At Polaris Psychology, we help people find clarity, healing, and direction through comprehensive, compassionate psychological care.
Founded in 2021 by Dr. Amanda Mead, Polaris Psychology was created to reimagine what a private psychology practice could be: one that is warm and deeply human while maintaining the highest professional standards of expertise, clinical excellence, and ethics.
Our licensed psychologists are authorized to practice
Much like our namesake Polaris, the North Star, we strive to be a reliable point of guidance and consistency for those seeking understanding, growth, and change.
The Values That Guide Our Work
Together, these values keep our work grounded in science and shaped by humanity. They influence how we structure sessions, design assessments, collaborate with attorneys and other professionals, and measure outcomes over time. If you’d like to understand how these principles translate into day-to-day care, explore our clinical approach next.
Integrating Empathy, Science, and the Human Experience
At Polaris Psychology, we combine evidence-based psychotherapeutic modalities with genuine human understanding. Our work is guided by research, but it’s never mechanical. Each person’s history, culture, and relationships shape how we approach therapy and assessment.
Before diving into any technique or theory, we take time to understand the person behind the symptoms. Every story is layered with context—past experiences, present stressors, cultural influences, and hopes for the future. These nuances guide how we listen and how we plan treatment.
Great therapy doesn’t start with a method; it starts with a relationship. The principles below illustrate how we translate science into meaningful human connection and how each approach supports healing from a different angle.
Relational Work
Our therapeutic relationships are central to every intervention. We approach each session as a collaborative process built on trust, respect, and safety. This relationship becomes the foundation for insight and growth; helping people understand themselves and experience connection differently.
Depth and Insight
We draw from psychodynamic principles to explore how past experiences influence present patterns. This isn’t abstract theory; it’s practical understanding that empowers people to see how history, emotion, and behavior intertwine, and how to create change in the present.
Trauma-Informed Care
Our trauma-informed approach recognizes how adversity affects both mind and body. We emphasize choice, pacing, and predictability. Healing happens best in a space that feels secure and allows for empowerment at every step.
Whether we’re conducting psychological assessments for diagnostic clarity or immigration evaluations, we apply the same level of depth, care, and precision. Every report and every therapeutic encounter reflects both science and compassion.
Our approach balances structure with flexibility, creating a practice that feels professional, human, and deeply intentional.
Comprehensive Psychological Services Nationwide
We specialize in delivering thoughtful, research-based psychological services that are both compassionate and precise.
Our work spans therapy, assessment, and forensic evaluation; each grounded in doctoral-level training and tailored to the unique goals and contexts of every client. We provide care nationwide, with select in-person services available in our regional locations. Our clients include individuals, families, and professionals from diverse backgrounds seeking clarity, support, and expert guidance.
Therapy
We provide psychotherapy for adults, teens, and families with a gentle, relational approach. Our licensed psychologists specialize in issues like complex trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, and life transitions, tailoring treatment to each individual’s story. We draw from evidence-based modalities (such as CBT, DBT, and narrative therapy) and a relational psychodynamic perspective to ensure you feel truly heard and supported.
Psychological Evaluations for Immigration
Our team has extensive training in forensic psychological evaluations for immigration cases. We have conducted numerous immigration evaluations for clients from diverse backgrounds, ensuring cultural sensitivity to each case. Whether you need an evaluation for an asylum (I-589) case, hardship waiver (I-601/I-601A), VAWA petition, U Visa, or T Visa, we deliver thorough, timely reports that attorneys trust. Polaris Psychology understands the high stakes of these cases – we work compassionately yet efficiently to document your story and strengthen your legal petition.
Read more about our psychological evaluations for immigration →
Psychological and Neuropsychological Assessments
Polaris Psychology offers in-depth psychological and neuropsychological assessments to help unravel the “puzzle pieces” of your mental health. From ADHD and autism evaluations to diagnostic testing for mood and personality disorders, our assessments provide clear insights and actionable recommendations. We conduct testing in person at select locations or via telehealth when appropriate, ensuring convenience without compromising quality.
Read more about our psychological and neuropsychological assessment services →
Whom We Serve
We work with individuals, families, and professionals seeking clarity, growth, and healing. Our practice supports a wide range of people—from those exploring therapy for the first time to those navigating complex psychological or legal situations.
Many of our therapy clients are working through trauma, loss, anxiety, burnout, or life transitions, or seeking to better understand their identity and relationships. Others come to us for psychological and neuropsychological assessments to gain insight into how they think, learn, and function day to day.
We also partner with attorneys, law firms, and human rights organizations nationwide to provide immigration and forensic psychological evaluations. Our reports are known for their depth, precision, and humanity, helping clients tell their stories clearly and compassionately in legal contexts.
Wherever you are in your process—whether you’re seeking therapy, diagnostic clarity, or documentation for an immigration case—Polaris Psychology offers the depth of expertise and care needed to move forward with confidence.
A Boutique Psychology Practice With A Nationwide Reach
Polaris Psychology began in Milford, New Hampshire, and has since grown into a boutique psychology practice that combines the warmth and attentiveness of a small team with the infrastructure and licensure to serve clients nationwide.
We now operate from eight U.S. locations: Chicago, IL • Concord, NH • Denver, CO • Milford, NH • New York, NY • Philadelphia, PA • Seattle, WA • Washington, DC. and provide secure telehealth services to clients
Whether you are seeking therapy, a psychological assessment, or a forensic or immigration evaluation, our systems are designed to make expert, doctoral-level care accessible wherever you are. Each location reflects our values of professionalism, empathy, and personalized attention—ensuring that no matter where you connect from, your experience feels consistent, thoughtful, and human.
Click to view the full list of 44 states and territories we serve
Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • District of Columbia • Florida • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Kansas • Kentucky • Maine • Maryland • Michigan • Minnesota • Missouri • Mississippi • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
For a visual representation of our service areas, please see the map below.
Our model allows us to remain small enough to know our clients well, yet broad enough to meet them wherever they are. Our national reach means consistency of care across time zones and regions. Clients and attorneys alike work with the same licensed psychologists, unified documentation systems, and secure telehealth platform: ensuring the same high standard of empathy, precision, and professionalism everywhere we practice.
Meet the People Behind Polaris
At Polaris Psychology, care starts with people. We believe that psychological services should feel personal, not procedural, and that begins with our team. When you contact us, you’re speaking with real humans who take the time to understand your needs, match you thoughtfully with a psychologist, and guide you through the process with warmth and professionalism.
We’re proud to remain a boutique practice: small enough to know our clients personally, yet structured enough to provide responsive, nationwide care. Every person who works at Polaris contributes to that balance of empathy, organization, and precision.
Below are the psychologists who lead our clinical work and embody the values that guide everything we do.
Dr. Amanda Mead
Founder, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Mead founded Polaris Psychology to create a practice where expertise and empathy coexist. Her work spans psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and immigration evaluations. She is known for her trauma-informed, relational, and psychodynamic approach, and her dedication to precise, ethical, and compassionate care.
Dr. Ashley Welch
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Welch provides therapy and assessment with an emphasis on emotional safety, authenticity, and collaboration. She supports adults and teens navigating transitions, loss, and identity challenges. Her approach is integrative and grounded in both empathy and evidence-based practice.
The Polaris Psychology Team
Polaris Psychology is a group of dedicated professionals who ensure each client and each case receives the highest level of care.
Our clinicians and administrative staff all share the same commitment: to combine compassion with precision and make quality psychological care accessible, responsive, and ethical.
It’s the collaboration between everyone on our team that allows Polaris to function like a small practice while serving clients nationwide.