I also got into therapy because I too was familiar with feeling unworthy, misunderstood, and not enough. Learning about my neurodivergence as an adult helped me fully embrace the parts of myself that are different and begin the long, often difficult, freeing process of unmasking. And I’m not just talking about accepting my mind—my body too. Growing up fat and later, chronically ill in a skinny, productivity obsessed world was tough. Even saying the word fat was hard for me! Slowly but surely, I made the move towards radical fat liberation and stopped suffering so much. In general, life got better when I learned how to be myself and accept the parts of myself that I had shut away for so long. I realized that I spent a lot of my life feeling trapped in other people’s perceptions of me, having grown up in a relatively affluent area that prioritized academic and vocational accomplishment over just about everything else. Because I think differently, I was put into special education classes from the ages of 8-14. I’m so glad I had that support! It is of utmost importance others get access to those services too. However, because nobody told me why I was there or that it wasn’t a bad thing, I genuinely thought there was something wrong with me. It felt like I was failing. If I could have better understood how my brain worked, I would have been spared a lot of shame and suffering. I have accepted that I can’t change the past, but I can help change the present for a lot of families, teens, and adults! 

I am first and foremost a human, one who got into this therapeutic work because I believe that connection is a human need. and that we are living in a world that devalues the pathways towards connection like vulnerability, interdependence, empathy, and community. I see a lot of people feeling isolated. I see a culture of prioritizing competition, perfectionism, and emotional distance over community care. Right now, there are so many ways the world is set up to cause suffering. With intergenerational trauma cycles, a lack of emphasis on socio-emotional education, invalidation of identity, and a culture of prioritizing capital and productivity over just about all else—it’s no surprise there’s so much suffering. Philosophically, I got into this work to try and push back on a lot of the aspects of society that cause harm to individuals and communities.

For those of you who like concrete skills work, I am able to give you something to take from the insular world of therapy and apply it to your real life. I also balance that with body awareness work, mindfulness and emotion focused acceptance practices in and out of session. We tailor the therapy to your needs, goals and values. When something isn’t working, we talk about it and change it. My practice is to listen to your feedback and incorporate it. Like I said, I’m human—I don’t have all the answers and I’m not perfect. I own when my privilege gets in the way of seeing clearly— when I may be missing something. I believe first and foremost in my client’s inner wisdom. I won’t tell you what to do (unless we are deliberately working on skills coaching and practice), but instead will be a guide. I am someone with a bit knowledge, a lot of compassion and a committed nonjudgmental outside perspective who can guide you to get where you want to go. Often, that looks like helping you stay with the process instead of striving towards some enlightened “healed” state that wellness culture sells you. What they’re often really selling you is shame and a lifetime of empty striving. I’m here to help you push back against the culture of never enough. So maybe instead of saying I can get you where you want to go, it would be better to say I can guide you to see and stick with the process that will help you live your life in full vibrant color, with all of the grief and the joy that comes with being human.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Oregon, L8465 and Massachusetts #125277. I received my bachelor’s in psychology from Bard College, where I completed my undergraduate thesis in researching the neurocorrelates of empathy in Autism Spectrum Disorder. While at Bard, I interned as a crisis responder and educator in Bard’s Rape and Associated Violence Education program. I also interned at Poughkeepsie Continuing Treatment Center for people with SPMI and at Devereux School for children with developmental disabilities. I received my Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from Columbia University in New York. While there, I completed intensive training in Dr. Andre Ivanoff’s DBT Lab and interned as a social worker in high schools and in the counseling program at NYU. I also had several jobs working as an ELL, ADHD organization skills, and writing tutor, as well as a preschool teacher and nanny. After that, I moved to Portland, OR, to work at Portland DBT Institute where I worked on the path to mindful eating team and in the nascent eating disorder IOP program. I also taught parent DBT skills groups. Then, I worked in a boutique DBT practice called NW DBT, running young adult, family, and parent DBT groups. I spent much of my time there working with adolescents, young adults and family. I also completed trainings in Health at Every Size, CBT for eating disorders, DBT-PE for trauma, and Internal Family Systems, as well as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. 

Currently I am based in Northampton, MA, but see many clients from Oregon via Telehealth.

Please note that I currently do not provide adherent DBT services and am not currently offering any skills groups. There are many clients who require an adherent DBT program who don’t receive it because their therapist is DBT informed rather than DBT adherent. If you are looking for full adherent DBT or have BPD and have never received DBT, I am not the right therapist for you and will point you in the direction of a DBT program in your area.

Some people like to know a little bit about my credentials, training, and what modalities I practice. Learning, keeping up with research and providing evidence-based practice is important to me. I really like to balance both the art and science of therapy. I don’t believe you can have one without the other. At the same time, my credentials don’t tell you a whole lot about what it’s like to work with me or be in the room with me and a lot of what I have learned is really from years of practice and lived experience. Thank goodness for dialectics! Both things can be true at the same time. 

I use elements of behavioral therapies such as Dialectical and Cognitive Behavioral, as well as modalities such as Compassion Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD and DBT-PE. I am not currently trained in Somatic Therapy, but plan to be in the future. I am at Health at Every Size (HAES) clinician. I want to be learning and growing at every turn! Likely you will see this list of modalities grow in the future.