she/her/hers

Licensed In:

• New York
• Florida (registered telehealth provider)

Education:

• Master of Social Work – Fordham University
• Post Graduate Certificate in Contemporary Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy – Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy
  • Interpersonal and Relational Theory
  • Object Relations Theory
  • Theories of Human Development
  • Attachment Theory
• Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC)
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Training in Domestic Violence Issues – My Sister’s Place, White Plains, NY
• Trained in Cultural Competence – US Department of Health & Human Services, Practice Innovations

Specialties:

I specialize in working with adults struggling with emotional distress triggered by normalized mistreatment, trauma that has been repetitive or reinforced in thinking and behavior, or other trauma responses that are at odds with a person’s best interests for themselves. I work with adults who suffer the aftereffects of having been possibly shamed, punished excessively, or burdened with inappropriate expectations in earlier years that may have resulted in internalized feelings of self-doubt, unworthiness, distress, self-confusion, and disconnected meaningful relationships with others.

These struggles may further be perpetuated by current manipulative interpersonal relationships or insensitive family dynamics that are dismissive of the person’s emotional needs as an individual. I work with adults searching for ways to gain a compassionate recognition for how they have been impacted and an appreciation for their unique identities as different and valuable, leading to greater self-acceptance and more purposeful relatedness with others.

I work to create an environment that regards all of a person’s experiences as important to self and relational discoveries that are aligned with how the person wishes to flourish. Additionally, I have extensive experience in working with those who use substances as a means to cope with and mitigate distressful emotional experiences and are looking for more effective ways to cope.

Clinical Style and Theoretical Orientation:

My clinical style is attentive and attuned to underlying significance and conveyed emotional meaning and need. I invite my patients to allow themselves to feel free to discuss any part of their experiences that they feel drawn to discuss as I work from the understanding that all of a person’s experience is valuable and holds information about what it is like to be in their own shoes.

I draw insights from the psychodynamic/analytic framework primarily and I also incorporate insights and tenets from modalities such as Motivational Interviewing, Relational Psychology, Attachment Theory, Object Relations, Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Strength-Based approaches.

I am respectful of people’s readiness and nuanced desires for change. These approaches are very helpful in respecting what a person would like to change or keep the same, understanding reasons for a person’s current relatedness to others, understanding what is being protected or nurtured by a person’s current way of attaching to others, understanding what a person has internalized and is being influenced by, and current thinking and awareness impacting how a person feels and what a person does that helps or hinders them.

Lived Identity:

• LGBTQIA+ Allied and Affirming
• Religious Trauma Empathizing
• Age 40+
• British Born of Jamaican Parents
• Black
• Lived in New York, England, and Jamaica
• Cancer Survivor

Personal Interests:

Bicycle riding, swimming, reading, Ballroom and Latin dancing, exploring new geographical locations, playing with dogs, eating good tasting food, road trips, and travelling.