For those who seek individual consultation and/or ongoing psychotherapy support, I start with an assessment in an atmosphere of warmth and curiosity and frame our conversation within an evidence-based practice to provide you a roadmap for therapeutic intervention. Overall, my goal is to help you to remove the internalized barriers and address the societal barriers associated with challenges that may be causing suffering or preventing you from feeling successful in your day-to-day activities and achieving your life goals.
I structure my interventions to address a broad range of areas including, but not limited to school and work challenges, relational conflicts, behavioral concerns, parenting, identity exploration (e.g., LGBQIA, trans/gender-non binary, and unexpected DNA discoveries) and/or trauma and loss. I approach every individual uniquely to identify what treatment modality you and I feel will best meet your needs and the approach will be fluid in response to critical needs and broader issues that have historically served as barriers to leading a healthy and emotionally successful life. A core element of my clinical support is considering your identity within the context of your challenges and your resilience. How you come to understand, embrace, and grow your coping and interpersonal style in the context of your family, intimate relationships and your community will, at times, be central to setting reasonable expectations for yourself.
I have been clinically trained in utilizing diverse evidence-based practices including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Based Therapy (MBT), Relational Therapy, Trauma-Informed therapies and body-centered treatment. Irrespective of the treatment modality, my work is heavily influenced by neuroscience, as well as, diversity and social justice. I can provide consultation with other providers you may have (e.g., community agencies, schools, psychiatrists) as a means to support integrated care.
Group therapy can be a good fit for individuals hoping to find social support and manage their emotions with other individuals navigating similar mental health and wellness challenges. I offer group therapy for adolescents and adults via telehealth as I find virtual support groups offer broader access to those who do not live in NYC or might not reasonably have the opportunity to participate in person.
If you are interested in a virtual group or in-person retreat specifically for individuals navigating not-parent-expected (NPE), DNA discovery, please inquire through my contact form, to learn more.
Long before we all faced the barriers imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, I found that telehealth, as an option, offered broader access to care for individuals with geographic and other restrictions to accessing In-person psychotherapy. In the face of the pandemic there have been technological advances and third party payor allowances for remote care that have improved clinicians ability to remove barriers to support. I value this treatment setting when necessary.
I will continue to offer a hybrid practice of In-person and Telehealth services. The format that will work best for your care can be discussed at the time of consultation.
Young people are struggling with their mental health conditions more than ever. Having worked as the Director of Psychological Services at The Spence School, an Independent K - 12 day School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, I understand the increased mental health stressors that young people are facing. Therefore, I offer clinical consultation to help students, families, and educational institutions to identify the best plan to manage mental health crises and medical leaves from schools.
As a result of over 25 years as both a clinician and administrator in Independents Schools and adolescent health care settings, I can offer consultation to:
Assess and evaluate a student’s mental health
Assists families to come up with the best treatment options, including in-patient and out-patient settings.
Provide secondary treatment options, discharge planning, and post treatment options as students return back to their communities and schools.
Serve as a liaison for the student, family and schools to navigate medical leaves within schools.
Please inquire using the intake form if you would like more information.
Although I have spent most of my career as a clinician, I have appreciated the role of research in expanding our understanding of mental health and informing evidence-based interventions. My research experience dates back to my time as a doctoral student at New York University’s School of Social Work when my research was designed to understand the experiences of transgender and gender non-binary individuals. Since then, I have been a co-investigator for research projects on adolescent mental health and graduate student coping & resilience.
Most recently, I was the Principal Investigator, PI, for the Family Ancestry Identity Research (FAIR) project. This research work has resulted in journal publications, Discovery of Unexpected Paternity after Direct-to-consumer DNA Testing and its Impact on Identity, Disclosure Dilemma: Revealing Biological Paternity to Family and Others after Unexpected Direct-to-consumer Genetic Results. Currently, I serve as the PI for FAIR 360°, a multidisciplinary collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Louisville. This project explores the emotional impact of DNA discoveries on all family members when misattributed parentage is revealed.
It is important to note that clinical research is essential in furthering best practice within clinical practice. I am extraordinarily grateful to those who have volunteered to share their personal stories with me to help contribute to affirming therapeutic work for those navigating NPE journeys and gender transition.
If you are navigating an NPE discovery, please inquire if you would like to learn more about my work, including clinical consultation, current articles in progress, and/or new research endeavors.
I am the founder and director of a group practice that is dedicated to clinical treatment and research working with individuals who are looking for support and guidance as they navigate NPE discoveries. Please check out FAIRDNA.com for more information.
