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Sometimes understanding the pattern isn’t the same as feeling free from it.

At Clear Water Counseling in Old Saybrook, CT, we work with teens, adults, and couples who are tired of feeling stuck in the same patterns — the anxiety that keeps taking over, the conversations that keep turning into conflict, the old wounds that still feel present, or the life changes that have left them unsure of what comes next.

Our team of therapists offers steady, thoughtful support to help you feel less alone, more understood, and more connected to yourself and the people who matter most.

Maybe you can name the pattern, but you still find yourself back in it. You know the argument before it starts, the anxiety before it takes over, or the old story before it pulls you in again. Healing is not just about understanding why it happens. It is about having the right support to respond differently.

More than just a place to talk

Things may not feel as clear or manageable as you expected they would by now. You’ve been carrying a lot for a long time, trying to make things work and hoping something would shift.

At some point, you realize you’re ready for something different.

We work with clients who want more than just a place to talk. They’re looking for insight, direction, and a way forward that feels steadier and more sustainable. Therapy with our team is designed to help you slow down, understand what’s happening beneath the surface, and begin making sense of what needs to change.

Together, we’ll help you create a plan for navigating what you’re facing with greater confidence and direction. Each clinician brings a distinct style and area of expertise.

We’re intentional about helping clients find the therapist who best fits their needs, goals, and stage of life. We take that process seriously, because fit matters. It’s what helps therapy feel honest, supportive, and worth showing up for.

The kind of support that makes a difference.

With decades of combined experience, each clinician brings strong training, meaningful experience, and a thoughtful approach to care. Our therapists have distinct specialties and styles, but share a commitment to helping clients feel at ease, well cared for, and genuinely comfortable in the therapy process.

Much of our practice has grown through word of mouth, and we believe that reflects the trust people place in our team — care rooted in clinical depth, warmth, steadiness, and the kind of presence that helps clients feel safe, understood, and in capable hands.

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Meet the Team

  • Close-up of a woman with long, light brown hair, wearing a black top and a green sweater, smiling at the camera in an indoor setting with a light-colored wall and decorative shelf in the background.

    Julia Tucker Wood, LMFT

    FOUNDER| LICENSED MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPIST

    Bio
  • Close-up photo of a woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles, smiling. She is wearing a white top and a pink shirt underneath, with a wooden paneled background.

    Maureen Kapij, LCSW

    LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER

    Bio
  • Close-up of a smiling woman with curly hair styled in a high bun, wearing hoop earrings and a brown textured sweater against a plain background.

    Leah Russack-Baker, Ed.D, LADC, AADC, CCTP, CCFP

    LICENSED ALCOHOL & DRUG COUNSELOR| TRAUMA & COMPASSION FATIGUE SPECIALIST

    Bio
  • A woman with blonde hair and blue eyes smiling outdoors in a park-like setting with trees in the background.

    Karyn Hester, LPC, NCSP

    LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR| SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

    Bio
  • A smiling elderly man with glasses and a striped shirt, sitting in a room with a window and curtains behind him.

    Tony Augustine, MEd, LADC

    LICENSED DRUG & ALCOHOL COUNSELOR

    Bio
  • A woman with blonde hair smiling in front of a decorative white wall panel.

    Stephanie Reilly, MSN, PMHNP

    PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH NURSE PRACTITIONER

    Bio
  • A woman with long reddish-brown hair and sunglasses sitting on the ground outside a house with fall decorations. She wears a rust-colored dress with lace sleeves, smiling at the camera. There are autumn flowers, pumpkins, and a wreath on the door.

    Rachel Skelton, LPC

    LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR

    Bio
  • A man smiling, wearing a black sports jacket with a Nike logo, and a blue lanyard with 'GAMEDCHANGE' written on it, standing in front of a wooden wall.

    E. Michael Regan, LCSW

    LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER| MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH

    Bio
  • A dachshund dog with a black, tan, gray, and white fur pattern sitting on a striped fabric armchair with a white cushion behind it, in a room with light blue walls and a white side table with a woven container holding pens.

    Mila Skelton

    OUR MOST CHARMING CLINICIAN

    Bio

Therapy with us is…

  • Intentional

    We are purposeful in the care we provide, taking time to understand each client’s needs, goals, and season of life. We believe the right fit matters, and we remain thoughtful about helping clients receive care that feels aligned with what they need.

  • Collaborative

    We believe therapy works best when it feels like a shared process rooted in trust and respect. When appropriate, we collaborate with other trusted supports in a client’s life because care is strongest when it feels connected and held by community.

  • Compassionate

    We meet our clients with warmth, empathy, and a genuine desire to connect. We want therapy to feel like a place where you don’t have to hold everything on your own — where you can feel seen, supported, and met with care in what you’re facing.

  • Experienced

    We bring knowledge, clinical depth, and years of meaningful work to the therapy process. Our clinicians stay engaged in ongoing learning so the care we provide reflects current practices, strong clinical judgment, and evidence-based research.

  • Specialized

    Each clinician on our team has developed distinct areas of specialty and expertise. We want clients to feel confident that when they sit down with someone at Clear Water, they’re meeting with a therapist who has real experience in the concerns they’re bringing in.

  • Personalized

    We know that no two clients come to therapy with the exact same story, needs, or goals. Our approach is tailored to each person so the work feels thoughtful, responsive, and aligned with what matters most to them.

Learn more about our specialties….

Relationships and Couples

Teens and Young Adults

Addiction and Recovery

Women’s Mental Health

Medication Management

Anxiety and Trauma

Group Therapy

Pregnancy & Post Partum

Faith, Spirituality & Mental Health

Let's Chat
Let's Chat

Some of our approaches include

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a practical, evidence-based approach that helps clients understand how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. It can help people identify patterns and respond to challenges in ways that feel more effective and intentional.

  • Attachment-based Therapy

    Attachment-based therapy helps clients explore how early relationships may still be influencing the way they connect, cope, and relate to others today. It can be a helpful approach for those who are looking to go deeper in therapy and better understand the patterns beneath the surface.

  • Relational Therapy

    Relational therapy focuses on how connection, communication, and past experiences shape emotional well-being. This work may draw from approaches such as Gottman-informed therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and other relationship-centered models to help clients better understand their patterns and move forward with greater clarity.

  • Addiction & Recovery Care

    Support for individuals and families impacted by substance use. Our clinicians bring individualized, person-centered, strength-based, and trauma-informed approaches to recovery work, helping clients move beyond shame and defensiveness toward accountability, healing, and lasting change.

  • Trauma-Informed Care

    Trauma-informed care is an approach that recognizes how trauma can shape emotions, relationships, and the nervous system over time. We offer care that is safe, respectful, and responsive to each client’s experience, creating a healing process that is tailored to their needs, pace, and goals.

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

    Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a structured, skills-based approach that helps clients build tools for managing strong emotions, improving relationships, and navigating difficult moments with greater balance and control.

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You don’t have to keep carrying

this on your own.

We’re here to help you get started.

Schedule Your First Session
Schedule Your First Session

A Note from our Founder

Clear Water Counseling was built with intention. From the beginning, my vision was to create a practice with deep, well-rounded expertise — a team clients could trust to meet a wide range of needs with skill, care, and integrity.

As I shaped the team, I looked for clinicians with strong clinical foundations, distinct specialties, and the kind of presence that helps people feel both at ease and in capable hands. I wanted Clear Water to offer meaningful care across all stages of life, including support for children, teens, women, couples, substance use concerns, and those seeking medication support. I also brought prior leadership experience in mental health settings, which shaped how intentionally I approached building this team.

My goal was never simply to grow a group practice. It was to build a team of trusted professionals with the experience, perspective, and range to serve our community well — and to create a practice where clinicians support one another and clients feel genuinely held by the breadth of care available here.

I’m proud of the team we’ve built and the care they provide. My hope is that when you come to Clear Water Counseling, you feel confident that you’re in the hands of people who truly care and know how to help.

Julia

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