What I do:
I help teens and adults break through long standing concerns with chronic worries, mood imbalances, unhelpful coping habits and dysfunctional relationship patterns that hold them back. My clients learn simple and effective strategies to beat their blues, start seeing results quickly and improve their well being.
Specifically, I offer individual and group therapy for adults and adolescents who suffer from anxiety and related problems including panic, social phobia, chronic worry, and specific phobias. I provide specialized treatments for hair pulling and skin picking disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). I also treat mood disturbances including depression and bi-polar disorder. In addition, I work well with individuals who struggle with relationship difficulties that are either due to anxiety, a low self concept, or their biological and personality factors that may make it difficult for them to understand social contexts and engage with others.
My primary treatment modality is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as it has been shown to be the preferred method for the treatment for mood and anxiety disorders, as well as more complex conditions that include a multitude of co-occurring concerns. I am board certified by the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and Intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, which is to date one of the most effective modalities for clients struggling with more extreme emotional and behavioral difficulties, interpersonal problems, and are at risk for self harm or suicide.
By paying attention to my clients’ strengths and growth edges I customize treatment to address their unique needs in a supportive environment, with a sharp focus on progress. My treatment approach is collaborative where my clients (both child and adults) and I take active roles in improving their daily functioning and overall well being.
I also believe in collaborating with other members on my client’s treatment team so that we can ensure the best outcome possible. I regularly consult and collaborate with psychiatrists, psychologists, neuropsychologists, and physicians in the community to ensure my clients have access to top notch professionals in the area to address any additional needs they may have.
My education and interests:
I am Clinical psychologist who specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and am board certified by the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. I earned my Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I completed my predoctoral internship at Southern Louisiana Internship Consortium and my post doctoral training at the Cognitive Behavioral Institute of Albuquerque in New Mexico. I am currently an adjunct professor at Ferkauf and offer clinical supervision to doctoral students. I have held a faculty position at North-Western University and am a published author on topics of School refusal and inner experience sampling.
To date I have had the privilege of working in a variety of treatment settings, with a diversity of clients. Across settings and populations, I noticed that people’s distress generally revolved around an interrelated mix of mood difficulties, anxieties, and worries about their relationships with others. I became keenly interested in learning how these difficulties developed and what the most effective course of treatment was. I found that mood, anxiety and relational difficulties can manifest in various ways. The individual’s biology, personality, family history/environment, academic life, trauma or current circumstances can all play a role. These difficulties can really affect a person’s well being in deeply negative ways. Unfortunate as this may be, I found that there are research proven, systematic methods to target these concerns and manage factors such as problematic behaviors or habits of thinking and feeling. I have dedicated my professional career to gaining an expertise in these methods to provide my clients with top notch services. To learn more about my method, go to the “what is CBT” tab.