Education & Training

My love of providing therapy to others began with an internship in high school at an early intervention center for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This internship showed me how early therapy could help change the course of a child’s life and help families, and parents, feel supported through trials that may arise. I have focused my professional career on working with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families dealing with both mental health and developmental disabilities needs.

I have worked with at-risk individuals in various settings which has left me with a dedication to help those the most in need. I was a co-contributor to the development of a trauma-informed treatment milieu throughout the psychiatric inpatient programs at a city hospital.

I earned a double Bachelor’s from Long Island University in Psychology and Anthropology with a minor in Religion and Societies. I earned a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) and Doctorate of Social Welfare (DSW) in Clinical Social Work from New York University. I hold a Seminar in Field Instruction (SiFI) certification and am a Board Certified Telemental Health Clinician. I also have training in Applied Behavioral Analysis, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Processing Therapy, Narrative Exposure Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), the Gottman Couples Therapy Method and completing psychosexual evaluations.

I have a passion for writing and helping enhance academic literature. I investigated the learning and coping styles of Latino males, challenging the cultural stigma of “machismo” which earned a poster board publication from the American Psychological Association (APA). I developed a new theory called Child Standpoint Theory (CST) which explores the oppression of children and is published in the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. I have also developed a new perspective on the art of tattooing in adolescents with the paper currently being reviewed for publication. My work has been presented around the country and internationally.

I provide therapy and clinical support to specialized communities. Two of those communities are the immigrant and journalist communities. In order to thoroughly provide more thorough evaluations to the immigrant community in the United States, I was trained by the Immigration Evaluation Center. In receiving this training, evaluations provided for Visas, extreme hardship and asylum clients are more in-depth and expertly written.

I have a strong appreciation for the role of journalism in society, and consider it a privilege to work with news professionals. I have received training from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma on the professional culture and occupational challenges of journalists. In addition to using HIPAA-compliant telehealth software, I have also received training from the Freedom of the Press Foundation on best practices for digital security when using telehealth technology