Holly Burnes, RN, MS, CS

Holly Burnes, RN, MS, CS, is a certified Mental Health Clinical Specialist with over twenty years of experience as an adult psychotherapist and with a specialty in helping people adapt to physical illness. She now has a private practice in Brookline and Chestnut Hill. For the last twelve years Ms. Burnes has been a leader in Mind/Body Medicine at Harvard Community Health Plan, now Harvard Vanguard. She taught doctors and clinicians to lead mind/body interventions, and designed and led groups for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, heart disease and infertility. She directed the Personal Health Improvement Program (PHIP) during the '90s and is on the faculty of the PHIP training program for program facilitators. Her career started in the 1970s when she treated hospitalized medical and surgical patients for their emotional issues. This included people with heart disease, cancer, and many forms of loss, as well as job stress for the hospital staff.

In addition to her professional work, Ms. Burnes has personally experienced surgeries and chronic pain and used alternative medical techniques to improve her health. Helping others to find a blend of care that works for them is one of her commitments. Her clients decide whether they want alternative approaches or not; she simply sees herself as a resource to them. She is trained as a Reiki practitioner and she understands and works collaboratively with yoga; T'ai Chi; Shiatsu, Trager, and other massage approaches; chiropractics; energy work; and acupuncture.

Through working with Ms. Burnes you will:

For most conditions, you would probably seek one to one therapy with Ms. Burnes, but she offers some group programs. It is often useful to work with others who are dealing with the same physical problems, and it makes treatment more affordable.

Call to discuss your options. (617-909-4100)

Philosophy of care:

We all do the best we can to handle the situations that we face in our daily lives, but periodically our coping skills are not adequate. I recommend seeing these moments as opportunities to learn new strategies rather than thinking you are weak or inadequate. My approach to moods and attitudes is to treat them as ingrained patterns of behavior, not permanent character flaws. By questioning whether your old ways serve you now, I can help you identify what you could learn that would be more effective. Some situations benefit from learning relaxation techniques; other call for new ways to communicate, life style changes, ways to manage stress, or a combination.

Whether your main problem is physical or emotional, you can use your mind to help your body and your body to improve your outlook on life. I approach emotional issues with a combination of movement and cognitive therapies, and I welcome working with alternative therapies. We might also put your spiritual beliefs to work to improve your health.

Health problems are often seen as loss and shrinking opportunities, but they can also teach you to focus on what really matters and find strengths you never knew you had. I am experienced at helping people in these moments.