find balance. make meaning.

Imagine a life grounded in the things that are important to you: free from intrusive symptoms, and centered on your values. Therapy helps you get there through self-discovery and acceptance: getting to know yourself better in all your complexity; and developing the feeling that you can live comfortably within yourself, with others, and in the world.

In this process, you have to feel free to explore your thoughts, your feelings, and the circumstances of your life in an unfettered way-- even things you’d rather hide from. When you have to face uncomfortable things, or be an intrepid explorer, it helps to know there’s someone in it with you. Together we’ll forge a space that's safe enough for you to feel open, and challenging enough for you to break through. I hope that through this work you’ll feel better; but beyond that, I hope you’ll have the opportunity to explore your values and your identity, and to build meaning in your life.

Who comes to see me?

I see adults and adolescents (and their parents), and I see couples. Sometimes I also run small skills-based or process groups. Most of the time, people come to see me to improve their relationships; reduce distress (from anxiety, mood disorders, or personal circumstance); get to know themselves more deeply; identify and name their specific challenges through proper diagnosis; and resolve conflicted feelings, so they can more easily make choices to align their lives with their values.

I’m LGBTQIA+ affirming, sex positive, sensitive to the complexities of trauma and physical touch, and continually strive to develop my cultural competence. Because you are the expert on your identity and experience, I try to ask about it and avoid assumptions. I also know sometimes I’ll make assumptions anyway, based on my own background and worldview: that’s why a collaborative process is so important, and why I’m committed to listening to you.

my training and background

I have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Research on unconscious processes, attachment theory, and the impact of trauma on the nervous system inform the way I understand the human being. My understanding of clinical practice is grounded in contemporary psychoanalytic theory and the paradigm of exposure.

Prior to private practice, I worked in an array of hospital and outpatient settings, with people facing every kind of psychiatric, psychological, and interpersonal challenge. This broad, generalist training offered me the chance to assimilate and synthesize diverse ideas of psychiatric illness, wellness, and resilience; and, simply, to contact the breadth of human experience. As a result, I work from a biopsychosocial model that seeks to consider all the many factors that contribute to individual development.

My special interests tend to have come from my own life experience. These include: work with artists and musicians and a belief in the importance of creative expression; women’s health issues, and a focus on women’s wellness; issues around sexuality, sexual identity, and sexual expression; relationship issues and couples’ work; and managing long-term illness or injury, both individually and in the context of a romantic partnership. Other areas of special interest to me include depression, anxiety, trauma, and Lyme disease and its psychological impact on the individual.

Areas in which I’ve received specialized training include: attachment theory and research; differential diagnosis; contemporary psychoanalytic theory; CBT and DBT protocols; and attitude research and theory, particularly attitudes about sexuality and sexual identity.

There’s a bit more about me here.