Introduction
Welcome, I wanted to introduce myself and share who I am professionally and personally.
I’ve been in a full-time private practice in Palm Beach County, Florida since 2012. I hold advanced credentials as a certified EMDR trauma therapist, an addiction specialist, and a nationally certified level-two gambling counselor. In addition, I have completed advanced training for marriage and family communication and conflict resolution skills. I’m a level two Gottman Marriage Therapist, as well as a state-certified Qualified Supervisor of Registered Interns seeking licensure.
Education
I received my master’s degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. I attained my undergraduate degree from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. Before leaving for college, I grew up on the New Jersey Shore in Sea Girt, New Jersey. I promptly moved to South Florida upon graduation in 1987 where my family had a long history.
Throughout my life, I’ve felt a natural affinity for helping others. Even as a teen, I was highly interested in how our brains worked and the “why” behind our behaviors for myself and others. I chose this profession to impact positive change in people’s lives through compassion, understanding, and connecting the dots of people’s lives to normalize why they do what they do and feel the way they feel.
The Big Picture
By looking at each person’s big picture and the different events/triggers that continue to influence what is going on now with reactions in the present, I’m able to reframe the circumstances by providing logical explanations and understanding. This leads to the next step helping and showing others how to take small but sustainable actionable steps.
My work as a psychotherapist has been enhanced through my own life’s challenging experiences and triumphs. I believe in therapy and have personally experienced effective and ineffective therapists along my journey.
Organizations
I continue to enjoy many organizations that support my field. I’m a member of the Florida Mental Health Counselor’s Association, the Mental Health Counselor’s Association of Palm Beach County, and the South Florida Christian Counselor’s Association. I continue to strive to improve by educating myself to further serve my clients. I’m warm, compassionate, responsive, and active in the therapeutic process. I am committed to the work of my clients.
In addition to my professional life, for the past 18 years, I’ve been an active member of the Junior League of the Palm Beaches, a nonprofit organization focused on children’s wellness and welfare. I have served on their Board of Directors for three terms.
This coming year 2023-2024 I transitioned to being a Junior League Sustainer, it’s like active duty retirement, but the choice is still there to be as active as I would like. Throughout the past 30 years, I have been active in several other philanthropic and business organizations. My other favorite non-profit experience was volunteering with Peggy Adams Rescue League in their neonatal kitten unit caring for orphaned days-old kittens.