change.
Her page is clear that understanding your patterns is not about blame. Patterns are learned ways of protecting yourself, not character flaws.
How does the relationship with the therapist come into it?
This part may be less familiar. In Dr. Rabin's approach, the therapy relationship itself becomes a place to notice patterns as they happen and to practice relating differently.
Psychodynamic therapists call part of this transference. The APA Dictionary notes that the term's broader meaning, "an unconscious repetition of earlier behaviors and their projection onto new subjects," is "acknowledged as applying to all human interactions." In plain terms, the expectations you bring to other people can come into the room too. Someone who usually keeps the peace may notice themselves agreeing with the therapist when they do not. Someone who expects to be let down may brace for it. Saying so, and seeing what happens next, is part of the work.
Research supports some of this and is mixed on the rest. A 2018 meta-analysis of 11 studies found a moderate link between working through strains in the therapy relationship and better outcomes, as a correlation. One trial of 100 outpatients found that the effect of focusing directly on the therapy relationship depended on the person: it was more positive for some patients and had a negative effect for others.
What does the research say about this way of working?
Psychodynamic therapy has a research base in depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms and personality problems. A 2023 umbrella review by psychodynamic researchers found moderate quality evidence that it is as efficacious as other active therapies in those disorders. Critics have raised concerns about how some earlier reviews were done.
No trial this guide found measured any individual therapy specifically as a treatment for relationship patterns. A 2018 meta-analysis reported that improvements in attachment security during therapy "may coincide with better treatment outcome." That is a correlation, not proof that therapy changes attachment style.
Where do sessions happen, and what do they cost?
In person at 1577 Beacon Street in Brookline, or by secure telehealth to clients anywhere in Massachusetts. Online therapy in Massachusetts has the details.
The fee is $375 per session. The practice is private-pay and out-of-network, paid at the time of service, with a monthly superbill you can submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement and a sliding scale on request. See fees and insurance.
Keep reading
Sources
- American Psychological Association, Understanding psychotherapy and how it works (last updated December 12, 2023)
- Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 112, section 129A (confidential communications)
- Gurman and Burton, Individual therapy for couple problems: perspectives and pitfalls. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (2014)
- APA Dictionary of Psychology, core conflictual relationship theme (CCRT) (updated 2018)
- APA Dictionary of Psychology, transference (updated 2018)
- Eubanks et al., Alliance rupture repair: A meta-analysis. Psychotherapy (2018)
- Høglend et al., Effects of transference work in the context of therapeutic alliance and quality of object relations. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (2011)
- Leichsenring et al., The status of psychodynamic psychotherapy as an empirically supported treatment for common mental disorders: an umbrella review based on updated criteria. World Psychiatry (2023)
- Thombs et al., Is there room for criticism of studies of psychodynamic psychotherapy? American Psychologist (2011)
- Levy et al., Adult attachment as a predictor and moderator of psychotherapy outcome: A meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology (2018)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline, Should I Go To Couples Therapy With My Abusive Partner?
- Casa Myrna, SafeLink: Massachusetts' statewide domestic violence hotline
Last reviewed October 2026. This guide is general information, not medical advice or a diagnosis. If you are in danger, call 911. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988.
