Education and Training

I completed my undergraduate degree at Cornell University in Human Development and Family Studies. After college, I worked with adolescents on an inpatient unit at McLean Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was as a result of this powerful experience that I decided to dedicate my life to the field of mental health. I completed my graduate school education in clinical psychology in 2007 at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. I earned my licensed as a clinical psychologist in 2009.

I am passionate about this field because I am able to connect with clients who have incredible lives full of experiences different from my own. Over time we develop the trust in our relationship to explore the parts of life that feel vulnerable to approach. I enjoy working creatively with my clients to reveal hidden strengths, collaboratively solve problems, and help them actualize their potential. We co-create an authentic working relationship that allows us to look critically at the work we are doing together for its strengths and areas to improve. Therapy is more effective for clients when we discuss our therapy relationship openly. This ensures we are on the same page about what to discuss week-to-week and our goals for treatment.

Two of my career goals as a psychologist are to 1) promote mental health awareness and 2) reduce the stigma of mental health treatment. As a result, I have prioritized working with diverse populations in urban areas where access to, education about, and familiarity with therapy has often been limited.

Affiliation with The George Washington University

In addition to my private practice, I maintain an affiliation with The George Washington University (GWU) where for the last 8 years I have supervised, trained, mentored, and instructed students in both the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology and the Master’s and Ph.D. programs in Counseling. During that time, I focused on honing my skills as a supervisor with nearly 40 students in individual or triadic supervision. I informed my practice of supervision by engaging in research about the development of a supervisor’s identity. I presented this research at an international supervision conference.

I was also fortunate enough to help run the training laboratory for the GW counseling program as their Assistant Clinical Director. During that time I had the privilege of co-creating a training program for the Master’s and doctoral students that touched the lives of more than 300 students who have now entered the field.

Currently, I teach a summer course in Diagnosis and Treatment Planning for the school counselors at the Alexandria Campus of GWU.

Experience with Children and Adolescents

I am trained as a Clinical Child Psychologist. I have worked with children and adolescents in many settings over the years including inpatient units, partial hospital programs, outpatient clinics, community mental health clinics, the emergency room, in schools, and in clients’ homes. This range of experiences has helped me to appreciate the various levels of care that clients need at different times in their lives. Additionally, it has made me acutely aware of the roles that education, social support, the family system, and the community play in maintaining the mental health of individual children and adolescents. I have extensive experience doing individual psychotherapy, family therapy, and group therapy.

I have also spent many years conducting psychological evaluations of children to better understand their academic strengths and areas for growth as well as their emotional needs. I advocated for children and their families within the school system to ensure that they had access to special services that they need and deserve. When working with families, I prioritize communication between children, parents, teachers, and school personnel (e.g., special education departments, school counselors) for continuity of care and maximizing each child’s potential for success.

My Philosophy on Counseling 

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