I have been interested in the helping professions since childhood and particularly was curious about the emotional, social, and thinking aspects of human experience. I majored in psychology at the University of Florida, where I spent time working on research within the social psychology realm but ultimately opted for a more clinical focus, which is what made me choose to pursue a Doctor of Psychology degree at Nova Southeastern University.
My initial clinical training was with adolescents and college students, which was a great framework, but during internship I made a significant pivot into working with serious and persistent mental illness and remained working with this population for another six years. In 2015, I made another significant pivot into private practice, where I get to explore with my clients, in a collaborative fashion, the parts of human experience that at times make us the most vulnerable but that can also be a significant part of growth.
I have vast experience working with individuals presenting with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, relationship conflicts, and trauma and have been trained in a variety of evidenced-based therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and EMDR.
My approach to therapy is integrative and I often follow the client’s lead in terms of goal setting and areas of focus. I take the first couple of sessions to get to know the individual and reach a working diagnosis, at times, with the help of psychological testing. I often collaborate with other mental health professionals, particularly medication prescribers, to help ensure that clients are experiencing the most symptom improvement possible. Some of the interventions I use are didactic in nature, and I find that giving clients articles, worksheets, and book recommendations has been helpful.