Helena Marshall LICSW, LCDP, DBT-C
Online & In-PersonAccepting New Clients
About Helena
Living with intense emotions or BPD can make relationships, decision-making, and everyday stress feel overwhelming. Helena Marshall, LICSW, LCDP, DBT-C, specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and supporting individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
Helena helps clients build practical skills for managing emotions, tolerating distress, communicating effectively, and developing healthier relationships. In addition to individual therapy, she offers weekly DBT skills groups focused on mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Her approach is compassionate, collaborative, and focused on helping clients create meaningful and lasting change.
Insurance Accepted
AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldMedicaidNHPRIOptumTufts Health PlanUnitedHealthcare
Out-of-Network Cost
$150 - 200 per session
Approaches · Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
How does cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) work and how can it help?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you better understand the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Together, we identify patterns that may be contributing to distress and work on developing healthier, more balanced ways of thinking and responding. CBT is practical and goal-focused, providing skills you can use outside of therapy to manage difficult emotions, cope with stress, solve problems, and create meaningful changes in your daily life.
Specialties · Anxiety
How do you work with clients with anxiety?
I work with clients experiencing anxiety by helping them understand the thoughts, emotions, and patterns that contribute to feeling overwhelmed or stuck. Together, we identify triggers, develop healthier coping strategies, and build skills for managing worry, uncertainty, and difficult emotions. I may incorporate CBT and DBT strategies, including mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation, to help clients feel more confident navigating anxiety in everyday life.
About Me
For people that are hesitant to try therapy, what do you wish you could tell them?
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy, and you don’t have to come in knowing exactly what you want to work on. It’s okay to feel nervous, uncertain, or even skeptical. We can take things one step at a time. My role is not to judge you or tell you how to live your life, but to help you better understand yourself, learn practical skills, and work toward the changes that matter to you.
Specialties · Depression
How do you work with clients with depression?
I work with clients experiencing depression by providing a supportive, nonjudgmental space to explore the thoughts, emotions, and life circumstances that may be contributing to feeling stuck or overwhelmed. Together, we work on identifying patterns, developing healthier coping strategies, increasing meaningful activity, and building skills to manage difficult emotions. I may incorporate CBT and DBT skills to support emotional regulation, mindfulness, and gradual, meaningful change.
Approaches · Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
How does dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) work and how can it help?
DBT is a structured, skills-based approach that teaches practical strategies for managing emotions, tolerating distress, improving relationships, and increasing mindfulness. I incorporate DBT into individual therapy and also offer weekly DBT skills groups where clients can learn and practice the four core skill areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT can help clients develop healthier coping strategies and create meaningful, lasting changes in their lives.
About Me
What should someone thinking about working with you know about you?
I want clients to know that therapy with me is a collaborative and nonjudgmental process. I specialize in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and have a particular focus on working with individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), emotional dysregulation, and difficulty navigating relationships or overwhelming emotions. My approach balances acceptance with change while helping clients develop practical skills they can use in everyday life. I also offer weekly DBT skills groups for clients who want additional support building mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.
Specialties · Trauma and PTSD
How do you work with clients with trauma and PTSD?
When working with trauma and PTSD, I focus on helping clients feel safe, supported, and empowered throughout the therapeutic process. I incorporate DBT skills to help clients manage intense emotions, tolerate distress, stay grounded in the present, and develop healthier ways of coping. Treatment is individualized and paced according to each client’s needs, with an emphasis on building stability and improving overall quality of life.
Specialties · Grief
How do you work with clients with grief?
Grief does not follow a set timeline, and you do not have to navigate loss alone. I provide a supportive space where clients can talk openly about their loss, process difficult emotions, and learn ways to cope with the changes that grief can bring. My approach is compassionate and individualized, helping clients honor what they have experienced while gradually finding ways to move forward.
Specialties · Addiction
How do you work with clients with addiction?
I work with clients experiencing addiction from a compassionate, nonjudgmental perspective. Together, we explore the emotional, behavioral, and situational patterns that contribute to substance use while developing healthier ways to cope with stress, cravings, and difficult emotions. I incorporate DBT skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness to support healthier choices, improved relationships, and meaningful change.
Specialties · Anger Management
How do you work with clients on anger management?
Anger can sometimes feel difficult to control and may affect relationships, communication, and overall well-being. I provide a nonjudgmental space to help clients understand their anger, recognize triggers and patterns, and develop practical strategies for responding differently. Using DBT-based skills, we work on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, effective communication, and managing conflict in healthier ways.
Specialties · ADHD
How do you work with clients with ADHD?
ADHD can affect much more than attention. It can influence organization, motivation, emotions, relationships, and the ability to follow through on everyday responsibilities. I work collaboratively with clients to identify the areas creating the most difficulty and develop realistic strategies that fit their individual needs. When helpful, I incorporate DBT skills to strengthen mindfulness, emotional regulation, and coping with frustration or overwhelm.
Specialties · Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD)
How do you work with clients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?
OCD can leave you feeling trapped in a cycle of intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and behaviors that provide temporary relief but keep the cycle going. I work collaboratively with clients to better understand these patterns and develop more effective ways of responding to distress and uncertainty. Treatment may incorporate evidence-based OCD strategies alongside DBT skills for mindfulness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance, depending on each client’s individual needs.
Specialties · Borderline Personality (BPD)
How do you work with clients with borderline personality (BPD)?
I work with clients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) using a compassionate, structured, and skills-based approach grounded in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Together, we focus on understanding emotional and relationship patterns, managing intense emotions, tolerating distress, reducing impulsive reactions, and building healthier ways of communicating and coping. My approach balances acceptance with change and helps clients develop practical skills they can use in everyday life. I also offer weekly DBT skills groups for clients who want additional support learning and practicing core DBT skills.
About Me
How can you provide care remotely?
I provide individual therapy and DBT-focused care through telehealth, making it easier for clients to access support from a private and convenient setting. Virtual sessions can include learning and practicing DBT skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. I also offer weekly virtual DBT skills groups for clients who benefit from structured skills training and additional support.
Specialties · Bipolar Disorder
How do you work with clients with bipolar disorder?
When working with bipolar disorder, I use a collaborative and skills-based approach to help clients navigate changes in mood, manage intense emotions, and improve overall stability. DBT skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness can be incorporated to help clients respond more effectively to difficult emotions and stressful situations. Treatment is individualized and may complement medication management and psychiatric care.
Specialties · Stress
How do you work with clients with stress?
I work with clients experiencing stress by helping them identify the situations, thoughts, and patterns that contribute to feeling overwhelmed. Together, we develop practical strategies for managing stress, setting healthy boundaries, improving emotional regulation, and creating greater balance in daily life. I may incorporate DBT skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness to help clients respond to stressful situations more effectively.
Location
1200 Hartford Avenue
Suite102
Johnston, Rhode Island 02919
Specialties
AddictionAnxietyBipolar DisorderBorderline Personality (BPD)DepressionIndividual Therapy
Client Focuses
AdultElders (65+)Straight / Heterosexual
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)Dialectical Behavior (DBT)Motivational InterviewingMulticulturalPerson-Centered