My approach in therapy is collaborative, supportive, and goal oriented.

For over 13 years, I have dedicated myself to supporting people of all ages through a range of stressors, including anxiety, depression, tense family dynamics, grief, chronic illness, and life transitions. In this work, I’ve seen firsthand the tremendous pressures individuals face to appear “okay” and the self-blame that often comes from not meeting unrealistic societal expectations. These experiences have deepened my passion for helping those who are entering parenthood, raising young children, caregiving, redefining roles and boundaries in relationships, and navigating the complexities of grief and loss. Taking the first step to address emotional challenges is an act of tremendous courage, and you don’t have to face it alone. When life feels overwhelming, a strong therapeutic relationship can provide the support needed to navigate your journey toward growth and meaningful change. Together, we can draw on your strengths and collaboratively focus on your goals. If you choose to work together, we can uncover underlying barriers and unhelpful patterns contributing to your distress, while also identifying and strengthening your personal resources to foster growth. My clients frequently describe feeling genuinely listened to, understood, and met with warmth and authenticity during our sessions.

LMFT

Thank you for your interest in my practice. I have been a licensed clinical social worker in the Mid-Hudson Valley since 1994. I offer supportive psychotherapy to children, adults, couples and families in the community. Within the context of a caring therapeutic environment, I collaborate with clients on addressing a range of concerns including relationship issues, life transitions (such as going away to college, coping with divorce, becoming a first-time parent) and managing stressors at school, work and home. Capitalizing on each individual's unique strengths and needs, I assist clients in finding ways to enhance their personal effectiveness and overall life satisfaction through opportunities to develop new skills and valuable insights. I am committed to staying current in my knowledge base as a mental health clinician so that I can best serve the persons who entrust me with their psychological well-being. My post-graduate training is ongoing and includes certification in the field of Grief and Loss. Having this background, I am particularly attuned to how emotional wounds that were inflicted in the past may be making their legacy known in the present. I have also been certified by the Smith College School for Social Work in the area of Advanced Practice with Children and Adolescents. My practice is sensitive to all areas of diversity, including race, gender, religion, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation. While I work with persons of many faiths and creeds, I do offer Christian-based counseling by request.

My approach to therapy is Humanistic-Existential. Therapy in my view is a sacred journey to the core of one's being in search of meaning. Not unlike other explorations, here too, desire, determination, planning, and a roadmap are needed. Your therapist plays a critical role in planning and mapping your most crucial journey. There are times when psychological anguish has reached an overwhelming point by the time therapy begins. There, the 1st priority of therapy is to help the client to unpack the message enveloped in suffering. Therapy can help bring the realization that pain is the prelude to true awakening without which there can be no lasting clarity to light up your path in life. My beloved mystic, Rumi says it most eloquently in "only when you break you let the light in".

Do you find yourself dealing with anxiety or relationship challenges? Are you using substances to cope with difficult feelings or situations? These struggles can feel overwhelming, but having support can make a meaningful difference. I work with individuals who feel stuck in unhelpful patterns and are looking for guidance, insight, and practical tools to move forward. In therapy, I help clients build healthy coping skills, strengthen self-esteem, and navigate life transitions. My approach focuses on becoming more aware of thoughts and emotions to better understand challenges and develop effective, lasting solutions. I specialize in working with anxiety, relationship challenges, trauma, and substance abuse. I aim to provide a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel comfortable being their authentic selves. I use an integrative, client-centered approach tailored to each individual’s unique needs and therapeutic goals. I understand that reaching out for support can feel difficult and vulnerable. I'm committed to creating a trusting therapeutic relationship where you feel safe and supported throughout the process.

My therapeutic style is warm, friendly, supportive, compassionate and competent. Psychotherapy is tailored to the specific needs of the client as they evolve in a collaborative relationship. I'm board certified by the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work. My background and training in psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, teaching, and supervising psychotherapy is varied and extensive. I specialize in; general psychotherapy of personality problems, phobias and anxiety states, relationship loss trauma and stress, spinal, sports, dance, cardiac, neurological injury and surgical stress, adult and adolescent creative work blocks, self esteem, and academic problems, parent-adolescent communication problems, pet loss therapy, cognitive behavior therapy failures, supervision of psychotherapy from multi-model analytic approaches. Analytic institute faculty, training analyst, supervisor.

Everyone has different needs, and as such I tune in to sense what clients need throughout the session. My goal is to make you feel comfortable enough to raise any issue at all, whether it be about current or past experiences, or how you are experiencing the therapy session. I use an interpersonal approach, and while I am listening closely, I am also open, responsive, and present, and will be sharing my thoughts, questions, and ideas about what is going on in your life and what I think might be most helpful to you. I use a direct and interactive approach, which I believe helps people to engage more fully in the therapy process. Together, we will clarify problems, gain more insight into how external situations are affecting your mental health, apply strategies to minimize negative behavior patterns, and cope more effectively with difficult emotions such as sadness, anger, or pain. Although I am solution-focused and results-oriented, I also encourage self-reflection so that problems are less likely to recur in the future. At times, this may require confronting past experiences that are surfacing in the present in the form of depression, anxiety, anger, problems with intimacy, or unwanted thoughts or behaviors. In addition to working closely with clients to manage symptoms of depression and anxiety, I help people use psychotherapy to work through difficulties or obstacles they may be facing at different points in their lives, whether this be finding the right career path, resolving ongoing conflicts in relationships, coping with stress or painful experiences such as loss or trauma, or struggling with addiction or other self-destructive behaviors. I also specialize in treating eating issues and distorted body image, as well as problems in work, partner, peer, and family relationships.

In high-stakes environments getting over it is not a strategy, it is a liability. True resilience is not found in suppressing stress, but in mastering the nervous system that governs your decision-making, creativity, and presence. While traditional talk therapy addresses the mind, complex stress and burnout are physiological. They reside in the nervous system, areas often inaccessible to logic and conversation alone. I provide a sophisticated, integrative approach for individuals who require more than just a sounding board. I integrate Somatic Experiencing with Creative Arts Therapy to bridge the gap between cognitive insight and physical regulation. We move beyond survival mode and into a state of expanded capacity. This is not about fixing what is broken; it is about optimizing your internal architecture for connection, resilience, and sustained ease. Core Areas of Expertise Executive Burnout & Nervous System Regulation: Rewiring a system stuck in high-cortisol fight or flight to restore mental clarity and physical vitality. Relational Intelligence & Boundaries: Navigating complex interpersonal dynamics and attachment patterns to enhance both professional and private leadership. High-Stakes Transitions: Maintaining an internal home and sense of self during significant career pivots, identity shifts, or personal loss. Complex Trauma Resolution: Utilizing a paced, somatic approach to process deep-seated wounds without compromising your daily functioning. Our work is collaborative, discreet, and highly specialized. Whether we are utilizing movement to release chronic tension or creative visualization to solve unspoken blocks, the process is tailored to your specific pace and lifestyle. We do not just discuss your narrative; we transform the physical experience of your life.

As a licensed marital and family therapist, I have years of experience working with individuals, couples and families faced with a wide variety of challenges and life cycle transitions. I offer a supportive, empathic and nonjudgmental environment in which to discover, heal and grow. My approach is individualized, holistic, solution-focused and collaborative. Together, we will create a plan to help you reach your goals and overcome challenges. With you as the expert on yourself, my role is to provide you with insight, strategies, coaching and tools. My goal is to help you feel empowered and motivated to reach your full potential.

Whether you and your partner are struggling due to a rupture in trust, a major life transition, or uncertainty about alignment in goals for the relationship, I help couples gain deeper clarity so they can make meaningful progress toward long-term, sustainable growth. My clients have done well for themselves in many aspects of their lives, but feel lost about how to address the frustration, disconnect, and overwhelm in their relationship that may have them repeating painful patterns. As a relationally focused therapist, I’ll help you develop better insight into those patterns, explore the underlying functions and needs driving these dynamics, and build new ways of relating that foster connection and shared meaning in your life together. You deserve expert-driven therapy that is relatable, effective, and affirming, and you’ll find it here. I offer a safe, supportive space for people of color and LGBTQ+ couples. I also offer a unique perspective and support for clients navigating long-distance relationships, decision-making around marriage andor parenthood, adoption, and protecting their own families from intergenerational patterns that have persisted in their family of origin. Finding the right therapist is so important to getting the most out of couples therapy. Reach out for a free 20-minute video consultation so we can determine whether I’m the right therapist for you. Let’s get started!

I honor each individual's unique characteristics and strengths. In that spirit, I tailor my methods to the unique needs of the client - utilizing cognitive behavior therapy, psychodynamic, and humanistic modes. I am warm, encouraging and a strong motivator. My extensive background as a psychiatric social worker helps me to advocate for my clients and has provided me with special skills and life experiences that I bring to my psychotherapy practice.