617-658-3025
Areas of Expertise:
I am a licensed clinical psychologist at Needham Psychotherapy Associates (NPA) with a focus on individual therapy for adults to address a range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, worry, trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), family/relationships/work/life stress and transitions, losses, substance use, and military-related concerns.
Approach:
I have received specialized training across multiple populations, assessments, and evidence-based therapies, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Acceptance-Based Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD, Prolonged Exposure for PTSD, Seeking Safety, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-based therapies, such as Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention. I have worked with trauma survivors as well as clients and families struggling with substance use and can provide psychoeducation, consultation, and support to those who may be interested.
My practice aims to empower individuals to face one’s fears and discomforts in a supported and structured way in order to change the relationship we as humans have with suffering and to discover a life full of meaning. Often the many ways in which we cope, while in the moment can feel helpful, also can keep us perpetually trapped in the very emotion, thought, memory or even sensation (e.g., pain) from which we are trying to escape. Using cognitive-behavioral approaches that rely heavily on the values and strengths of my clients, I work with each individual to identify their own patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior that have kept them stuck. Together we explore and work through these patterns to shift from a life defined by struggle to a life instead guided by values.
To begin this process, you will be scheduled for an initial evaluation with me to determine and review your treatment needs and preferences. Based on this initial assessment, we will collaborate to generate a tailored plan specific to your concerns, strengths, and values and use this as our roadmap to anchor your sessions and progress. Both short- and long-term goals will be identified with the understanding that this plan is flexible and may shift to accommodate where you are in this fluid process of acceptance and change. I aspire to be supportive, respectful, open, and compassionate with my clients throughout the course of my care.
Experience:
Prior to joining NPA, I was a staff psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital where I predominantly provided care to active duty service members, veterans and their families through the Home Base Program. Additionally I was an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School which entailed training and supervising psychology interns, fellows, psychiatry residents, and staff. During this time I also had the privilege of being a consultant to regional community providers on the use of Prolonged Exposure therapy for PTSD. These experiences were shaped by my work with veterans as a psychology intern at the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System followed by my postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Returning Veterans and substance use programs at the VA Boston Healthcare System.
I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania and received my doctorate in clinical psychology at American University in Washington, D.C. I am a current member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.