Supporting My Peers Inspired My Professional Journey

While going through my own personal growth, I embraced opportunities to volunteer with other people who needed additional support in their counseling. At the time, I was not a counselor, but as a volunteer in the mental health space, I was able to lead support groups, attend therapy sessions with my peers, and even work with peers one-on-one, drawing on my lived experiences to assist them. As I sat in on their sessions, I realized that if I furthered my education and took the leap into a new career, I could provide more robust support and help more people make lasting, positive changes in their lives.

My Academic and Professional Background

Before becoming a therapist, I worked as an interior designer. This line of work taught me the importance of empowering people to express their authentic selves within their environments. Although I eventually felt called to pursue a second career in counseling, I carried these lessons with me when I embarked on this new chapter in my professional life.

I returned to school and earned my MS in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University. I have prioritized lifelong learning and pursued ongoing training and certifications ever since. I became a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Consultant (CEDS-C) and established myself as an expert in treating clients with eating disorders and related conditions, including supporting clients in individual sessions and co-facilitating support groups with the National Alliance for Eating Disorders.

I established and ran my first therapy practice in Winter Park, Florida, which I expanded to locations in three cities. During my time in Florida, I also supervised and trained many therapists and dietitians. Today, I am living in Princeton, New Jersey, with an office in Pennington, New Jersey, where I manage both an in-person and virtual therapy practice, serving clients in New Jersey, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

My Counseling Specialties

As a mind-body therapist with a holistic approach to counseling, I specialize in treating eating disorders of all types, including bulimia, anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other disordered eating patterns. Overall, I support clients who are struggling with body image or their relationship with food with an emphasis on healing the physical and emotional symptoms of disordered eating.

Other counselors will often refer clients who are struggling with serious eating disorders or disordered eating patterns to my practice. However, I can also refer clients to other practitioners if their symptoms are outside of my scope or experience to ensure they get the care they need.

I am also Master Certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), a modality that helps people process past trauma and find relief from their symptoms without requiring them to discuss specific traumatic experiences with a therapist. Eating disorders and other mental health conditions are often rooted in trauma, and ART allows people to address the core issues that led to their symptoms.

I integrate many therapeutic techniques that have benefitted me, my friends, and my clients over the years, including guided imagery and meditation, writing, artistic expression, and different yoga styles. I currently lead virtual therapeutic journaling classes on various topics.

The Philosophy That Defines My Practice

No matter my clients’ circumstances, I vow to meet them where they are. I aim to help people express themselves from a place of authenticity and ensure that my clients feel comfortable and welcome in sessions, regardless of whether their history differs from mine. My clients often say that working together in sessions feels like talking with a friend!

I understand that it takes time and continuous effort to make lifestyle changes. I have overcome my own health challenges in the past, and today, I live by my principles and center my own schedule around self-care, ensuring that I am well-rested, relaxed, and mindful when I work with clients. I aim to set a good example for my clients by “walking the talk,” and I use many of the self-care practices that I recommend to clients in my own life.

My Life Outside of Therapy

In addition to working with clients at my practice and leading support groups, I host seminars and management trainings for staff at universities, government agencies, and corporations, covering mental health issues in the workplace, including topics like facilitating healthy communication. Previously, I’ve served on clinical and executive teams for residential treatment centers and as a consultant for new eating disorder treatment programs, including a highly successful yoga therapy program for people struggling with eating disorders and addictions.

I love spending time with my life partner, my three adult children and their families, and my friends. I’m a registered and certified yoga teacher and educator, and I’ve been practicing yoga for 50 years. When I’m not working, I make plenty of time for artistic hobbies, journaling, and reading fiction.

If you’re interested in working with me, I encourage you to explore my website and schedule a free consultation to learn more about my services. Whether you’re struggling to overcome an eating disorder, trauma, anxiety, or another mental health condition, I know that you have the power to change your life.