About Me
Often times, there is a veil of formality and mystery behind a therapist. As I’ve grown in my career, I can absolutely understand why some circumstances require strict boundaries. I’ve also learned that there are a lot of people who appreciate knowing their therapist is a“real person” too. My style draws upon my education and my life experiences. I am transparent about this when appropriate. So much of my practice revolves around accepting your humanness and getting off the too familiar loop of self-hatred. I have a knack for helping people move through this because I can relate. I work hard to find a balance of allowing myself grace, while taking pride in my work and effort.
With that being said, I am chronically running a little behind, I have snapped at my kids and felt really bad afterwards, and I spend more money on Starbucks than I should. Some days I am so overstimulated, it feels like my head might explode. I am a recovering perfectionist. But I have worked hard to bounce back when my inner critic likes to point out all the ways I could have done something better. I’m no longer being robbed of the present moment because I’m too busy engaging in mental warfare with myself. I can help, because I’ve been there too.
I graduated with my Bachelor’s and Master’s of Social Work from Ramapo College. Wooho, Road Runners! I worked full-time as a psychotherapist, while completing the hours necessary to become a LCSW. Since then, I have continued to work clinically, and I opened my own practice in 2023. Throughout my career, I noticed a large hole in the system for specialized care focused on body image and disordered eating. It appeared most of the care and experts in the field were only offered at intensive outpatient or residential treatment centers. I started to become more specialized in the area as a necessary means to support my clients. I have since established myself as an outpatient provider, who works to decrease the severity of eating disorders through a harm-reduction model. I also am specialized in trauma work, as I am trained in EMDR and somatic practices to manage stress.
One of the reasons I first started to work privately was to balance the demands of being a working parent and having young children. In doing so, I ignited one of my clinical passions, which is helping other caregivers navigate parenthood. By the nature of what I do, I thought for sure when my oldest was born that I had the parenting thing all figured out. Boy, was I wrong. Nothing can prepare you for the level of frustration when you step on a Lego after asking for it to be picked up one hundred times that day. It’s certainly one of the most humbling, selfless, beautiful chapters of my life. It is also, without a doubt, one of the hardest. I can help you through these challenges, while also keeping it real with you that I may have made that same mistake yesterday. We’re going to fail, at times, when we are parenting. It happens. How we respond and how we intentionally connect with our children after is what makes the difference.
One of my favorite things about my job is working with children and adolescents. I love being silly, watching confidence grow, and fostering independence. It is very fulfilling to support children and families in reaching their goals and communication is key in doing so. We will work as a team to support your child.
If you ever have any other questions about our experience or expertise, you can always ask. We have experience and training in all of the areas listed on the FAQ page. We are so excited to launch Wilde Heart into this expansion. I have always been very confident in my skills as a provider, and to bring this to more people in a bigger space is an incredible opportunity. Some things you will find blended through Wilde Heart’s culture are an appreciation of the outdoors & fresh air, mindful body movement, goal-setting, authenticity, and laughter.
