Individual therapy for adults · Portland, Maine & online
There is no rush here.
I am Dr. Miriam Ashby, a licensed clinical psychologist. I help thoughtful, tired adults untangle anxiety, grief and burnout, at a pace that lets you actually feel what is changing.
Therapy as a slow conversation, not a fix-it appointment.
Most people arrive having already tried hard: the books, the apps, the advice. What is often missing is a steady place to slow down long enough to understand what is happening underneath.
My work is integrative. I draw on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems and psychodynamic thinking, choosing what fits you rather than fitting you to a method.
Steady
Same time, same room, same person. Consistency is part of the treatment.
Collaborative
We set goals together and revisit them. You lead; I offer structure and honest reflection.
Evidence-informed
Grounded in research on what helps, held lightly enough to stay human.
The weight people bring through the door.
- 01
Anxiety & overthinking
The 3 a.m. loop, the tight chest before a meeting, the sense that something is always about to go wrong.
- 02
Grief & loss
Bereavement, pregnancy loss, estrangement, and the quieter losses no one sends flowers for.
- 03
Burnout & work stress
For clinicians, teachers, founders and caregivers who have been running on reserves for too long.
- 04
Life transitions
Divorce, relocation, new parenthood, retirement, an empty house: the in-between seasons.
- 05
Relationship patterns
Understanding why the same conflicts keep returning, and what you want to do differently.
- 06
Self-worth & perfectionism
Loosening the inner critic so achievement stops being the price of feeling okay.
“You do not have to have the words yet. We can find them together.”
A note from Miriam
What actually happens, step by step.
Free call
20 minutes by phone or video. You share a little of what is going on; I explain how I work. No commitment.
First session
60 minutes. We go gently through your history, what brought you now, and what you would like to be different.
Shaping a plan
By session three we agree on focus and rhythm, usually weekly to begin, sometimes fortnightly.
Ongoing work
50-minute sessions. Regular check-ins on progress, and a planned, unhurried ending when you are ready.
Two ways to meet
A quiet second-floor room at 42 Danforth Street in Portland's West End: soft light, two good chairs, tea on arrival. Street parking and a bus stop at the corner.
- Tuesday to Thursday, 9am to 6pm
- Step-free entrance and lift
- Weighted blanket and fidget tools available
Clear costs, no surprises.
You will receive a Good Faith Estimate before we begin, as required under the No Surprises Act.
Standard session
$165
50 minutes · first session 60 min at $195
- In-network: Anthem BCBS, Harvard Pilgrim
- Superbills for out-of-network reimbursement
- HSA and FSA cards accepted
Sliding scale
$70–140
Four places held each season
Reserved for students, artists, and anyone between jobs or uninsured. No paperwork or proof of income, just an honest conversation about what is sustainable.
Fourteen years of sitting with people.
I trained in clinical psychology at a hospital-based program, then spent eight years on a palliative care team before opening Slow Water in 2019. Sitting with people at the hardest edges of life taught me patience, and that most of us are far more resilient than we feel.
Outside the room, I swim in the cold Atlantic most mornings and am slowly, badly learning the cello.
- Licensure
- Licensed Psychologist, Maine #PSY 4471
- Doctorate
- PsyD, Clinical Psychology
- Training
- IFS Level 2 · ACT Intensive
- Memberships
- Maine Psychological Association member
A free, no-pressure first conversation.
Share as much or as little as you like. I reply personally within two working days to arrange a 20-minute call.
- Completely confidential
- No obligation to book
- Referrals offered if I am not the right fit
Please do not use this form in an emergency. If you are in crisis, call your local emergency number or 988.
Things people often wonder.
Research is clear that the relationship matters more than any single method. That is why the first conversation is free: a 20-minute call where you can ask anything, notice how it feels to talk with me, and decide without pressure. If I am not the right fit, I will happily suggest colleagues who might be.