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 am experienced in treating specific disorders like anorexia/bulimia/binge eating, addictions, OCD, generalized anxiety, depression, and ADD, but I also work with more general issues like unstable self-esteem, relationship difficulties, perfectionism, procrastination, and parenting struggles. Over the years, my practice seems to have attracted a lot of people who may identify as “highly sensitive,” (sometimes with sensory integration challenges or struggles with mood), or who were usually bright, creative, or intuitive as children — in other words people whose development might have been somewhat out of sync with peers or with expectations of those around them. This is perhaps not surprising given my location in New York City, widely known as a beacon for both achievement-driven folks as well as those who were born marching to the beat of their own drum.

My approach is always 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™ (intermediate level), which is a unique approach to treating nervous system dysregulation. Nervous system dysregulation is a common by-product of trauma, but also an extremely common consequence of living in a highly overstimulating, made-man world with limited access to movement and nature, as well as a narrow set of cultural expectations about what a successful and healthy life looks like. 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.