About Me

Dr. Deborah Offner is a clinical psychologist specializing in adolescent and young adult development, student mental health, and school life.

She provides professional development for independent school faculty and staff, offers educational programs to parents, and teaches courses in clinical and developmental psychology at Boston-area colleges.

Most recently, Dr. Offner served as Consulting Psychologist at Beacon Academy in Boston—a 14-month program that helps students of color from under-resourced communities prepare for entry into independent day and boarding schools.

In her private practice, she works closely with tweens, teenagers, young adults, and their families, helping them navigate the challenges and transitions of growing up with compassion, insight, and practical guidance.

Dr. Offner maintains a private practice in Newton, Massachusetts, and travels nationwide for speaking engagements and consulting with schools and organizations.

Learn more about her book, Educators as First Responders. 

Interested in bringing her to your community? Contact Dr. Offner to schedule a consultation or special event.

Credentials

  • Dr. Offner brings over 25 years of experience in mental health, K–12, and higher education. She has worked in school and college counseling centers, taught psychology at the undergraduate and graduate level, and regularly presents on adolescent mental health, faculty well-being, and student life at regional and national conferences.

    Her past roles include:

    • Consulting Psychologist, Beacon Academy – a 14-month program supporting students from under-resourced communities (2018–2024)

    • Dean of Students & Consulting Psychologist, The Commonwealth School (2003–2017)

    • Counselor at Boston University, Boston College, and Emerson College

    Dr. Offner also teaches psychology courses at Boston-area colleges and supervises graduate students and school counselors in training.

    She maintains a private clinical and consulting practice in Newton Centre, MA, and serves part-time as an Integrated Behavioral Health Specialist at Belmont Cambridge Health Care, affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital.

    • PhD in Clinical Psychology, specialized training with children, adolescents, and adults in hospital, community, and college settings at Boston University

    • BA in Psychology & Sociology, Wesleyan University

    • Studies in Social Psychology, London School of Economics

    • Advanced post-doctoral training in psychotherapy theory and technique at the Psychoanalytic Institute of New England (PINE)

    • Volunteer Psychotherapist, A Home Within (Boston Chapter, 2010–2013)

      • Provided pro bono mental health care for children in foster care

    • Consultant, The Florida Ruffin Ridley School (1998–2003)

      • Supported Kindergarten faculty as part of a grassroots mental health initiative in response to service cutbacks

    • Parent Education Coordinator, The Rashi School (Dedham, MA)

      • Organized and led the school’s parent education speaker series

Some of my writing

Featured
Health & Well-Being: Supporting the Adults on Campus
Health & Well-Being: Supporting the Adults on Campus

Since the early days of the pandemic, we’ve come to understand even more how caring for students with increasingly complex, urgent mental health needs affects faculty and staff well-being and often presents in these unusual ways.

‘Educators as First Responders’ Is Now Available!
‘Educators as First Responders’ Is Now Available!

Educators as First Responders is a comprehensive, hands-on guide to adolescent development and mental health for teachers and other educators of students in grades 6-12.

Coming Back Together (Without Falling Apart): Trauma-informed School Re-entry
Coming Back Together (Without Falling Apart): Trauma-informed School Re-entry

The Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE) is a valuable partner to schools fostering ethical thinking, a sense of purpose, and advancing empathy, equity, and justice. I was honored to write a piece in their Connections Quarterly Fall 2020 edition.

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