Founder · Clinical Psychologist
Licensed in Massachusetts
“We all have internal relational and emotional maps, drawn from our earliest experiences. But sometimes they blur the line between past and present, leading us in circles. My job is to help people redraw their maps and access their compass so they can find a clearer path forward.”
With over 25,000 clinical hours, equivalent to nearly three decades of full-time practice, Dr. Harter has developed particular depth in understanding the invisible forces that keep individuals and couples tethered to old pain and entrenched patterns. Where others may see dead ends, she looks for new pathways, helping clients use moments of struggle as opportunities to understand what is happening and begin doing something different.
Dr. Harter’s therapeutic approach combines psychological expertise with genuine partnership, challenging clients while providing steadfast support. “Therapy isn’t about being comfortable,” she notes. “It’s about becoming whole.” Her approach combines analytical problem-solving with emotional understanding, resonating especially well with scientists, engineers, physicians, attorneys, and other people who are accustomed to thinking deeply and solving complex problems. At the same time, she works with clients who lead more from intuition and emotional awareness. This range is particularly useful in her couples work, where partners often understand and communicate very differently. She is skilled at translating emotional and relational concepts into clear frameworks while helping couples understand the deeper forces shaping their interactions.
Trained at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard, Dr. Harter integrates Internal Family Systems (IFS), Gottman Method Couples Therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She has advanced certification in neurodiverse couples therapy through the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity (AANE) and is on the faculty of the Psychodynamic Couple & Family Institute of New England (PCFINE).
She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with highest honors in psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill, where her work focused on CBT research and the moment-to-moment process of communication in relationships. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship in psychodynamic psychotherapy through the Program for Psychotherapy at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, she directed the couples portion of the Harvard Study of Adult Development through Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital before transitioning to private practice.
In 2019, Dr. Harter founded 1A Wellness around a commitment to providing exceptional therapy so that clients can transform their lives. Today, 1A Wellness is a well-established collaborative practice of highly trained, caring clinicians who share that mission.
Originally from the South, Dr. Harter is now solidly a New Englander and is still occasionally surprised when she returns to North Carolina and total strangers greet her with cheerful hellos on the street.
“After decades of being a therapist, it is still the most fulfilling work I could imagine. People assume it must be depressing, sitting with other people’s pain, but it’s the opposite. I get to work with people who want to grow, who want to heal, who have the courage to try something different. What could be more hopeful than that?”
Ready when you are.If Dr. Harter sounds like the right fit, reach out.