I am a licensed mental health counselor in Massachusetts with a Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Lesley University in Cambridge. I have extensive experience both as an outpatient therapist for adults and as an emergency room crisis clinician. It has been my privilege to serve many wonderful clients on Betterhelp since 2020. I do my best to provide a pleasant environment where each client is comfortable talking freely about anything burdening them, no matter how longstanding or complex. As your counselor, my first responsibility is to understand your experience and perspective so that I can effectively work together with you toward greater health and well-being. I want you to have concrete ways to overcome internal obstacles, negative thoughts and self-defeating behavioral patterns. My approach is based on the principle that hope, enjoyment, and perspective are largely choices that you can make to attain a more fulfilling life.
Professional experience
18 yrs in practice
Stress, AnxietySelf esteem, MotivationDepressionCoping with life changes
Additional areas of focus:Addictions, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Grief, Sleeping disorders, Anger management, Career difficulties, Control issues, Guilt and shame, Immigration issues, Men's issues, Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD, Phobias, Post-traumatic stress, Social anxiety and phobia
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for James Votaw. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
James Votaw is incredibly thoughtful, helpful, and knows how to disarm any initial awkwardness on part of the client. I am glad Betterhelp matched me with him and that he has been guiding me through any manner of concerns and dilemmas.
Written on Feb 16, 2026 after therapy with James for 1 year on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and self esteem
Excellent clinician. Listens well, professional and supportive!
Written on Feb 03, 2026 after therapy with James for 1 year and 5 months on issues concerning relationship issues, family conflicts, anger management, and coping with life changes
Very positive experience with James.
Written on Jan 19, 2026 after therapy with James for 9 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, grief, intimacy-related issues, sleeping disorders, and anger management
James does a great job of listening and providing advice.
Written on Dec 29, 2025 after therapy with James for 1 year on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and self esteem
James was instrumental in getting me through a very difficult time in my life. I appreciate his patience, understanding and support. He is a good listener and makes sure I’m comfortable.
Written on Dec 24, 2025 after therapy with James for 4 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, and relationship issues
James is a true professional who helped me get out of a really tough time in my life a better person
Written on Dec 19, 2025 after therapy with James for 6 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, self esteem, coping with life changes, and adhd
James is a great. He is clearly very experienced and a down to earth guy.
Written on Nov 18, 2025 after therapy with James for 3 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety
Amazing therapist. Very open and kind.
Written on Sep 11, 2025 after therapy with James for 3 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, self esteem, career difficulties, and adhd
Only had one meeting so this should be read as limited experience but I feel that I’m a quick read of energy and character and I could tell in a few minutes that I really felt comfortable and liked James very much. He has wonderful timing (in letting there be space to speak but not pressuring or ask too much speaking to be required). I look forward to my next and ongoing conversations with James!
Written on Jul 26, 2025 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, and adhd
James Votow was the perfect fit for me as a therapist! He has been beyond helpful in helping me deal with my anxiety and stress, and his methods and approach has allowed me to implement the strategies into my day to day life. This has most importantly helped me return to the best version of myself. Thank you!
Written on Jun 19, 2025 after therapy with James for 4 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, intimacy-related issues, and career difficulties
James Votaw has been a great person to talk to and I enjoy sharing with him all of the things that I am looking to improve in my self and my marriage.
Written on May 27, 2025 after therapy with James for 3 months on issues concerning relationship issues, and self esteem
I have worked with James for a few years now. He has been a great therapist and has helped me through major transitions in my life. I look forward to our sessions every week. Out time together feels very grounding and is helping me in many ways.
Written on May 21, 2025 after therapy with James for 1 year and 9 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, self esteem, and coaching
James is kind, supportive, and always has effective suggestions for things I can work on to improve my mental health. Highly recommend!
Written on Apr 27, 2025 after therapy with James for 2 years and 6 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and self esteem
James is thoughtful, kind, and gives structured feedback. I found myself more at ease after a few sessions than I have with other therapists.
Written on Apr 07, 2025 after therapy with James for 8 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, and self esteem
So far James has been really helpful at listening to me and be able to break down issues that need to be addressed. He is also incredibly kind and has a calming sense that really helps me feel comfortable
Written on Feb 02, 2025 after therapy with James for 2 months on issues concerning depression, and stress, anxiety
James is empathetic, knowledgeable and passionate about helping others. Highly recommended.
Written on Jan 31, 2025 after therapy with James for 1 year and 2 months on issues concerning relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, and coping with life changes
It’s my first time going therapy and James has been amazing. Fairly quickly after a couple sessions I had started to feel much better and positive about my situations and I can see myself headed in a much better place now mentally
Written on Jan 29, 2025 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning career difficulties
James is outstanding! Very knowledgeable and attentive
Written on Jan 21, 2025 after therapy with James for 2 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, and anger management
Great!
Written on Dec 29, 2024 after therapy with James for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, trauma and abuse, grief, and sleeping disorders
Great therapist!
Written on Dec 27, 2024 after therapy with James for 3 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, and self esteem
James is incredible, pays attention to detail, is great to talk with, a great listener. I can’t say enough good things about James. Speaking with him every week has greatly help me improve and grow.
Written on Nov 02, 2024 after therapy with James for 6 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and self esteem
James is a great listener and provides great thoughts on my concerns.
Written on Oct 15, 2024 after therapy with James for 1 month on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and grief
James always makes me feel appreciated and listened to. He's able to take my crazy life stories and help me make sense of it all. A fantastic listener who puts his all into your well-being.
Written on Apr 24, 2024 after therapy with James for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, parenting issues, self esteem, anger management, and career difficulties
For a first timer to therapy, Jame has been very understand and treated the process with compassion.
Written on Apr 17, 2024 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning relationship issues
James has been a wonderful therapist. He is responsive, patient, and has really helped me. I strongly recommend James.
Written on Mar 20, 2024 after therapy with James for 4 months on issues concerning adhd
James is truly special. I am lucky to have been paired with him. Thank you James.
Written on Mar 19, 2024 after therapy with James for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, and self esteem
James is one of the best listeners I’ve ever met. He takes detailed notes and shares them with you so you can also track your progress and see how you’ve felt over time. It’s my first time doing therapy and I honestly couldn’t have made the jump to therapy without his help and guidance. He is a great listener and always open to hearing whatever it is you need to say, but he is also a great advisor through varying situations and provides great insights/takeaways for your own benefit. He’ll always listen and I recommend listening to what his thoughts and advice would be as well!
Written on Jan 17, 2024 after therapy with James for 4 months on issues concerning relationship issues, self esteem, and coping with life changes
It’s like talking to your best friend except no judgement but push you to be the best version of yourself.
Written on Jan 15, 2024 after therapy with James for 6 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, family conflicts, self esteem, anger management, career difficulties, and coaching
James listens do well and provides great motivating support. He does a great job and I feel so much better after talking to him.
Written on Oct 06, 2023 after therapy with James for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, self esteem, and coping with life changes
He's great. Very helpful. Very insightful.
Written on Sep 17, 2023 after therapy with James for 10 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, self esteem, and coping with life changes
He’s such a good listener and shows concern. He takes notes and always notes what is most important, he’s so experienced and wise it seems to me. I think he will be able to show me how and help me make some very tough decisions.
Written on Sep 11, 2023 after therapy with James for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, and self esteem
James is a thoughtful man who is a very attentive listener, which I know from his responses and questions. I know that a session with James means progress on my goals so I keep coming back.
Written on Jul 19, 2023 after therapy with James for 1 year and 5 months on issues concerning lgbt, relationship issues, family conflicts, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue
James is awesome listens and gives honest and unbiased critiques. I’m enjoying my sessions thus far and would recommend to anyone inquiring about therapy.
Written on Jul 01, 2023 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, grief, self esteem, anger management, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue
James is just outstanding.
Written on Jun 10, 2023 after therapy with James for 1 month on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, and self esteem
James' incite has brought me so much comfort. I really appreciate his incite. He is easy to relate to and responsive to my concerns. My grief is a lot more palatable with his knowledge and expertise.
Written on Jun 06, 2023 after therapy with James for 6 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, self esteem, and anger management
James has been great! This has been my first time doing therapy and I wasn't sure what to expect. One thing I have found to be very helpful with James is the use of worksheets he offers. They explore the topics we discuss in depth and force me to think in a new way. He is very understanding and I would recommend him to anyone.
Written on May 08, 2023 after therapy with James for 3 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue
Excellent therapist. Can’t recommend him enough.
Written on Apr 08, 2023 after therapy with James for 6 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, self esteem, and career difficulties
James is a wonderful counselor, human being, and listener. He provides thoughtful approaches to issues and gives you an Avenue to solve. He has helped me so much with my anxiety and stress, and truly given me a new lease on life.
Written on Mar 20, 2023 after therapy with James for 5 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, self esteem, and anger management
James is undoubtedly the best therapist I have ever had. He is unconditionally supportive, and his style is extremely comfortable. It was so easy to develop a positive client/therapist relationship with him quickly. I cannot recommend him enough, and will be forever grateful to him for everything he helped me overcome.
Written on Feb 15, 2023 after therapy with James for 1 year and 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, family conflicts, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, anger management, career difficulties, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue
I cannot speak highly enough about James he is the perfect balance of speaking with a close relative or friend kind of environment while matching professionalism and a deep knowledge of his work.
Written on Feb 03, 2023 after therapy with James for 6 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, career difficulties, and coping with life changes
He's a great understanding guy
Written on Jan 31, 2023 after therapy with James for 8 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting issues, and adhd
James is great at his job and truly listens to what you have to say. He uses his expertise to assess what you are going through and helps clarify what may be the root cause of your depression/stress/anxiety etc.
Written on Jan 24, 2023 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and self esteem
James is super thoughtful and deliberate in his approach. He truly listens, and takes great care in his responses and questions. He's helped me cope with multifaceted anxiety and make more confident choices in how I want to live. I couldn't recommend James more highly!
Written on Oct 26, 2022 after therapy with James for 5 months on issues concerning self esteem, and career difficulties
James is a great therapist. He gently questions me in a way that has uncovered insights into myself, he's very encouraging, real, and no BS.
Written on Oct 11, 2022 after therapy with James for 8 months on issues concerning relationship issues, and self esteem
James has helped me so much when I had so much loss in my life. I appreciate his insight and expertise. As a Lesbian I feel fully supported and would recommend James to anyone.
Written on Sep 07, 2022 after therapy with James for 3 months on issues concerning relationship issues, and family conflicts
He is very understanding and extremely easy to talk to, I highly recommend.
Written on Aug 24, 2022 after therapy with James for 3 weeks on issues concerning family conflicts, and anger management
James is great at communicating with clients and also provides a safe space to share.
Written on Aug 22, 2022 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, sleeping disorders, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue
James is a wonderful therapist, empathetic and knowledgeable. We've only just started working together but I'm actually excited at what we'll accomplish.
Written on Jul 28, 2022 after therapy with James for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, sleeping disorders, self esteem, and anger management
James understands my cultural influence and help me go through hard time
Written on Jul 28, 2022 after therapy with James for 11 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, coaching, and compassion fatigue
James is attentive, charismatic, friendly, and easy to talk to. Speaking with James is an experience similar to having a meaningful discussion with a wise friend. He knows when to listen and when to talk. He has been very helpful.
Written on Jun 23, 2022 after therapy with James for 3 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, lgbt, relationship issues, self esteem, anger management, career difficulties, and compassion fatigue
James is a breath of fresh air!
Written on May 23, 2022 after therapy with James for 3 weeks on issues concerning addictions, relationship issues, family conflicts, coping with life changes, and adhd
Calm and patient and ever thoughtful of my personal boundaries. I’ve only just started but I like working with him
Written on May 19, 2022 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, self esteem, anger management, compassion fatigue, and adhd
James has been extremely helpful in getting me to think in deeper, more meaningful ways about myself and what I am doing in my life and the way I treat myself. He has been very helpful with better identifying problem areas I am overlooking
Written on May 10, 2022 after therapy with James for 3 weeks on issues concerning addictions, relationship issues, and self esteem
James is a great listener. He is very understanding and respectful. I feel heard, understood, and support in every counseling session with him. He is also resourceful and knowledgeable. He genuinely cares for me and helps me battling with depression and burnout with no hesitation. I feel lucky to have him as my counselor.
Written on Apr 20, 2022 after therapy with James for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self esteem, anger management, career difficulties, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, and adhd
James listens with a calm demeanor and offers thoughtful insight. I felt he could grasp what I was looking for quickly and is ready to help me achieve those goals.
Written on Apr 14, 2022 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and relationship issues
Though I've just started therapy, so far James strikes me as insightful, supportive, and "on top of things"... I've had many therapists; (I'm 59), and he IS one of "the good ones"...
Written on Mar 06, 2022 after therapy with James for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, anger management, career difficulties, and coping with life changes
James has been wonderful to work with! He’s excellent at striking the balance between listening to concerns & offering practical therapeutic advice. I feel like he really understands my needs & is able to help me navigate challenges when the arise.
Written on Feb 14, 2022 after therapy with James for 7 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship issues, family conflicts, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue
James is very easy to communicate with. He’s extremely engaging and discusses things with me in a non-confrontational manner that makes me loose. Highly recommend and look forward to more from James
Written on Feb 13, 2022 after therapy with James for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, family conflicts, self esteem, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, and adhd
James got to know me well within just a few sessions. He is a deliberate and interactive listener. Very quickly he was providing useful insight for the challenges where I was seeking advice. Especially, I like the meeting summary he types during each session as it provides much continuity from session to session.
Written on Feb 07, 2022 after therapy with James for 3 months on issues concerning family conflicts, and anger management
James is a great listener and is really supportive and helpful.
Written on Dec 19, 2021 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, parenting issues, and bipolar disorder
James is exactly the kind of support I need right now. He is validating, insightful, kind, and caring. He is extremely responsive and is helping me to do some emotional 'first aid' for myself. I'm forever grateful for his expertise and the variety of ways that I can be in touch with him.
Written on Jul 15, 2021 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, and coping with life changes
James is wonderful and understanding, and helps me work through things just by showing me things about my thinking that I can work on
Written on Apr 11, 2021 after therapy with James for 1 year on issues concerning depression, sleeping disorders, and self esteem
James is a wonderful, nonjudgmental listener. He’s always prompt for appointments and really takes the time to understand where you’re coming from.
Written on Feb 16, 2021 after therapy with James for 1 month on issues concerning stress, anxiety, grief, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and coaching
I believe James is a skilled councillor that helped me from the first council!! I would recommend him for sure!!
Written on Jan 10, 2021 after therapy with James for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, and family conflicts
James listens well and provides support for me when I need a different perspective on what I'm feeling.
Written on Nov 15, 2020 after therapy with James for 7 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, sleeping disorders, self esteem, and anger management
Very happy working with James
Written on Aug 20, 2020 after therapy with James for 6 months
James is truly caring and has been a great resource during times of uncertainty. I would recommend James to anyone!
Written on Jul 30, 2020 after therapy with James for 5 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, self esteem, coping with life changes, and adhd
James has made me feel extremely comfortable discussing my feelings, concerns, background and insecurities. He has taken different approaches to counseling me and guiding our conversation based on the direction I'm going. He understands when to let me talk something out and also how to use his expertise to guide me through a thought. I've already benefited greatly from my conversations with James.
Written on Jun 02, 2020 after therapy with James for 1 month on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and self esteem
James is a great counselor and his expertise and support have been invaluable in helping me move past a very unhealthy relationship. He gave me insights to see the real issues at hand and boosted my confidence to make the right decision to terminate the relationship. He then supported me through the aftermath of the breakup. I am now in a very good spot!
Written on May 30, 2020 after therapy with James for 2 months on issues concerning addictions, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, anger management, coaching, and compassion fatigue
James’ counseling is great! He listens and reflects in very helpful ways. Highly recommend!
Written on Apr 25, 2020 after therapy with James for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, self esteem, anger management, career difficulties, and adhd
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