About Me
My experience as a psychologist is so meaningful to me because I get to work with so many people that deserve compassion, empathy, and a feeling of agency over their own lives. I work with clients to figure out their purpose in life and to help them add meaning to their days while also working to help my clients identify and use concrete coping skills while exploring their insights and their emotional world. Therapy should feel authentic and welcoming, that is what I work to do. Good support is crucial for going through hard experiences in life.
My Approach
The work I do as a therapist looks at the whole picture of how a person is functioning, mind and body. I approach therapy from an eclectic theoretical approach meaning, I combine different types of therapy to best fit each client. I include approaches from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, psychodynamic theory, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, self-compassion, and more.
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Beyond theoretical approach, I believe it is important to tailor treatment to each individual and their identity, rather than using a “one size fits all” model. I work to understand how your family, culture, and race impact your lived experiences and ensure that those pieces of your identity are not overlooked in therapy. I also ensure that our work together is gender affirming. I work firmly from a weight-neutral, Health at Every Size (HAES), perspective. Additionally, I practice from a neurodivergent affirming lens.
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It is important that therapy spaces acknowledge the impacts of societal discrimination on wellbeing and work to ensure that there is not further harm caused within the therapy space by way of biases and microaggressions. All aspects of your identity are important to me and our work together.
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My experience as a clinician is so meaningful to me because I get to work with so many people that deserve compassion, empathy, and a feeling of agency over their own lives. I work with clients to figure out their purpose in life and to help them add meaning to their days. While also working to help my clients identify and use concrete coping skills, while exploring their insights and their emotional world.
My Education
I received my doctorate in clinical psychology, with a concentration in health psychology, from Widener University. During my time in graduate school, I also became board-certified in biofeedback. I found that biofeedback paired well with the specialized populations I love working with because our nervous systems are so involved in our psychological wellbeing and the mind-body connection is crucial to understanding the psychology involved with therapy for chronic health conditions, women’s health, ADHD, and trauma.
My Journey To My Specialities
I specialize in therapy focused on chronic illness/chronic pain, women's health, and trauma.
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We have all lived in a time where there is a stigma against discussing mental health and seeking treatment. I wanted to be part of that change and fill in the gaps that I saw growing up when it came to finding therapists who understood chronic health issues. I began with my passion in therapy for people with chronic health issues and that continues to be my passion.
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Additionally, as I started my journey of graduate school and becoming a psychologist, I was able to be present with people from all walks of life and all the different concerns that led them to therapy. That is where my love for working with a focus on women’s health and trauma began.
All of these experiences have led me to where I am now, focusing on therapy for chronic health conditions, women’s health, and trauma.
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I have really valued my experience working with clients with chronic health conditions, both rare and not, and those struggling to get a diagnosis for their health-related symptoms.
I also enjoy working with clients who are pregnant, in the postpartum period, trying to conceive, dealing with pregnancy loss, or coping with the termination of pregnancy.
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Throughout my work, I have also felt the pull to work with folks who have experienced trauma because trauma-informed therapy is so important and can be truly life-changing. My clients who want to work through trauma are working to feel like themselves again, be the best parent they can be, or learn to trust themselves and others and gain back autonomy over their functioning.
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There are a wide range of mental health diagnoses that can exist within these specialties, including depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, adjustment disorders, ADHD, eating disorders, and more.
Other facts about me
I love dogs.
If you are comfortable with it, you will sometimes see my two dogs, Pippi (pictured above) and Mika, during our telehealth appointments. They are happy to make appearances as requested and I welcome the opportunity to meet your pets during sessions.
Humor is welcome in sessions.
I think humor is not only important but natural and therefore has its place in therapy. Laughter feels good and sometimes humor feels like a safe way to bring up difficult things. I also think that my clients appreciate that therapy does not always need to feel formal and serious, we can find a balance.
I enjoy crafting.
I have recently begun weaving wall tapestries, and enjoy making macrame plant hangers. I have ADHD and it lends itself well to trying various crafts and only sticking to some haha. I find that crafting is a great way to practice mindfulness because it quiets your mind and makes you focus on the present.
I like learning.
I have always enjoyed learning and still nerd out when doing continuing education courses to learn new techniques for therapy. I think my love from learning comes from my curiosity. I am curious about almost anything and I like to research all sorts of random questions I have, whether it is psychology related or about something completely unrelated. I think my curiosity is a strength in my work because it helps facilitate conversations with clients we may not have otherwise.
I read for fun.
I am pretty much always reading something, whether it is a classic, a new book, or some Harry Potter fanfic (shoutout to past clients who introduced me to the world of fanfiction).