Sari Lessard, Ph.D.

Sari Lessard, Ph.D. is the owner of Heart and Mind Psychological Services, LLC in Amherst, NH. She has spent the majority of her career serving the community at a larger group practice before deciding to venture out on her own in 2021.

Dr. Lessard is from the Bay Area in California and attended the University of California in San Diego where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.  She attended the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology (now Palo Alto University) in Palo Alto, CA and graduated with her doctorate in clinical psychology in 2004.  Dr. Lessard spent her final year of graduate school in New Hampshire where she completed her pre-doctoral internship at Riverbend Community Mental Health in Concord, NH.  She worked in the adult program providing evidence-based psychotherapy to underserved populations in the community.  Dr. Lessard remained with Riverbend to complete her postdoctoral training working with children and families.  She then accepted a position at The Counseling Center of Nashua (now Lifestance Health) as a clinical psychologist where she practiced for fifteen years.

Throughout her career, Dr. Lessard has provided psychotherapy for young children through older adult populations.  She treats a variety of conditions including anxiety and mood disorders, behavioral challenges, parenting stressors, ADHD, autism, and trauma.   She has a special affinity for working with teenagers and considers this to be an area of specialty.  Dr. Lessard has an eclectic approach to therapy using a variety of evidenced-based treatments including cognitive behavioral therapy, collaborative problem-solving, parenting skills training, internal family systems, sandtray therapy, and client-centered treatment.  Dr. Lessard brings her compassion, genuineness, and concern for each client.  Dr. Lessard believes that therapy is a team effort that begins with acceptance for wherever a client may be in their path to healing.  She is committed to providing a safe and comfortable environment in which clients gain insight, learn skills and strategies, find acceptance and nurturing, and realize their inner strength and wisdom in the process of becoming one’s own compass navigating through life.