About

I began my career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) more than 10 years ago, working first as a counselor, then as a family therapist, and administrator at a long-term residential facility for adolescents, teenagers, and their families. For a time, I worked as a CASAC instructor, and as an adjunct professor at Adelphi University School of Social Work, teaching graduate-level courses in individual counseling, group counseling, motivational interviewing, and family therapy. While the majority of my work has historically focused on substance use disorder, experience has taught me that this often co-occurs with other mental health issues, and most recently, I’ve begun focusing on the treatment of those stand alone disorders. Without effective management of challenges like anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and trauma, we become more susceptible to misusing alcohol, drugs, and other substances to manage these uncomfortable and difficult experiences. By addressing these demands on our psychological - and therefore, overall - well-being, we learn to develop the skills essential for creating the life and relationships we want. Because no two people are exactly alike, I work with each client, taking into account their unique background, experiences, and perspectives, to develop a plan that works for them. When working with families, I use a wraparound approach, meaning each person in the family system is heard and supported. Successful treatment depends on everyone understanding the circumstances and dynamics that create difficulties in family relationships, ensuring they’re not repeated. With training in cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy, positive psychology, mindfulness, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), I have experience in a variety of evidence based and holistic treatments.