About Me
I am a Clinical Psychologist who loves what I do. I see therapy as a vehicle of significant growth and change in each person's life. You are the driver of that vehicle and the means to creating change. I will be right next to you in the passenger seat providing support, encouragement, challenge, direction, and insight.
Who am I as a therapist? Clients frequently share that I am a support and encourager through all of the ups and downs, and that I provide helpful feedback and ask stimulating questions. Clients say they experience me as Empathic, Warm, Attuned, and Authentic. I am a good listener, compassionate, and committed. I also love to share moments of laughter and lightheartedness with my clients.
Many clients see me because they are grieving or they are struggling with eating (e.g., binge eating, emotional eating, undereating). Grief comes in many forms, whether it be experiencing the death of a loved one, the loss of a significant relationship or experience, or feeling that you are losing yourself. Eating issues can arise for a number of reasons, as well. They can stem from an emotional time, traumatic experience, genetics, relationship stressors, and many other factors. Even though grief and eating issues are unique experiences, they often share a sense of losing control over part or all of one's life. Therapy can be a great place to better understand the core issues and that loss of control, as well as cope and regain some healthy control in the process.
I am invested in exploring your concerns, background, and who you are as a person. I want to deeply understand what brings you into therapy, but also, about the life experiences and relationships that have shaped you. Like many therapists, I will listen intently, nod, and ask many questions. Going beyond that, I will help you make connections, develop strategies, and address/process/resolve your current concerns. I see therapy as an opportunity for us to collaborate to help you explore, cope, heal, and, ultimately, feel better.
Through that process, my hope is that you are able to express who you are openly and honestly. In turn, my job is to provide you with a safe space where you can feel heard, understood, and supported.
I have been trained in and incorporate cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, family systems, humanistic, and multicultural theories into my work.
I was born and raised in Ohio and have lived in the Washington, DC region for over 20 years.
Education and Professional Experiences
B.A. in Psychology and Educational Studies from Washington University in St. Louis (2002)
Ph.D. and M.A. in Clinical Psychology from George Mason University (2010)
Trained in community mental health agencies, rape crisis center, children's hospital, and university counseling centers
Completed Doctoral Internship at American University's Counseling Center (2009-10)
Employed at American University's Counseling Center for six years (2010-16), during which time, I served as a Staff Clinician, Assistant Director for Outreach/Consultation, and Assistant Director for Training
Extensive experience providing individual, group, and couples therapy, as well as clinical supervision
Licensed in Maryland (#05750) and with PsyPact