About
Megan Mountcastle, LICSW
Therapy for Anxiety, IBS & Chronic Stress
Serving Massachusetts and Connecticut via Telehealth
Welcome
I’m a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who specializes in working with physicians and other high-achieving adults struggling with anxiety and burnout, as well as individuals whose lives have been disrupted by Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Many of my clients are used to pushing through discomfort and staying highly functional on the outside, while privately dealing with relentless worry, physical symptoms, and a nervous system that rarely gets to settle.
I offer a space where you don’t have to manage this alone. Together, we work to calm the cycle of anxiety and IBS, reduce the grip of chronic overthinking, and help you reconnect with a sense of steadiness in your body and mind so you can move through your life with more ease, confidence, and relief.
My Story
How I Came to This Work
I didn’t begin my career planning to become a therapist. My path shifted during college, when I found myself drawn to understanding how people cope with stress, uncertainty, and experiences that disrupt their sense of stability.
As I began working with clients, I noticed a consistent pattern: many thoughtful, capable individuals were also living with persistent digestive issues—GI symptoms that were distressing, unpredictable, and closely tied to anxiety and stress.
Digestive issues are not only physically uncomfortable, they can also feel isolating and difficult to talk about, even with close friends or medical providers. Many of my clients were pushing through while privately managing worry, uncertainty, and the impact these issues had on their daily lives.
Recognizing this connection became a turning point in my work. I chose to focus my practice on helping individuals calm the cycle between anxiety and GI distress, and restore a greater sense of steadiness and trust in themselves.
This work is deeply meaningful to me. It allows people to move out of silent endurance and into a more stable, sustainable way of living.
Our Sessions Focus on Helping You Step Out of Survival Mode
Many of my clients are used to moving quickly. Thinking ahead, managing responsibilities, and pushing through stress and physical discomfort. Our sessions offer a space where you can slow down in a way that is intentional and productive, not passive.
Together, we work to understand the patterns driving anxiety and calm the cycle between stress and GI distress. This approach reflects the well-established connection between the brain and digestive system, and focuses on helping you regain a greater sense of steadiness and trust in your internal experience. Over time, clients often notice less mental noise, greater predictability in their body, and a renewed sense of clarity and confidence in how they move through their lives.
This is a space where you don’t have to perform, problem-solve alone, or hold everything together. Instead, we focus on helping you feel more grounded, more in control, and more at ease in your body and mind.
How I Work
Therapy specializing in anxiety, IBS, and adults who hold a high level of responsibility
Addressing the Anxiety–IBS Cycle
Anxiety and IBS often reinforce each other. Our work focuses on calming both the mental and physical patterns that keep symptoms going, so you can experience meaningful and lasting relief.
A Space Where You Don’t Have to Push Through,
Many of my clients, including physicians and people living with IBS, are used to pushing through discomfort while continuing to meet the demands of daily life. Therapy offers a space where you no longer have to carry that on your own.
Understanding the Patterns Driving Your Symptoms
Together, we identify the patterns that keep anxiety, overthinking, and physical symptoms going, so you can begin responding differently and feel more steady, clear, and free in your day-to-day life.
Practical, Thoughtful, and Collaborative Work
Sessions are thoughtful and purposeful, while also natural and conversational. This is a space where you can speak openly, without pressure to perform or have all the answers.
professional background
My Training & Clinical Experience
I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Smith College and my Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Simmons College in Boston.
Prior to private practice, I worked at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, where I provided psychotherapy and collaborated closely with primary care physicians. This experience deepened my understanding of the relationship between anxiety, stress, and physical health, including gastrointestinal conditions such as IBS and other stress-sensitive digestive disorders.
I also trained and worked at McLean Hospital in inpatient and intensive treatment settings, supporting adults experiencing anxiety, depression, and high levels of stress.
In addition to my clinical work, I trained as a holistic health coach and developed a practice focused on supporting individuals living with GI conditions and anxiety. This continues to inform my specialized approach to working with stress-related digestive concerns and the broader mind–gut connection.
My work integrates evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with relational and mind–body approaches to help clients feel more grounded, reduce anxiety, and experience greater stability and relief.
My pronouns are she/her/hers.
Specialty Consultation
The first step is to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation. This allows us to briefly discuss your situation and determine whether my specialized approach to anxiety and gut–brain conditions would be appropriate.