I’m a “second act” career changer, much like some of my clients. For over 30 years, I worked in the corporate world, leading large operations and client management teams globally.
While my original plan was to obtain a master’s degree and begin a career in social work right after college, life circumstances took me in a different direction. As I built a career in the corporate world and focused on my marriage and raising my children, it seemed that my dream of becoming a social worker might never happen.
However, in 2016, I reached a turning point and decided to pursue my long-held aspiration. The opening sentence of my graduate school application read, “It’s never too late to become the person you were meant to be.” How true! With determination, we can always re-invent, re-purpose, and renew ourselves.
I earned my Master’s in Social Work (MSW), specializing in trauma and interpersonal violence, from Simmons University in Boston, MA. Simmons, a pivotal institution in the history of social work in the U.S., was the first college to provide training for clinical social workers.
My clinical experience includes community mental health counseling, trauma therapy focused on parent-infant attachment, and in-home counseling for youths with behavioral challenges. I have also worked extensively with women recovering from opioid addiction and complex trauma.
Most recently, I served as an adult and youth counselor at a domestic and sexual violence agency, working with survivors from diverse backgrounds. I have a deep understanding of the dynamics of coercive control, which can manifest in many forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, psychological, sexual, or financial abuse, often in combination.
I focus my practice on survivors of interpersonal violence and coercive control, adults who have experienced trauma at any stage of life, and children and teens affected by trauma—along with their caregivers. I also work with individuals navigating anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with individuals from various racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds, as well as the LGBTQIA+ community.
In my practice, I use a variety of evidence-based therapeutic frameworks, including:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT explores the relationship between beliefs, thoughts, and feelings, and the behaviors that result. It’s highly effective for a broad range of mental health concerns.
Motivational Interviewing (MI): MI helps clients find the motivation to make positive behavioral changes in a collaborative manner. It’s particularly effective for individuals ambivalent about change.
Narrative Therapy: This approach helps individuals separate their personal stories from their identities, empowering them to reclaim their narratives and shape how their stories unfold.
Psychodynamic Therapy: Psychodynamic therapy uncovers the psychological processes formed during early life experiences. Understanding these can provide insight into behaviors and alleviate symptoms.
Additionally, I offer specialized trauma treatment, where appropriate. I hold certifications from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine in Prolonged Exposure Therapy and from the CARES Institute at Rowan University in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).
Education and Clinical Licensure
- Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) – Simmons University, Boston MA
- Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA)- Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison NJ
- Certified Professional Coach- Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching, Shrewsbury, NJ
- AZ License # LCSW-21872 Expires 9/2025
- NJ License # 44SC06072000 Expires 8/2026
- NV License # 10010-C Expires 5/2026