My Approach

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of experience helping adults of all ages grow and change in ways that feel meaningful to them.

I treat specific disorders such as disordered eating, addictions, OCD, generalized anxiety, depression, and ADHD, but I also work with more general issues like unstable self-esteem, relationship difficulties, perfectionism, procrastination, and parenting struggles. I have developed a special interest in working with people who may identify as "highly sensitive," (sometimes with sensory integration challenges or struggles with mood), or who were usually bright, creative, or sensitive as children. This is maybe not so surprising here in New York City, widely known as a beacon for creative and ambitious types determined to march to the beat of their own drum.

My approach is highly individual and personalized, and incorporates psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and mindfulness-oriented interventions. In addition, I am in the middle of a three year training in Somatic Experiencing™ (advanced level), which is a unique approach to treating trauma as well as nervous system dysregulation. If you feel like you struggle to keep yourself well-regulated --neither too stressed, anxious or hyper, or too sluggish, shut down or depressed -- Somatic Experiencing™ may be helpful to you.

Beyond the specific intervention or therapeutic approach, my most important goal as a therapist is to make my office (whether virtual or in person!) a place where you feel comfortable, understood, and safe enough to take risks and go outside your comfort zone.

My Background

I grew up in the Dallas area and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where I graduated from UT's core liberal arts honors program, Plan II, in 1998, also completing majors in both Psychology and English Literature. Coming from a strong humanities background and as a lifelong voracious reader and learner, I am deeply interested in learning about my patient's worlds, including relational, intellectual, socio-political, and artistic dimensions of their life outside my office.

I moved to New York City in 1998 to attend New York University's clinical psychology program, where I received my PhD in 2006, and I launched my private practice as a full time-venture in 2011. I have worked in a variety of treatment settings, including private clinic settings, acute psychiatric inpatient hospital work, and nursing homes.  I have been working toward my certification as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) since 2020 and I have currently completed the advanced level of training.