about me
a life dedicated to understanding and easing emotional pain
my story
From a young age, my life has been dedicated to understanding how to help people ease their emotional pain. I pursued a BA in psychology at Brown University and an MA and PHD in clinical psychology at Clark University in order to do so. I completed my psychology pre-doctoral internship at the VA Medical Canter in Palo Alto where I was honored to serve our Veterans and engage in multiple avenues for professional growth, including research projects, built-in professional training opportunities, and the supervision of trainees.
During my 36+ at the VA, I have worked as a clinical psychologist in many different treatment programs including: Substance Use Disorders (SUD), General Mental Health, Women’s Mental Health, LGBTQI+, and Complementary and Integrative Health, continually expanding my skills and growing as a mental health provider.
In addition to my clinical roles, I have held leadership and training positions at the VA such as serving as the Director of Training for the Psychology Pre-Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Training programs for 13 years, the Lead Psychologist in Women’s Mental Health for 7 years, and Primary Supervisor for psychology interns and postdoctoral residents. I have also consistently run weekly training seminars for mental health trainees in psychodynamic treatment, psychodiagnostic assessment, couples therapy, psychotherapy supervision, and mindfulness.
About 15 years ago, I took a deep dive into mindfulness, both secular and Vipassana, and became a certified mindfulness instructor and trained teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion. I currently co-lead a weekly on-line community mindfulness group and co-created Cultivating Kindness- a program for women that fosters mindfulness and self-compassion as well as a greater sense of belonging to oneself and the community.
With the substantial amount of experience I’ve accumulated as a psychologist and my passion for mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions, I hope to help my clients learn to cope with the difficulties and challenges of their lives as well as to find peace amidst the chaos of our world.
how I work
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My approach to therapy is grounded in compassion, collaboration, and deep respect for each person’s unique situation.
My style in therapy is warm, transparent, and engaged. I work collaboratively with clients and remain attentive to the complexity of each person’s background, identity, and life experience. Cultural humility and respect for diversity are central to my work.
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Over the course of my career, I have worked with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, interpersonal difficulties, addiction, health-related stress, parenting concerns, and major life transitions. I draw from several evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including time-limited dynamic psychotherapy (TLDP), interpersonal therapy (ITP), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), motivational interviewing (MI), and mindfulness-based interventions.
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While the above models offer helpful tools and frameworks, I believe that lasting change comes from something deeper: learning to relate to our inner experiences with greater understanding, kindness, and acceptance.
Insight allows us to understand how early experiences and relationships shape our emotional patterns. Compassion allows us to approach those patterns without shame and with a willingness to change them. Together, insight and compassion create the foundation for meaningful and sustainable growth.
areas of focus
I work with both individuals and couples and welcome adults from diverse cultural, spiritual, and personal backgrounds.
⋆ Aging and life transitions
⋆ Anxiety and depression
⋆ Diversity, equity, and inclusion in psychological care
⋆ Mindfulness-based therapy and self-compassion practices
⋆ Relationship and interpersonal challenges
⋆ Trauma and recovery
⋆ Women’s mental health