Ross Hackerson

Ross Hackerson


Specialties

PTSD

Trauma

Anxiety

Behavioral Addictions: Sex Addiction, Pornography Addiction, Compulsions

Codependence

Hoarding

Sexual Abuse / Intimate Partner Violence

Modalities

EMDR

ART

Image Transformation Therapy

Gestalt Therapy


Location: Northampton, MA

For over 40 years, Ross has worked with people recovering from childhood neglect, sexual and emotional abuse and the lack of connection that comes from preoccupied, distant, disconnected and / or self-absorbed parents and has found that everyone can heal.

“I discovered psychology in my last year of college as I prepared to be a teacher. I suddenly knew what I wanted to do.  I taught Science and English and then returned to graduate school in psychology. Several positions after graduate school I was a clinical psychologist at Big Spring State Hospital in Texas, with a busy schedule of testing, therapy, and administration. As Director of the Adolescent Unit, I had therapy groups with the kids, their parents and families… the beginning of my romance with family therapy.  I read everything “therapy oriented” as I loved the work, and in that reading, I discovered Gestalt Therapy.

“I followed my interest in Gestalt Therapy and became a trainer, certified by the previous Gestalt Therapy Institute of the Southwest and subsequently trained therapists. One of the highlights of that time in my life was living in New Orleans and teaching on the Faculty of the New Orleans Gestalt Institute with Anne Teachworth. Anne introduced me to Richard Bandler and of course, I studied and became an Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner. New Orleans was also where my own family got its start and we had two boys there before returning to California, where we had two girls. Having been licensed as a Marriage and Family therapist in California, I now had my own family and the “family training” was experiential and intensive.

“Well, one thing follows another and I moved to New England and took up residence in Northampton, MA. There, in reviewing material in preparation for taking the Massachusetts Marriage and Family Therapist license, I fell in love with Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. I attended a one-day workshop with Dr. Sue Johnson and determined to continue my training. Time, money, distance, and children interfered. I marked the time by studying EMDR (what I believe to be the Gold Standard of trauma therapy) and became an EMDRIA Certified Consultant. My understanding of trauma deepened and I put together a practice with individuals, couples, and families, most all of them with trauma histories.

“I also deepened my understanding of trauma treatment and enhanced my skills toolbox by studying Coherence Therapy, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), and Image Transformation Therapy (which is, I think, the single most effective treatment to come along for working with neglect, addiction and sexual addictions). 

“Then, training in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples came to my neighborhood and I jumped in. I think this approach brought together all my previous learning and opened a path to coaching couples (and individuals and families) that is very effective.

“I then spent many years involved in the EFT community, committed to the process of having individuals, couples and families learn to have the best lives and relationships possible. I taught the Hold Me Tight™ couples workshop developed by Sue Johnson. I focused on teaching the workshop to therapists who were working in EFT so that they could apply the principals and processes to their own relationships.

“Today, years later, having retired from the therapy business and become a Coach, I am constantly amazed by the wonderfulness of this work. It is with a profound sense of the possibility of healing each other and maybe our environment through and in our relationships that I bring you our intensive retreats.”

For 62 years I was the typical “I don’t need therapy” guy. Then I went through the intensive program with Ross and quickly learned how wrong I was. The issues I had experienced were disguised as events I thought I left far behind. Truth was, they were far behind, but still chained to me. The

John Morin
I am both a bodyworker and psychotherapist. I really, really enjoyed and appreciated Ross’ ability to bring these two approaches together to address the body’s role in therapy, and the mind’s role in contracted muscles, and habitual, health negating postures. But what stands out the most in having worked with Ross is you really know

Elena V, MT, LMFT

With other therapists, I’ve often felt as if I was running in place. Ross gets things moving. He’s extremely intuitive and has introduced me to EMDR, which is one of the most successful tools I’ve ever used in therapy. Ross’s work has helped me resolve issues that have been with me for

Eric B.
I have worked with Ross on several occasions and found his knowledge and experience to be very helpful to me as I’ve faced and worked through mental health issues. His approach is always professional and human. There was an immediate connection between us. He got to the core of issues and gave me practical steps

Bruce S

I have worked with Ross for many years.  He is a genuine, compassionate therapist – someone who makes you feel valued and heard.  He has incredible positive energy which he directs to both the advancement of his own learning and supporting his clients.  Down to earth, grounded, warm and intelligent – highly

B.R.
Ross worked with my partner and me after we had realized we couldn’t reconcile. We had one of the most difficult challenges before us that parents can have – how to let our daughter grow up with two parents, though they lived far apart. He got us both to see reality, helped us agree to difficult compromises

John R.
I have worked extensively with Ross in both individual and couples therapy. I’ve never met another therapist with such extensive knowledge of the complex dynamics that exist in a relationship. The time I’ve spent with him has helped me show up in my own relationship in ways that I never dreamed. My level of patience,

Kris M.

Client Testimonials

For 62 years I was the typical “I don’t need therapy” guy. Then I went through the intensive program with Ross and quickly learned how wrong I was. The issues I had experienced were disguised as events I thought I left far behind. Truth was, they were far behind, but still chained to me.

The scientifically based techniques he utilized gave me positive results instantly. Those negative images faded quickly and at the end of each set I would look at Ross and ask “what was the BFD?” I would highly recommend this retreat to anyone who wants to relieve some of the excess baggage collected throughout your life.

John Morin

I am both a bodyworker and psychotherapist. I really, really enjoyed and appreciated Ross’ ability to bring these two approaches together to address the body’s role in therapy, and the mind’s role in contracted muscles, and habitual, health negating postures.

But what stands out the most in having worked with Ross is you really know who he is. There is no pretense or posturing, just a really good guy who really likes what he’s doing and is really good at it.

Elena V, MT, LMFT

With other therapists, I’ve often felt as if I was running in place. Ross gets things moving. He’s extremely intuitive and has introduced me to EMDR, which is one of the most successful tools I’ve ever used in therapy. Ross’s work has helped me resolve issues that have been with me for years.

Eric B.

I have worked with Ross on several occasions and found his knowledge and experience to be very helpful to me as I’ve faced and worked through mental health issues. His approach is always professional and human. There was an immediate connection between us. He got to the core of issues and gave me practical steps that I have successfully used.

Bruce S

I have worked with Ross for many years.  He is a genuine, compassionate therapist – someone who makes you feel valued and heard.  He has incredible positive energy which he directs to both the advancement of his own learning and supporting his clients.  Down to earth, grounded, warm and intelligent – highly recommended!

B.R.

Ross worked with my partner and me after we had realized we couldn’t reconcile. We had one of the most difficult challenges before us that parents can have – how to let our daughter grow up with two parents, though they lived far apart. He got us both to see reality, helped us agree to difficult compromises and together we created a plan which made a hard situation seem workable. Ross was compassionate but talked sense into each of us when necessary. We were both able to relate to him, which made it possible for us to communicate for the first time.

John R.

I have worked extensively with Ross in both individual and couples therapy. I’ve never met another therapist with such extensive knowledge of the complex dynamics that exist in a relationship. The time I’ve spent with him has helped me show up in my own relationship in ways that I never dreamed. My level of patience, compassion and connection with my partner is better than it’s ever been. Things that once felt impossible, like compromising or sharing my honest feelings with her, are now happening on a daily basis. The result is that we are both much happier and less stressed. There is more trust and I finally feel like we are on the same team again.

The best thing about working with Ross is his way of setting people at ease so that even the most challenging topics seem approachable. It really helped me stay optimistic when he made it sound so easy. It’s also nice knowing that him and his wife have been married for longer than I’ve been alive! That definitely makes me believe that what he teaches really works.

Kris M.