If you feel stuck, spinning your wheels, my role as a counselor is to help find the traction needed to get you moving again. As a compassionate, non-judgmental active listener we will work together to get you back on track.

Through years of experience as a counselor in substance abuse treatment programs, a hospice inpatient unit and a HIV day program I work with people and their loved ones facing chronic and terminal illnesses. Also work with people managing emotional pain and loss due to substance use and the consequences of angry outbursts.

I grew up in laid-back, progressive Northern California. Lived and taught overseas on different continents for over a decade. And now practice as a therapist in the New York City metro area. With this background I have a unique blend of warm, mellow, accepting, understanding of cultural and religious differences but with a dash of “fugetaboutit” to keep us honest in our therapeutic work together.

Beachcombing in the Maritimes

This career allows me to disguise my passion for learning as professional development but I love attending classes, lectures, workshops and conferences. Beyond my clinical social work degree, I spent a year studying Gestalt therapy techniques to help clients access and communicate their emotions. Through additional training I am a certified Anger Management Specialist. I trained at the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan for informed therapy within this community. I relish every opportunity to attend any event that furthers my knowledge to work with people get “unstuck” and through pain and trauma.

Before this career I spent 20 years teaching middle school. Lessons learned from working with adolescents and their families continue to influence my current work. My ease with anger management techniques stems from the drama that is middle school social politics.

The day the kittens showed up on our doorstep

One cannot get to my age (old enough for an AARP membership but not yet Social Security) without a few dings and crashes along the way to develop empathy and understanding. Pain is a teacher. I have learned from losses, disappointments but also successes. As a survivor of cancer and chemo treatments I have had time to ponder a few big questions.

When not in the therapist role I enjoy off-season beach combing, binge watching a TV series or two, long walks (dream of backpacking the entire Appalachian Trail one day), quality time with friends and family, and playing with my cats. At the risk of being judged a crazy cat lady, we rescued an abandoned litter of kittens. Found homes for two of them but kept the other three we could not find homes. They have traveled with us as we moved from Egypt, to Canada, Russia, India, and New Jersey.

So, I am a softy. But take commitment seriously whether it is to pets or to the work I do with you.