When addiction or loss has reorganized your family
Structured, direct therapy for the person holding things together — especially when what you've already tried hasn't worked.
Licensed in MA & VT · Former clinical director, residential addiction treatment · Hospice bereavement background
Telehealth Couples & Family Therapy | North Shore of Massachusetts & Vermont | Private Pay
Start with a free 15-minute call
A short phone conversation — you tell me what's happening, I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit. No forms, no commitment.
If any of this is familiar
Your partner's drinking or use has become the thing you plan your life around.
Someone you love is in recovery — but the family still feels unstable.
A loss has changed how your family works, not just how it feels.
These situations rarely resolve through willpower or one more hard conversation. They're patterns — and patterns can be worked with.
How I work
Structured
We name what we're working on and track whether it's changing. Therapy has a direction, not just a rhythm.
Direct
I say what I see, including the parts that are hard to hear. Clarity is a form of respect.
Systems-focused
The problem is rarely one person. We work with the pattern the whole family is caught in.
Ways we can work together
For couples where addiction, loss, or a major life transition has strained the relationship — when the same cycles keep repeating and you can't find your way back to each other.
For individuals navigating a loss — of a person, a relationship, a role, or a version of life they expected to have.
For parents and families carrying the weight of someone else's struggle — when one person's addiction, crisis, or loss has reorganized the entire family system.
For individuals who are functioning but feel the strain — carrying relational stress, life disruption, or the weight of loving someone through something hard.
Maxwell Crystal, LICSW
I spent years directing a residential addiction treatment program and coordinating hospice bereavement care. I've sat with hundreds of families in their hardest weeks — that experience is why this practice looks the way it does: small, structured, and focused on the family around the crisis.
Common Questions
Do you accept insurance? No. My practice is private pay only. I can provide a superbill upon request for potential out-of-network reimbursement.
How does telehealth work? Sessions are conducted via a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform accessible from any computer, tablet, or phone — no commute, no waiting room.
How much does couples therapy cost? Couples and family sessions are $200 per 50-minute session. Individual sessions are $175.
Are you accepting new clients? Yes. I keep a small caseload to provide focused, consistent care. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to check availability and see if we're a good fit.
Where on the North Shore do you work? I work with clients throughout the North Shore including Beverly, Salem, Newburyport, Marblehead, Gloucester, Swampscott, and surrounding areas — all via telehealth.
Practice Details
Telehealth therapy across Massachusetts and Vermont
Private pay — no insurance billing
$175 per 50-minute individual session
$200 per 50-minute couples or family session
Now accepting new clients