I am a licensed psychotherapist with a PhD in clinical psychology and more than 20 years of training and experience. My philosophy is that our thoughts and emotions are connected to our actions. Through a combination of treatment approaches, I help bring awareness to internal dialogues, underlying beliefs, and ways of communicating that may be contributing to feeling anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or just stuck. We all view life through our unique lens. Helping my clients widen theirs and see something in a way that they had not thought of before is one of the cornerstones of my work.
I completed my undergraduate studies in psychology at Binghamton University, earned my MS in clinical psychology from the University of Bridgeport, and earned my PhD in clinical psychology from Walden University. After many years of working in inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities, community mental health centers, substance abuse treatment centers, and group homes, I took a pause in my professional career and focused all of my energy on being a stay at home mom. Those years were rewarding and challenging at the same time. I experienced a lot of big emotions as I tried to navigate motherhood, marriage, and a huge change in focus and routine. During that time in my life, I found exercise, more than anything else, helped me to feel less anxious, less overwhelmed, and more connected to myself and others. When I exercised, I was better able to manage my emotions and it translated into me being able to show up differently for my kids, husband, and friends. When I made the leap to resume my professional journey, I decided to educate myself about the benefits of exercise on mental health and, in 2012, I earned my Certification in Personal Training from the American College of Sports Medicine. While I don’t use that certification in the traditional way, my experience and skill set make me uniquely qualified to provide an integrated approach to wellness that focuses on both mind and body. Whenever possible, I incorporate my knowledge of and passion for exercise into my work.
In therapy, as in life, flexibility and humor are essential, and my style reflects that. I weave a number of treatment modalities into sessions including, but not limited to, Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP).