Eric Bolella, LMFT

Eric Bolella is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with ten years of clinical experience. He practices in Connecticut and currently offers services via telehealth. Eric focuses on helping people manage trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship or family concerns.

He trained at Central Connecticut State University and earned a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2013. Early in his career he worked in outpatient settings with inner city youth and low-income families, and he has experience running therapeutic group homes for adolescents.

More recently Eric managed a non-profit, state-funded domestic violence program. There he worked on reforming abusive behaviors and on healing family bonds to reduce state intervention. That work shaped his interest in trauma-informed and systemic approaches to care.

His style blends solution-focused strategies with conversational, socratic questioning. He also draws on Internal Family Systems influences, narrative methods, and compassion-oriented inquiry to help people make sense of painful experiences and find practical next steps.

In sessions Eric aims to identify what is most urgent and practical for a person. He works with life stress, coping with health challenges, parenting strain, attachment and abandonment concerns, body image, caregiver stress, and related issues. He helps people build clearer communication, manage mood symptoms, and navigate major life transitions.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Eric uses Client-Centered Therapy to create a respectful, nonjudgmental space where people can say what matters to them and set their own goals. This approach helps with relationship concerns, low mood, and self esteem by focusing on the client's needs and perspective.

He also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help identify unhelpful thought patterns and test practical changes. CBT can be useful for anxiety, depression, stress management, and sleep or eating concerns because it breaks problems into clear steps and experiments.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. He collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, comfort, and daily life. That might mean mixing solution-focused steps with narrative work or adding mindfulness practices based on what the client wants.

If you are considering online therapy, check which session options are offered before booking. Eric currently practices via telehealth, so confirm the exact formats available when you schedule. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let people use mindfulness or homework exercises between meetings.