About
“There is no normal life that is free of pain. It’s the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for growth.”
- Fred Rogers
My Story
I obtained my Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law and my Master of Arts Degree from John Jay College – City University of New York. I worked with college students from diverse backgrounds at the College of Mount Saint Vincent’s Counseling Office in Riverdale, New York, and then worked as a therapist at Sanctuary Mental Health Counseling in Staten Island, New York.
My experience as a mental health therapist has allowed me to discover my true passion. Since then I have worked with individuals including people grappling with recurrent depression and dysregulated emotions, parents of children with mental health issues, carers who are struggling with their daily caregiving activities, people wanting to break out of toxic relationship cycles, and more.
I also work with college-aged individuals who feel overwhelmed with the growing complexities of their lives. They are struggling to navigate different life stressors and as young adults, are going through periods of transition and adjustment. They might be working toward developing their identities and are in the process of figuring out this “whole life as an adult thing.”
I take my time to really get to know my clients and discover new ways to better help them with their healing journey, which is why I continue to take educational programs that further my knowledge as a mental health therapist. This allows me to create treatment plans that implement the latest research and therapeutic techniques and are genuinely customized to your mental health needs and goals.
My Therapeutic Approach
My approach to therapy involves a combination of exploring your childhood experiences so we can get to the root of your mental health struggles and then applying cognitive behavioral strategies (CBT) to help sort out distorted thinking, emotions and the behaviors that follow. I help my patients make sense of past traumas, events, emotions and behaviors and connect them with present thinking, feelings and the behavior and responses that flow from them.
I do my best to ensure that my clients feel safe while sharing their experiences with me, and you can rest assured that our therapy environment will be relaxed and comfortable.
This is a judgment-free zone, and you can share your thoughts and story with me however and whenever you want to.
My goal here is to help you determine what changes you need to make to effectively handle conflict with the people around you. Together, we will be unraveling your traumatic experiences and trauma responses while helping you get rid of harmful internalized belief systems. We will also be analyzing your current interpersonal relationships so you can better understand how to build healthy, positive connections.
Whether you’re looking for emotional support as a parent or as a carer or would like to feel better in control of your emotions when dealing with the important people in your life, I will be here to help you make sense of your life experiences so you can make informed decisions with approaches that have a positive impact on your well-being.
Certifications and Other Trainings
- Juris Doctor, New York University School of Law
- MA with Distinction, City University of New York
- Internship - College of Mount Saint Vincent Counseling Office, Riverdale, New York
- Psychotherapist - Sanctuary Mental Health Counseling, Staten Island, New York
- AEDP Level One Certification - AEDP Institute
- Biology of Trauma Certificate - Trauma Healing Accelerated
- SMART - Stress Management and Resiliency Training (certification in progress) - Harvard Medical School Psychiatry Academy
- Emotions Education 101 (in progress) - Hilary Jacobs Hende
- Somatic Experiencing 1 (in progress) - Somatic Experiencing International
- EMDR (in progress) - Personal Transformation Institute
