Allison Helen Grimes
Vetted

Allison Helen Grimes

She/Her/Hers

Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC Specialties Insurance & Fees Locations
Massachusetts, New York, Florida Waitlist Online
Cambridge, Back Bay Waitlist In-person

March 2024: This practice continues to take steps to minimize Covid risk. N95 and KF94 respirators are required for in person meetings.

Updated March 29, 2024

Specialties & Expertise

  • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Medical Trauma
  • Attachment issues
  • Medical professionals' mental health
  • Dissociative disorders
  • Childhood trauma

Professional statement

Allison Grimes is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in Cambridge, MA. Allison is passionate about working with young adult survivors of emotionally immature parents (often trauma survivors themselves) who are highly motivated to prioritize their own well-being and happiness, but are held back by long term patterns of perfectionism and being overly responsible. Some folks in this category are able to identify a key driver of these ways of being as striving for acceptance and a sense of worthiness.

Allison is an EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist and Consultant In Training. She earned her Masters degree from Lesley University. As an Attachment-based therapist she creates a safe, comfortable atmosphere by taking her clients through breathing and grounding exercises, somatics, or art therapy. These early phases of treatment prepare clients to process through overwhelming experiences both from the recent past as well as childhood. By bringing her full presence to client relationships, she engages both client's high achieving selves and their more playful sides. She also holds space for clients to explore the more hidden parts of self that don’t get the attention they truly deserve.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is highly effective for developmental, sexual and medical trauma. EMDR with the right provider can help clients unlearn survival based strategies and support more adaptive ways of being. EMDR Intensives offer an accelerated path to healing. The intensive format has been shown to be as effective as long term weekly therapy in reducing symptoms. Multiple half-day or full-day sessions strung together consecutively or every other day make treatment more efficient.


Message to clients

I love working with high achieving mid-career professionals who tend towards perfectionism, long to form and sustain close relationships, and struggle with putting themselves first.

We'll weave in experiential practices into our EMDR work. This will allow you to let go of old false negative beliefs about what your utility or achievement status says about your worthiness. In addition to the insight work, you'll learn skills to tone your nervous system making it more resilient to everyday stressors and the sometimes destabilizing impact friends or family members have on you. In addition, you'll get really good at identifying your needs and advocating for those needs in relationships with friends, family members and colleagues.

Working together, you'll gain clarity and freedom to act in new ways. Mindfulness and attunement are integral to the process. You'll learn to see where you’re avoiding action and where you’re taking actions that are leading you down the same path of isolation and stuckness. EMDR fosters change by desensitizing your mind to disturbing stimuli and unburdening your nervous system of past ways of not being seen and heard, of feeling disconnected from your body and your emotions.


Specialties

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Healing painful experiences and memories from the past

Medical Trauma - Medical trauma is an umbrella term; it refers to overwhelming emotions in the context of illness, diagnosis, or treatment.

Attachment issues - Development of effective relational and communication skills; insight into family attachment patterns;fostering healthy family relationships.

Medical professionals' mental health - Support navigating work-related expectations and stress; addressing issues of burnout, hierarchical pressures, and vicarious trauma

Dissociative disorders - Support processing and coping with painful or overwhelming emotions and reducing experiences of detachment from one’s reality, emotions, memory, and body

Childhood trauma - Learning how traumatic events in childhood can translate into adulthood; processing through difficult memories with the goal of moving past the experience and lingering symptoms




Clientele

  • Adults (24+)
  • Seniors (65+)
  • Young adults (18-24)

Insurance

Allison Grimes is not in-network with any insurances.

Read about the benefits of seeing an out-of-network provider here.


Out-of-pocket fees

  • Individual sessions: $300 (53min)
  • Initial session: $310 (50min)
  • Individual Sessions: $265 (45min)
  • Individual Sessions: $320 (60min)
  • EMDR Intensives Start At:: $1390 (180min)
  • Initial Pre-Intensive Session:: $410 (60min)

Additional session information

Out-of-network billing options

This provider can support you in getting reimbursement from your insurance company if you are seeking out-of-network reimbursement. Here are the out-of-network billing options they provide:

  • Super billing
Payment options
  • Check
  • Credit Card
  • Debit Card
  • Zelle
Session frequency

Frequency of sessions this provider offers to see clients once you are an established client.

  • Weekly
  • Multiple times a week
Therapist's note

Additional Payment Options: HSA and FSA

EMDR Intensives: While required to provide an hourly rate above, EMDR Intensives are not billed by the hour. Instead, pricing is bundled per package for EMDR Intensives.


Location(s)

Online Sessions (Massachusetts)
Accepting new clients with a 2 - 3 week wait online
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon 8:00am-4:00pm
  • Tue 8:00am-4:00pm
  • Wed Closed
  • Thu 9:00am-4:00pm
  • Fri 8:00am-4:00pm
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Online Sessions (New York)
Accepting new clients with a 2 - 3 week wait online
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon 9:00am-4:00pm
  • Tue 8:00am-4:00pm
  • Wed Closed
  • Thu 9:00am-4:00pm
  • Fri 8:00am-4:00pm
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Cambridge practice
335 Broadway, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
Accepting new clients with a 2 - 3 week wait in-person
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon Availability for EMDR Intensives Only
  • Tue Availability for EMDR Intensives Only
  • Wed Availability for Weekly EMDR & EMDR Intensives
  • Thu Availability for EMDR Intensives Only
  • Fri Availability for EMDR Intensives Only
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Online Sessions (Florida)
Accepting new clients with a 2 - 3 week wait online
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon 8:30am-4:00pm
  • Tue 8:30am-4:00pm
  • Wed Closed
  • Thu 8:30am-4:00pm
  • Fri 8:30am-4:00pm
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Back Bay practice
137 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Accepting new clients with a 2 - 3 week wait in-person
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon EMDR Intensives Only, 8am-4pm
  • Tue EMDR Intensives Only, 8am-4pm
  • Wed Closed
  • Thu EMDR Intensives Only, 8am-4pm
  • Fri EMDR Intensives Only, 8am-4pm
  • Sat EMDR Intensives Only, 8am-4pm
  • Sun EMDR Intensives Only, 8am-4pm

Work and Education

Years of Experience: 10 years

Allison Grimes Psychotherapy, Sole Proprietor, 2019 - Present

EMDRIA, Consultant In Training (CIT), 2023
American Society for Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) , Completed Level Two Training, 2022
Society for Clinical & Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH), Member In Good Standing Since, 2021
Polyvagal Institute, Engaging The Rhythm of Regulation: Foundations of Polyvagal Informed Practice , 2021
International Society for The Study of Trauma & Dissociation (ISSTD), Member Since, 2020
EMDRIA, EMDR Certified, 2020
Lesley University, MA, 2014


Licensure

Massachusetts: 10846

New York: 011001-01

Florida: TPMC1326


Languages

English


Client testimonials

"We had a wonderful conversation! Lots of good resources, and I am looking forward to working with her in the future."
- Zencare client • January 2021