I’m a wife and an elder millennial who loves to laugh. I’m obsessed with peppermint mocha iced coffee year-round. You’ll find me in the middle of the dance floor at everyone’s wedding. My guilty pleasure is trashy reality TV (Real Housewives or 90 Day Fiance’ anyone?) and I can always go for a good Netflix murder mystery documentary!
I’m passionate about helping people who struggle with anxiety because I get it. I’ve been there myself.
Having struggled with anxiety for years as a young adult, I understand firsthand how debilitating it can be. I also understand the feelings of loneliness and frustration when other people just don’t get it (you know, when their advice is to “just relax” or “just don’t think about it”…um yeah right, super helpful). If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety you know what I mean. One of the hardest things about dealing with mental health issues is feeling alone with your experience. I hope to change that narrative through my work as a therapist.
I decided to pursue a career in the mental health field because of my sincere passion for helping others navigate their mental health challenges. In graduate school, I took my first semester-long class on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and I was hooked. I realized I had deep-rooted thought patterns that dictated how I viewed situations and were clearly not serving me well. I started practicing the techniques I was learning and slowly started feeling calm, confident, and definitely less anxious.
By fusing my education and training with my personal experiences I feel I have a unique understanding and perspective to offer.
My specialties and areas of interest
I choose to specialize in working with adults in their early 20’s to early 40’s because I’m passionate about supporting people in this season of life. I also noticed a lack of specialized mental health care for this age group in the community. There are many child & teen therapists, therapists specifically for college students on college campuses, and even therapists who choose to work with older adults. I realized there aren’t many specialized therapists for people post-college through early middle adulthood. This surprised me because this is arguably one of the most stressful times in life when people really need support!
I hope my practice can be a place where clients in this season of life can feel supported and understood.
My main area of clinical interest is working with adults aged 21-44 who are struggling with high-functioning anxiety, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and/or adjustment-related issues/life transitions. I also enjoy helping people manage stress and cope with general life stressors.
I have a special interest in helping women ditch their people-pleasing behaviors, set better boundaries, communicate more assertively, and live more authentic and peaceful lives!
I enjoy working with college/graduate students, young adults, Millennials, stay-at-home moms, professionals, and healthcare workers.
My style and approach
I try my best to balance professionalism while also “keeping it real”. I’ve been told by clients that my style feels relatable, and not stuffy or overly clinical. I try not to overcomplicate things and don’t use a lot of fancy clinical jargon. I hope therapy with me feels more like a chat over coffee with a trusted, supportive, objective, and non-judgemental friend. My goal is not to make therapy intimidating.
I try not to take myself too seriously and I like to use humor. We will probably laugh…a lot!
Cursing is perfectly fine in my office. I’m very comfortable with tears. We can talk about anything that you feel is relevant to your life: religion, sex, money, constipation issues, whatever. After so many years in practice, I’ve heard just about everything. I want you to feel comfortable to be authentic and unapologetically you!
I am not a passive, no-feedback type of therapist.
I take a collaborative approach to therapy and value working as a team. I don’t give “advice” but I do provide direct feedback based on my observations and what I’m learning about you. I’m an active participant in therapy, offering new perspectives for you to consider, providing tools for coping, and challenging you when you’re stuck.
My approach to wellness and therapy is holistic and tailored to meet your individual needs and goals.
As a CBT therapist, I tend to use evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions the most, however, I always tailor therapy to meet your individual needs. People are complex and a one size fits all approach doesn’t work. I commonly integrate components of other modalities, including: Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Person-Centered Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Practices. Lifestyle modifications and basic self-care practices (exercise, nutrition, sleep) are also frequently discussed. We will find what works for you!
My mission and values
The mission of my practice is to provide high-quality mental health care to people who value therapy and are motivated to work on themselves.
Have you ever been to see a healthcare provider and felt like you were just another number in their very long day? Did you feel like they weren’t really listening or prioritizing your care? I have and it’s awful. I decided when I opened my practice that I wanted to help change that narrative.
Providing quality mental health care is more important to me than working with a large number of clients. I intentionally choose to keep my practice specialized and on the smaller side so that you are receiving a present and invested therapist each time we meet. Nobody needs a burned-out therapist.
I choose not to accept insurance in my practice for similar reasons. Accepting insurance would negatively impact my ability to provide you with the best care that I can. I’m not willing to sacrifice the quality of care I provide in order to participate with insurance companies. I would rather focus my efforts on helping you!
I also make it a point to only work with clients I feel I can be the most helpful to. I know what I’m helpful with and I know what I’m not. If I’m not a good clinical fit or my approach doesn’t seem to be helping you, I will help find you a great therapist who is. There is a good match out there for everyone. I want you to find that therapist – You deserve that!
Experience and Education
I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New York State. I have 16 years post graduate experience counseling children, teens, and adults in individual, couple, and family therapy. Over the years I’ve been employed in numerous agency settings, and school-based mental health positions before transitioning into private practice. I now work exclusively in private practice with adults, and love it!
I earned my Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2008. Prior to that, I earned my Bachelor’s Degree from LeMoyne College in 2006, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Spanish. I’ve received training in many different counseling modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), to treat a wide range of issues including anxiety and depression.