1. Free 15-minute call
A no-pressure conversation. You share what's going on, I share how I work, and we figure out together if this feels like the right fit.
Therapy in Maine — telehealth where specialists are hard to find
Maine has fewer therapists per capita than most of the country, and most of them are clustered in greater Portland. If you’re anywhere else in the state — coastal, inland, far north — finding a CBT-trained therapist within driving distance can be its own full-time job. Telehealth fixes that.
No credit card · 15 minutes · Talk directly with Rose
Rose Markotic, LMFT — licensed in California, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Why telehealth matters in Maine
Maine has the geography of a much larger state with the population of a much smaller one. Outside of Portland, Bangor, and a handful of other hubs, there are towns where the nearest licensed therapist is 60 to 90 minutes away — and the nearest CBT-trained therapist might be considerably further. The provider shortage is documented, persistent, and a primary reason therapy goes unsought in rural Maine.
I see Maine clients across the state by secure video. The work is the same evidence-based TEAM-CBT regardless of where you live — Portland’s East End, a year-round home in Camden, a town in Aroostook County, a winter rental in Bar Harbor, or wherever else. What changes is access: when in-person therapy means a 90-minute drive each way, telehealth is sometimes the only realistic way for therapy to actually happen weekly.
Common things Maine clients work on: anxiety and depression that have been workable but unaddressed for years because of access; seasonal patterns that worsen in the winter; social isolation in low-population areas; perfectionism that runs quietly through high-functioning Maine professionals.
Serving clients across Maine: Portland · Bangor · Augusta · Lewiston · South Portland
Whether you're in Portland, Bangor, Augusta, or anywhere else in Maine, video sessions remove the geographic barrier — you just need a private space and a stable connection.
How sessions work
All sessions take place over a HIPAA-compliant video platform. You need to be physically located in Maine at the time of session.
2. Initial session
An extended 90-minute assessment session. We review any measures or inventories you've completed, talk through your history, and clarify what you're hoping to accomplish in therapy.
3. Goal setting & treatment plan
Together we set the direction — what we'll work on, what tools we'll start with, and how we'll know when something is working.
What we work on with Maine clients
Maine clients tend to share an access story: they’ve been managing for a while because therapy nearby wasn’t practical. Here’s what we most often work on once that barrier drops.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Maine winters are real. Light scarcity, isolation, and reduced activity stack on top of underlying anxiety or depression for many clients. We work on the cognitive patterns and the behavioral activation pieces that actually move things — not just sitting in front of a light box.
Anxiety and depression in low-access areas
For many Maine clients, this is the first time treatment with a CBT-trained therapist is even logistically possible. The standard work — measurable goals, in-session methods, between-session homework — does what it’s supposed to do.
Isolation and connection
Living in a small town or rural area can mean fewer easy social touchpoints. We work on the patterns of avoidance and the cognitive distortions that keep isolation in place.
Perfectionism
A signature specialty. Common in high-functioning Maine professionals and in adults who carried perfectionism quietly for decades. We test the standards directly.
Life transitions
Career changes, relocations within Maine, becoming a parent, retirement, loss of a long-term partner. The disorientation is workable.
Adult ADHD
For Maine professionals diagnosed late or undiagnosed. Systems that fit your brain, not someone else’s.
Rose Markotic
MA, LMFT
Licensed in: California, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Telehealth across all five states
Most of my clients arrive having already tried hard. They're thoughtful, capable, often outwardly successful — and stuck on something the strategies that got them this far can't fix. What I love about TEAM-CBT is that it gave me a way to do therapy that respects how hard people are already trying. We don't sit with stuckness for years.
We measure how you're feeling at every session, look honestly at what's keeping change from happening, and use specific tools — not vague encouragement — to move things. I trained in TEAM-CBT through Dr. David Burns' Stanford group at the Feeling Good Institute, where I'm now Level 3 certified. The methodology fits how I work: structured, transparent, and built around real change you can feel by session three or four — not a relationship you maintain forever.
My counseling style is warm, empathetic, and collaborative. I provide a safe space to explore what's going on and generate solutions you can actually use between sessions. I'm currently accepting new clients across California, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Frequently asked questions about therapy in Maine
What if there are no therapists in my town?
That’s the most common reason Maine clients reach out. Telehealth means it doesn’t matter — we meet wherever you have a private space and a stable internet connection. Portland, Bangor, Camden, the Down East coast, the County, anywhere.
Do you treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?
Yes — SAD is a common presenting concern for Maine clients, often layered on top of underlying anxiety or chronic depression. We work the behavioral and cognitive pieces (activity scheduling, light exposure, testing the thoughts that depression generates in winter) and coordinate with your prescriber if you’re on medication.
How does telehealth handle spotty rural internet?
In practice, surprisingly well. The platform we use works on modest bandwidth, and we can fall back to phone if video stutters. If you live somewhere where even cellular is unreliable, that’s worth flagging on the consult call so we can plan around it.
Can I meet from a summer camp or coastal cabin if I’m in-state?
Yes — as long as you’re physically in Maine and have a private space, the location doesn’t matter. Many Maine clients have meetings from camps or cabins in the summer. Privacy matters more than the address.
How long is the wait for a first session?
Typically 1–2 weeks from your free 15-minute consult to your first full session. That’s often dramatically faster than an in-person specialist in Maine — many of whom have multi-month waitlists.
Do you take MaineHealth or Anthem Maine?
Better Thoughts is out-of-network. Most Maine PPO plans, including Anthem and Cigna, reimburse 60–80% of out-of-network therapy fees on a superbill we email you on request — see our reimbursement guide at /insurance-reimbursement for direct links and step-by-step instructions. MaineCare (Maine’s Medicaid program) doesn’t cover out-of-network providers — if MaineCare is your primary coverage, a network provider through MaineHealth or a community mental-health center is the more accessible route.
Common reasons Maine clients reach out
Each link goes to a focused page on what TEAM-CBT for that concern actually looks like — signs, how the work unfolds, and a condition-specific FAQ.
Depression
Including seasonal patterns, persistent depression, and depression that has gone unaddressed because in-person therapy was too far away.
Read more →Anxiety
For Maine clients whose anxiety has been quietly running for years without dedicated treatment.
Read more →Social anxiety
Including the version that worsens in low-population areas where every interaction feels visible.
Read more →Also licensed in
One therapist, five states. If you split time between Maine and any of the below, we keep meeting through the move.
Therapy in California
Tech burnout, perfectionism, anxiety, and adult ADHD — for the high-pressure California professional.
Read more →Therapy in Connecticut
Executive burnout, perfectionism, and Yale / UConn students — for high-RPM lives.
Read more →Therapy in Rhode Island
College students, recent grads, social anxiety, and perfectionism across the small-but-dense state.
Read more →Therapy in Vermont
Structured TEAM-CBT for clients who already do mindfulness or yoga and want the cognitive-behavioral toolkit too.
Read more →Local mental-health resources in Maine
Better Thoughts is a private telehealth practice — these external resources are independent and may help if you need crisis support, lower-cost care, or want to verify a clinician's license.
In a crisis
If you or someone you know is in immediate distress, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available 24/7.
Call or text 988 →Community support & education
NAMI Maine offers free education, support groups, and family programs — a useful adjunct to therapy or a starting point if you're not sure what you need.
NAMI Maine →Verify any clinician's license
You can independently confirm any therapist's license — including Rose's — through Maine's public licensing-board lookup.
Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation →Get started with Better Thoughts today
A 15-minute video call with Rose. We'll talk about what's bringing you in and see if I'm the right fit. No pressure to book sessions afterward.
No credit card · 15 minutes · Talk directly with Rose