My Approach
An understanding of trauma-informed care is at the foundation of my approach.
Although I am trained in several modalities and orientations, my way of working is fundamentally one that prioritizes curiosity, connection, and compassion. I am an active and collaborative therapist, fully engaged with you and passionate about your healing.
My focus is not just to help you alleviate your symptoms rather to join you in putting words to the complexity of your experience, understanding yourself more deeply, cultivating self-compassion, and finding meaning and purpose.
Therapy with me is a joint endeavor. I’ll bring my expertise in mental-emotional health and you’ll bring your expertise in your lived experience. We will combine our collective wisdom to gain insight into how to make the changes that would be most beneficial for you.
Education and Specializations
I hold a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and a Master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University.
Prior to starting a private practice I worked at a community counseling center in Manhattan where I provided psychotherapy for depression, anxiety, mood disorders, addictions, and relational trauma.
I have advanced certifications in body-oriented psychotherapy, Relational Trauma, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).
Contact Me to set up a phone consultation
Theoretical Frameworks
1) Psychodynamic: Our early life experiences and relationships help us organize the world around us. They inform the ways we feel about ourselves, the trust or mistrust we have in others, and the ways in which we feel safe to show up in the world. Gaining insight about our foundational experiences allows for change in the present.
2) Relational: We are hurt in relationship and we heal in relationship. As human beings, we are wired for love and connection. When our connections have been unreliable, unsafe, or even just apathetic, that has a profound impact on how we relate to ourselves and others. Therapy is an opportunity to work through unresolved upsets and create healthier ways of establishing and cultivating long-lasting relationships.
3) Internal Family Systems (IFS): There’s part of you that wants to reach out for help (the part of you that’s gotten this far down the page) and there’s part of you that feels unsure. We all have conflicting feelings, parts of us that we are more/less aware of. Young, unhealed parts of us that feel scared, critical parts that try to keep us motivated with fear, parts that want to protect us from pain. Together, we will talk about all of these “parts” and begin integrate them so you have a fuller understanding of your truest self.
4) Attachment: Attachment is a biological need. The ways in which our caregivers nurtured healthy attachment inform how we relate to others - securely, anxiously, with avoidance. Understanding our attachment styles gives us the ability to understand our relational patterns and make better choices.
5) EMDR: Unresolved trauma can create emotional blocks that prevent us from moving forward. EMDR is a modality that targets the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and bodily sensations that keep us stuck. By removing these blocks, our mind/body moves toward health. We begin to integrate our experience and formulate new, more compassionate thoughts and core beliefs.
