I was born in an impoverished part of Brooklyn, NY where I was adopted by a prominent lawyer and his wife who couldn’t bear children due to an early battle with cancer. This inspired my natural inclination to bond with people, both personally and professionally, and maintain meaningful connections. Seeing how imbalanced our society was, and eager to be the change I wanted to see in the world, I studied for a Master of Social Work from the School of Public Health at the University of Central Florida in 2003. I became increasingly interested in the mind-body connection, and so I became a yoga therapist in 2013 through the Long Island Yoga School.

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I provide therapeutic services in relation to addiction and post-traumatic stress pro-bono at local hospitals and community centers. My personal experiences and professional expertise in mental health and substance use afford me powerful insight into the healing practices of the dually diagnosed. I am a proud social advocate, and regularly devote time to visit with veterans, inmates, consumers and the underserved. I encourage people to take time to write letters, make phone calls, sign petitions, send emails and donate to causes that matter to the unique values of the individual. Don’t be afraid of being a voice in the community of your choice. If you don’t stand for something then you will fall for anything!

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My mission with Rockland County Counseling Services is to combine my passion in community building with my psychotherapy expertise. I will work diligently to build a strong holistic community by connecting people to themselves and the resources we naturally have once we begin investing in ourselves and in others. My treatment methods are rooted in the philosophies pertaining to bio-psycho-spiritual-social guidelines and use a client-centered, strength-based perspective which includes such modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy, (DBT), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Behavior Modification.  I am consistently focused on overall well-being and sustainable solutions for clients of diverse backgrounds.
 

In addition to my clinical work, I have also authored an extensive chapter in the Addictions textbook from Lyceum Publishing in 2003 while I was attending the University of Central Florida. I enjoy participating in fundraising initiatives and most recently recruited team members in support of the Stop Soldiers Suicide 100-mile challenge in September of 2022. I have successfully taught communities to manage their macro environment by developing networks and enabling systems to operate effectively as a collective. I am an active member of the National Association of Social Workers, the National Association of Professional Women, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. When not serving my community, I enjoy spending time with my 2 children and dog, Hazel. Both of my kids, currently aged 16 and 18, have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) which requires me to traverse the education system to ensure they obtain necessary services to reach success.

 

The bottom line for me is that I get it, I want to be a part of the solution, and I am working hard to make change - one day at a time, one person at a time, one system at a time.