I work with people who have been through a lot of trauma and are ready to release the burdens from their past experiences.

Wherever I go, strangers share their secrets, troubles or life stories with me. I guess I just have that face. Lucky for both of us, I have a genuine interest and the background to be an effective listener.

I have a unique mix of skills that has suited me in my 25-year career, both as a licensed mental health professional and more recently as a life coach. After earning a degree in social work, I studied psychoanalysis and learned how to deeply relax people through a certification in regression therapy from the Brian Weiss Institute. I’ve also served as a rape crisis counselor and taught rape sensitivity training to first responders in New York City.

Most recently, I've incorporated Internal Family Systems Therapy as a unique and highly effective approach to treating trauma. This, combined with decades of experience working with other treatment modalities, has provided me with a robust toolbox available to assist people to reach their overall mental and physical health goals.

Approximately fifteen years ago, based on our nation’s desperate need to address a growing mental health crisis among youth, I co-created the Your Self Series program to provide free mental and physical health resources that help young teens discover, manage and express who they are. I also co-wrote “Reach Before You Teach: Ignite Passion and Purpose In Your Classroom” (Corwin Press, 2014). Read the blog and download the book here.

Understanding the mind, brain and body connections has been a pet project for years. Everything we do, feel, think and say comes down to what has been imbedded in our system from the beginning, and arguably now from previous generations. Incorporating the latest research has helped clients connect the dots between their thoughts, feelings, body and behavior, and develop ways to use this knowledge to reach their goals.

But that doesn’t fully explain why people confide in me. Perhaps it's because I readily tune in to people’s stories, and try to help them make sense of the underlying significance. Recently a new client told me about her son’s challenges after losing his father. My stomach lurched sensing there was more to the story—even more pain beyond this significant loss. It turned out there was, so I helped her connect the dots, shift approaches and heal her son. This provided her with the confidence to help herself.

I hope you find purpose and significance in all aspects of your life. And if you feel that something in your past is holding you back, let's work on getting you back to the meaning-making, life-affirming inspirations that make life pretty darn neat. It would be my pleasure to work with you and figure it out together.