About the Provider

Allison Margolis, PMHNP-BC, LICSW, RN

she/her

Allison’s clinical practice is informed by her dual board certification as a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner and a licensed independent clinical social worker. Her background as a psychotherapist grounds her approach to medication management, and provides a unique skillset that allows a deeper understanding of her patients, a strengths-based approach to psychiatric evaluation, and the ability to customize her treatment offerings to best meet each individual’s needs and preferences.

Allison holds a BS from Cornell University, an MSW from Boston College, and a BSN and MSN from MGH Institute of Health Professions. She has extensive experience providing clinical care, as well as advancing research that aims to improve the scientific understanding of mental health conditions and the efficacy of treatment for patients across the lifespan. Allison is passionate about collaborating with patients to promote their mental health and ability to thrive; and considers it a great honor to be a trusted partner in her patients’ paths to healing. As such, she continuously strives to increase her knowledge and expand her repertoire of evidence-based approaches to maximize the efficacy of the care she provides. Allison offers multimodal approaches to treatment, including mindfulness training, psychotherapy, skills coaching, and medication, as appropriate.

Allison received her professional education from preeminent leaders in the field of mental health care. Her psychotherapy training included counseling college students at Boston College and Cornell University, and providing comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) at Massachusetts Mental Health Center. Her clinical training providing medication management services spanned community health settings and private practice, including Transhealth Northampton, MGH Charlestown, and Birch Grove Mental Health.

In addition to her graduate training, Allison obtained postgraduate training in DBT by Behavioral Tech, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) by the EMDR International Association, Prolonged Exposure (PE) by the Emory Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program, and Acceptance-Based Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder by MGH. Allison has also obtained specialized training in serving transgender, gender-diverse, and neurodiverse populations through the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network.

Prior to establishing her private practice, Allison held clinical and research positions in the McLean Hospital Psychotic Disorders and Depression and Anxiety Disorders Divisions, The Pavilion at McLean Hospital, and the Massachusetts General Hospital Intravenous Ketamine Clinic.

Allison has contributed to research exploring the neurobiological underpinnings of bipolar disorder, care for children with dissociative identity disorder, support for families of individuals with first-episode psychosis, and psychopharmacological approaches to posttraumatic stress disorder. See below for a full list of publications.

LECTURES, PUBLICATIONS, & POSTER PRESENTATIONS:

Guest Lecturer, Psych/Mental Health Theory, Boston College Connell School of Nursing. (2025).

Kieran, K., Morse, B., Margolis, A. (2024). Dissociative Identity Disorder in schools: Part I. NASN School Nurse.

Kieran, K., Morse, B., Margolis, A. (2024). Dissociative Identity Disorder in schools: Part II. NASN School Nurse.

Brady, R.O. Jr., Margolis, A., Masters, G., Keshavan, M., Öngür, D. (2017). Bipolar mood state reflected in cortico-amygdala resting state connectivity: A cohort and longitudinal study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 217, 205-209. 

Brady, R.O. Jr., Masters, G.A., Mathew, I.T., Margolis, A., Cohen, B.M., Öngür, D., Keshavan, M. (2016). State dependent cortico-amygdala circuit dysfunction in bipolar disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 201, 79-87.

Brady, R.O. Jr., Tandon, N., Masters, G., Margolis, A., Cohen, B., Keshavan, M., Öngür, D. (2016). Differential brain network activity across mood states in bipolar disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 207, 367-376.

Margolis, A., Lewandowski, K.E., Shinn, A.K., Öngür, D., Bolton, K. (2016, September). Parental grit and caregiver burden in first episode psychosis. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Psychopathology, Baltimore, MD.