Born in Poland, Dr. Monika Kolodziej moved with her family to Montreal, Canada when she was a teenager. “At the time I was growing up, there was political turmoil in both countries,” she explains. “I think one of the things that drew me to psychology is that I was intuitively interested in how people cope with adversity, develop resiliency, and form meaningful connections with others to foster personal growth.” Dr. Kolodziej obtained her doctorate in clinical psychology from Syracuse University and completed predoctoral and postdoctoral training in the Boston area.

Dr. Kolodziej has been practicing as a licensed psychologist since 2000, mostly in Central Massachusetts where she lives. In her work, Dr. Kolodziej seeks to help people make significant changes to live healthy and meaningful lives. “I think that my fundamental role is to listen and establish supportive partnerships with patients to help them meet their desired goals.”

At Reliant Medical Group, psychologists work as members of the care team, which includes doctors, advanced practitioners, and nurses. “I enjoy working in a team environment where as team members we can draw on each other’s unique contributions. It’s really a great environment to practice in.” Dr. Kolodziej spends the majority of her time in the bariatric program where she focuses on helping patients meet and sustain their desired changes before and after bariatric surgery while also paying attention to patients’ mental and physical health needs.

When she is not busy at work, Dr. Kolodziej enjoys being with her family and friends with whom she likes to travel and hike. She also enjoys the quietude of reading in the company of her family’s two cats.