Guy R. Croteau, LICSW, CGP

My office is conveniently located between Downtown Crossing (Orange Line) and the Financial District (Red Line-South Station) at the following address: Currently, I am seeing client via Telehealth (Mon-Fri) and in person at my Devonshire office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, especially for Trauma, EMDR and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. My workspace takes necessary COVID related precautions including masks, social distancing and cleaning.

Although metered parking is available in the neighborhood, I HIGHLY recommend that you use public transportation. Parking is difficult and expensive.

Yes.

Sessions are 50 minutes long. Group Sessions are 75 minutes long. KAP Sessions are 3-4 hours long.

It’s simple. Contact me for a free consultation, and we’ll go from there.

I don’t accept insurance. However, I can either provide you with the necessary invoices (Superbills) to file claims on your own, or I can submit the claims on your behalf such that your insurance plan reimburses you directly. In either case, you are responsible for paying fees at the time of service.

Initial Diagnostic Appointment $275 – 75 min session. Individual Therapy $250 – 50 min session. KAP Session (Preparation, Dosing, Integration) $860 (3 hours). KAP Integration Sessions follow ups $250 – 50 min session (at least 1 is required following a KAP session within 24-48 hours). Couples Therapy $275 – 75 min session.

Call me at (617) 398-7506 Email me at grcroteau@gmail.com

I have a 24-hour cancellation policy. Appointments cancelled within those 24 hours are billable for the full fee of the appointment.

This is a short phone conversation during which we discuss how my services can meet your needs. We then set up your initial appointment.

I work primarily with adults 18 years of age and above.

I began working as a psychotherapist in 2002 in a community mental health center and have been in private practice since 2014.

Yes. I have a large percentage of clients who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and identify as transgender and non-binary.

I am not a licensed prescriber.

I have experience working with many ethnicities, religions and economic backgrounds.

Our initial appointment gives me the opportunity to get a better understanding of you and what brings you to therapy. It is also an opportunity for you to get to know me and assess whether I am a good fit for you.

That is entirely up to you. Some people find therapy necessary to address very specific problems and discontinue once that problem is solved. Others use therapy to explore deeper their understanding of themselves and how they have experienced their lives.

People often come to therapy because they’re struggling in their lives. They carry great burdens of pain and suffering. In the course of telling their stories, they often release emotions in the form of tears and laughter.

Most often, the client is the beneficiary of the therapeutic process. However, family, friends and co-workers often benefit from experiencing you as more authentic and joyful. Finally, the joy, compassion and fulfillment of therapy benefit the therapist, too.

I use Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) primarily to help people with traumatic experiences better deal with their emotions as they pertain to the trauma. See my section on EMDR for more information.

I offer a therapeutic modality called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in partnership with an organization called Journey Clinical. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible patients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. I take on the psychotherapy portion of the experience, while Journey Clinical’s medical team supports you on all medical aspects. This includes determining eligibility, developing a custom treatment plan, prescribing the medicine and monitoring outcomes. Click on KAP FAQ category above for more information about Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy.

I currently run one group. A Therapy Group for Men that meets on Tuesdays evenings via Zoom, 7:00-8:15pm.

YES! Our work is strictly confidential. All outside contact requires your overt and specific permission and signed consent. (For Couples) Of course, I hold the work of therapy with the deepest of confidences. However, I tell couples from the beginning that I do not keep secrets for them. If you tell me something that I believe will interfere with the therapy, I will work with you to divulge the information. Therapy can’t work properly if secrets are kept.

It is rare, but it does happen. However, I’m very direct when working with couples and do not allow abusive behaviors to manifest during therapy sessions. I work hard to keep negative or hostile emotions directed at me, and, for the most part, couples work hard to make reparative moves during therapy.

During couples therapy, I focus most on the relationship itself and not the specific individuals. I don’t believe any particular “side” is ever right or wrong. There is only one’s perspective that demands understanding and respect.

I began working as a psychotherapist in 2002 in a community mental health center and have been in private practice since 2014.

My greatest reward in being a therapist is the trust that clients give me. It is always an honor to bear witness to people’s suffering, stories, and celebrations in life.

I did my most intense self-discovery in the 1990s. Since then, I occasionally seek professional guidance regarding my clients and my own personal relationships, personal and professional growth. I also practice meditation and occasionally attend meditation retreats for proper self care.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from University of Hartford and a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Boston University. I have subsequently attended many formal trainings including in the work of trauma, groups, EMDR and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy.

Leave a voice message at (617) 865-2612 or email GRCroteau@gmail.com.

I hold a LICSW in the state of Massachusetts, # 112057.

I do take notes during our first two sessions. Thereafter, I make clinical notes outside our clinical work. This process allows me to maintain consistency in our work together.

Past and current clients have told me that I am easy to talk and share with. I come to therapy sessions with an open mind and open heart.

What you share in therapy is entirely under your control. Together, we seek to find understanding and truth about your authenticity.

Very! My clients often comment on the comfort of my office.

You don’t have to lie on the sofa, although you’re very welcome to make yourself as comfortable as you wish. I have clients who love my thick and soft blanket to wrap themselves in during therapy. I also have a weighted blanket that can help with stress and anxiety.

As a client, you’re allowed to ask anything you like. However, I reserve the right to not answer questions of a personal nature that do not have material relevance to our work together. While I have strong boundaries as a clinician, I am not a “blank slate” and do share a bit of myself when clinically appropriate.

Ketamine is a legal, safe and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Ketamine has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects, which can begin to take effect within 1-2 hrs. after treatment and last for up to 2 weeks. It works by blocking the brain’s NMDA receptors as well as by stimulating AMPA receptors, which are thought to help form new synaptic connections and boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood. Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity for lasting symptom improvement.

Ketamine can be administered in a variety of ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, via nasal spray and using sublingual lozenges. In my work with Journey Clinical we only use the sublingual lozenge form.

The effects of ketamine, which most patients find pleasant, last for approximately 45 minutes. These effects can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience. Once these effects subsided, we’ll spend the remainder of our appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happened during the experience, patients feel like the insights gained are none-the-less clear. Studies have shown that the benefits to mood and neurological growth can last up to two weeks after the Ketamine experience.

1. Initial consultation with Journey Clinical You schedule an initial evaluation with a clinician from the Journey Clinical medical team via zoom. They will go over your medical and psychiatric history with you, provide education on the treatment and determine if you are eligible for KAP. If Journey Clinical’s medical team determines that you are eligible for KAP, they will develop a personalized Ketamine prescription and outcome monitoring plan for you. Journey Clinical’s medical staff will write a ketamine prescription for you, and a small amount of oral ketamine will be sent to your home, enough for the first 2 KAP sessions. You will be taught to take your vitals and self-administer the ketamine lozenges by Journey Clinical’s medical team in advance of our KAP sessions. 2. Preparation sessions: Once you receive your ketamine lozenges, we will schedule time together for our KAP preparation, dosing and integration sessions. Preparation session(s) will be scheduled just like regular therapy sessions prior to the KAP dosing session. The goal of a preparation session(s) is to align on the process and set intentions for our KAP sessions together. 3. KAP Dosing Session: A typical ketamine dosing session lasts between 1-2 hours and can take place either in-person at my office, or remotely via telehealth. During a dosing session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge either in my office or in your home. You will be in a comfortable, reclining position wearing an eye mask and listening to calming music. Although a KAP dosing session may be largely an internal experience, I will be present with you the entire time to hold space and provide support as needed. 4. Integration Sessions: After our KAP dosing session, we will meet for multiple integration therapy sessions to review the memories, thoughts & insights that arose during your dosing session, and to prepare for the next dosing session. 5. Follow-up consultations with Journey Clinical: After our first KAP session, Journey Clinical’s medical team schedules regular follow ups with you to monitor outcomes and prescribe ketamine lozenge refills, as appropriate. The frequency of follow ups depends on your unique treatment plan, at a minimum of once per quarter.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is an affordable, accessible modality. Although the medical intake and follow ups are not covered by insurance, they are eligible for out-of-network reimbursement. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy My typical hourly rate is $250/session (50 min) For a full 3 hour KAP session: $860 Journey Clinical Medical Costs Medical Intake: $250 (One time fee, reimbursable through out-of-network) Follow-up Sessions: $150/Session (minimum of 1/quarter, reimbursable through out-of-network) Cost of Ketamine Lozenges: est $75 for approximately 4-6 lozenges (not covered by insurance)

If you would like to explore the possibility of working with me on KAP, please

Journey Clinical is a platform for licensed psychotherapists to incorporate science-based psychedelic therapies in their practice safely and effectively, starting with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Journey Clinical’s in-house medical team takes on patient eligibility, prescriptions and outcome monitoring, while I take on the therapy. Their collaborative care model is designed to deliver personalized treatment plans to meet your individual needs and improve long-term outcomes. Click on the logo below to visit their site.