top of page
Colorful Bubbles
429654590_10168461274825461_7280740073649218976_n_edited.jpg

Hello

When clients finally receive the right diagnosis and engage with self-affirming therapy, they are able to move toward self-acceptance and begin the journey of life-long growth and fulfillment. It has been such a joy to support the personal growth of my students (in my role as a university professor), my child (queer & autistic; OCD in remission), and now with clients.

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

Specialized Services

I earned my PhD in Clinical Psychology, with a concentration in Neuropsychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. I completed practica, internship, and an NIH-funded post-doc at the University of Chicago, University of Wisconson, the University of Florida, and Vanderbilt University, respectively.  

 

As a neuropsychologist by training, I have 20+ years of experience with psychological assessments. My NIH post-doctoral fellowship focused on ADHD, both in a research and clinical capacity. As the parent of a queer, autistic person with a history of OCD, I have current personal experience with neurodivergence and have recently sought out training from experts in the field who use a neurodiversity affirming framework and modern assessments that capture ADHD and autism in previously undiagnosed adults, particularly women and non-binary folks.

​

My therapy training in graduate school focused on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD torments gentle, fun, loving people with the ironic belief that they may be a monster. What if I'm dangerous? Immoral? Contaminated? Living in a simulation? A different gender/sexual orientation than I think? What if things aren't just right or I have a terrible illness? Compulsively avoiding feared outcomes becomes life-consuming. Scary, taboo themes are common. It's OCD, not you. I see you. There is no reason to hide in shame; I already know you are good. You will, too. OCD is painful, but treatable with Inference-based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

 

ERP (in combination with ACT) is a fast-working and effective but sometimes intimidating evidence-based treatment for OCD. It doesn't work for everyone and for some folks it is too threatening to try. I am among a small yet growing group of therapists in the US additionally trained in Inference-based CBT--a more cognitive, less intimidating, and equally effective ERP alternative.

 

Autistic and ADHD neurotypes often occur with each other, as well as with OCD. I-CBT may be preferrable to ERP for neurodivergent individuals because of its emphasis on demystifying the faulty thinking driving OCD, rather than forcing folks to tolerate a behavioral intervention.

 

Trauma/Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are often present in folks with OCD. My preferred approach for treating trauma is Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), which provides evidence-based treatment with minimal talk and no homework. 

​

Insomnia, difficulty falling and/or staying asleep can be treated in as few as 6 sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). CBT-I is the most effective treatment in all of behavioral health. Insomnia occurs more frequently in folks with ADHD/autism, PTSD, and OCD; sometimes OCD doubts focus on sleep and insomnia. 

Contact

I enjoy helping folks identify the best path forward, even if that's not with me.  Let's connect.

931-223-1093

bottom of page