A steady, trusting presence for your healing journey
I've always aspired to be a steady, trusting presence for people — someone they can bring their stories to and feel heard. My PhD focused on how early trauma shapes development, driven by a desire to understand what helps people heal. I've spent thousands of hours in therapy rooms, child and family practice, taught graduate students and clinicians, published research, served as the clinical director of agencies, supervised the development of ongoing clinicians, directed academic programs, and been a professor for 20 years.
I'm also a mother, a neighbor, a friend and I care deeply about the people I work with. I show up with focused attention, notice what's beneath the words, stay motivated to discover what will help you move forward, and find that our work together builds and sustains me too. After a long career, committing myself to this work with you matters deeply to me.
How I Work
Therapy in my office is a steadier, deeper pace — careful, reflective work that gets beneath the surface. I draw on psychoanalytic/psychodynamic approaches, CBT, and breathwork to reach roots, shift patterns, and change how you live, not just manage symptoms. I weave mindfulness and practical self-care into our work because how you move through the world matters as much as what you think about it.
My Credentials
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW #8431 in Florida) and a Qualified Supervisor by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work. Court-recognized forensic clinician specializing in clinical assessment and trauma treatment. Extensive clinical training and expertise in treating trauma. I hold a PhD from Florida International University and am a Cornell University Summer Research Institute alumna. I've published in peer-reviewed journals and contributed book chapters.
Outside the Office
I live here with my husband and our son and love being part of this community — not just working here but belonging here. You might see me at the beach or out for coffee; on the lacrosse field or at a show. I'm rooted in this place in the way someone is when it feels like home.