About Aurora Center for Psychology & Wellbeing

Our Mission and Core Values

At the Aurora Center for Psychology & Wellbeing, our mission is to help people navigate the changes they didn’t choose — and create the changes they want. We understand that life transitions, losses, health shifts, and emotional challenges affect both the mind and the nervous system, and we are committed to offering care that honors this complexity.

We believe healing happens at the intersection of science, compassion, and creativity. Our work is grounded in evidence-based therapies, trauma-informed care, and innovative neuroscience approaches that help clients understand what is happening inside them and build the resilience needed to move forward.

We are dedicated to supporting adults through experiences such as anxiety, trauma, grief, chronic illness, caregiving stress, and identity shifts — always with warmth, respect, and deep humility for their lived experience.

At Aurora, you don’t have to navigate change alone. Together, we create space for clarity, steadiness, and meaningful growth, no matter what season of life you are in.

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My Therapeutic Approach

At Aurora, therapy is never “one size fits all.” Change affects each person differently (emotionally, physically, and neurologically) so I draw from a range of approaches to meet your unique needs and support your capacity to adapt, heal, and grow.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

Practical tools to understand and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that may be keeping you stuck during periods of change.

ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)

Building emotional flexibility, grounding, and alignment with your values, especially when life feels uncertain or overwhelming.

IFS (Internal Family Systems)

A compassionate way to explore your inner “parts,” heal old patterns, and make space for new ways of relating to yourself during transition. If you’re new to this model, you can learn more about Internal Family Systems through the IFS Institute, the official home of the approach

Art Therapy-Informed Techniques

Creative expression for moments when words aren’t enough, helping access deeper emotions and insights.

tDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation)

A safe, evidence-based neuromodulation technique that can support migraines, chronic pain, and mood, especially when emotional and physical changes intersect.

This integrative approach allows us to work on challenges such as anxiety, trauma recovery, emotion regulation, chronic pain, health-related transitions, and support for oncology patients and caregivers.

Above all, our work centers on helping you feel steadier, more understood, and more equipped to navigate the changes in your life.

If you’re wondering whether therapy could support you through a current transition, you can learn more about my psychotherapy services here.

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About Dr. Barbara Colombo – Psychologist in Vermont

I’m Dr. Barbara Colombo, a licensed psychologist with a PhD in Psychology. Born and raised in Italy and now rooted in Vermont, I bring both an international perspective and a deep sense of connection to this community. My background as a clinician, professor, and researcher allows me to bridge the worlds of science and therapeutic care, offering support that is compassionate, grounded, and informed by the latest findings in psychology and neuroscience.

Much of my work focuses on helping people navigate change: emotional change, identity shifts, health transitions, caregiving roles, chronic pain, trauma, and the moments when life feels unfamiliar or overwhelming. I pay close attention to how these experiences affect both the mind and the nervous system, and I work collaboratively with clients to understand what’s happening inside them and build resilience from the inside out.

Clients often describe my style as warm, curious, and deeply collaborative. I believe therapy works best when we walk side by side, blending your lived experience with my training and tools to create a space where healing feels possible, grounded, and meaningful. My goal is to help you feel less alone, more understood, and more equipped to move through whatever changes you’re facing with clarity and compassion.

Credentials

Certifications

Professional Background

I am a licensed psychologist with a PhD in Psychology and additional training from Harvard University in clinical research.

For more than 15 years, I have worked in private practice, research labs, and universities across Europe and the U.S., focusing on how people adapt to stress, trauma, and major life changes.

My career reflects a commitment to bridging science and practice. As both a clinician and researcher, I draw on the latest findings in psychology and neuroscience to support clients in ways that are not only evidence-based, but also deeply compassionate and grounded in real-life experience.

My work is guided by the belief that healing requires both understanding and connection, and that therapy should honor the complexity of the human mind as well as the challenges of everyday life.

How I Work With Clients

No two people experience change in the same way, so our work together will always be tailored to your needs, pace, and lived experience. I view therapy as a collaborative process: one where we bring together your strengths and insights with my training in evidence-based and neuroscience-informed approaches.

Clients often tell me they appreciate the balance of warmth, curiosity, and clarity I bring to our sessions. I strive to create a space where you can feel deeply understood while also supported in making meaningful, sustainable change.

Whether we’re exploring emotions through IFS, building grounding skills, or integrating creative or neuroscience-based tools when helpful, my goal is always the same: to meet you where you are and help you move forward with steadiness, compassion, and confidence.

Much of my work focuses on helping people navigate changes they didn’t choose — and create changes they want. You can explore this approach further in my writing on navigating change and emotional wellbeing.

Who I Work With

I specialize in supporting adults who are moving through significant emotional, relational, or health-related changes.

Many of the people I work with are navigating:

Life transitions and identity shifts
Changes in roles, relationships, health, or direction that leave you feeling uncertain, overwhelmed, or disconnected from who you used to be.
Trauma — past or ongoing
Including intergenerational, religious, medical, and complex trauma that shapes how you respond to stress and relationships today.
Chronic pain, migraines, and health changes
Experiences that affect both the body and the mind, often bringing emotional exhaustion, fear, or grief.
Caregiving and oncology support
The emotional, physical, and relational strain of caring for someone who is ill — or navigating illness yourself.
Anxiety, overwhelm, and difficulties with emotion regulation
When your mind and nervous system feel “on alert,” shut down, or stuck in patterns you can’t seem to shift.

Across all of these experiences, my focus is on helping you understand what is happening inside you (emotionally and neurologically) and supporting you as you move through change with greater steadiness, clarity, and compassion.

Professional Affiliations

I am a licensed psychologist in the State of Vermont and currently serve as President of the Vermont Psychological Association, where I work alongside colleagues to support ethical practice, professional development, and access to quality mental healthcare in the state.

I am an active member of the American Psychological Association and a faculty member at Fielding Graduate University, where I teach, mentor doctoral students, and conduct research on emotion regulation, trauma, cognitive reserve, and the neuroscience of change.

These roles reflect my commitment to integrating clinical practice, teaching, and research, and to bringing evidence-based, compassionate care to the clients I serve.

Evidence-Based and Creative Approaches to Emotional Wellbeing

I believe that healing happens when science and creativity meet. My approach blends research-based therapies with expressive and neuroscience-informed methods to support both the mind and the nervous system during times of change.

I integrate CBT, ACT, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help clients understand their inner world, build emotional flexibility, and shift patterns that no longer serve them. When words alone aren’t enough, art-therapy–informed techniques offer new ways to connect with feelings, memories, and insight.

For clients navigating chronic pain, migraines, or mood changes, I also offer tDCS, a gentle, evidence-based neuromodulation tool that supports brain regulation and complements therapeutic work.

This flexible, integrative model allows me to tailor every session to your unique goals, strengths, and pace. Whether we approach healing through emotion, cognition, creativity, or neuroscience, the work always centers on helping you move through change with clarity and compassion.

Research, Leadership, and Professional Accomplishments

Alongside my clinical work, I have spent more than a decade studying how people adapt to stress, trauma, aging, and major life transitions.

My research on emotion regulation, discrimination, and cognitive health has been supported by national and international grants, and continues to shape how I understand the mind and nervous system during change.

Earlier in my career, I directed a Behavioral Neuroscience Lab, where I studied innovative treatments such as tDCS and biofeedback. This work deepened my commitment to bringing effective, science-informed methods into therapy in ways that feel accessible, compassionate, and genuinely helpful.

My leadership roles (including serving as President of the Vermont Psychological Association and directing the Affect & Adaptation Lab at Fielding Graduate University) reflect my belief that high-quality clinical care is strengthened by ongoing learning, collaboration, and the ethical practice of psychology.

These experiences allow me to offer therapy that is both grounded in research and deeply attuned to the human experience. blending evidence, empathy, and innovation in every session.