Clinical Expertise

Dr. Sara Acker Leo is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialization in clinical health psychology and behavioral medicine. She provides individual psychotherapy to adults and adolescents with a wide variety of medical, emotional, and mental health issues.

Dr. Leo’s areas of interest include working with clients with medical issues including chronic pain, immune disorders, infertility, fibromyalgia, TMJ, IBS, rheumatological disorders, cancer, and stress-based illness. She also works extensively with clients with a variety of anxiety, mood, adjustment disorders, and OCD.

Dr. Leo believes that each person is unique, and therefore no one approach is right for everyone. Her theoretical orientation is integrative, drawing heavily from cognitive-behavioral (CBT) and mindfulness-based approaches to therapy, while incorporating relaxation training, ERP, clinical hypnotherapy, meditation, biofeedback, and supportive therapy into her practice to create a treatment that is tailored to the individual needs of each client.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Dr. Leo values and enjoys working with individuals of diverse backgrounds and identities, and is committed to practicing with cultural humility. She has worked with underserved populations including ethnic, racial, and gender and sexual minorities. She strives to cultivate an environment in which all clients feel accepted and understood.

Training

Dr. Leo earned her doctorate in clinical psychology with a specialization in clinical health psychology from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (William James College). She completed internships at two Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals: Cambridge Hospital’s Behavioral Medicine Program and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, with privileges at Children’s Hospital Boston. She is extensively trained in health psychology and behavioral medicine, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based therapies, ERP, relaxation training, pain management, clinical hypnosis, and peripheral biofeedback. She has experience working with clients from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of mental health and medical issues.

Education

• New School for Social Research, B.A. in Psychology
• Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (William James College), Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with specialization in Clinical Health Psychology
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Jimmy Fund Clinic with privileges at Boston Children’s Hospital), Predoctoral Internship
• Cambridge Hospital (CHA) Behavioral Medicine Program, Predoctoral Internship

Areas of Expertise

Stress related medical issues, chronic pain, health anxiety, sleep disorders, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, phobias, mood disorders, adjustment disorders, coping with chronic and acute illness. CBT, mindfulness-based therapies, relaxation training, clinical hypnosis, and peripheral biofeedback

Hobbies

Dr. Leo is the mother of two small children. When she used to have free time, she recalls enjoying reading mystery and fantasy novels, going to movies and out to dinner, baking, yoga, and spending time with her pets.