I was born and raised within walking distance of Washington, DC. I had the opportunity to grow up in a diverse and multi-cultural area. I bring that experience to my work with clients. I am not the stereotype of therapists you may see in the media. I look beyond the diagnosis of depression, OCD, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, ADHD, to see the confident loving healthy adult in you waiting to break free. I believe that successful therapy requires a serious commitment to change on your part. One of my principals of therapy is the letting go of attempts to "control" problems. The willful desire to engage in the cycle that creates the problem, is the problem. I am influenced by Buddhist philosophy. We create our own misery through attachment to desired outcomes. We participate in the creation of most of our current problems and we can accept our part and commit ourselves to personal change. We may have been traumatized by events of the past, but we still are responsible for our choices today.
I can be irreverent at times. I use humor frequently during sessions.
Education
B.S. Psychology, University of Maryland, University College
MSW, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Licenses
Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor
Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical
Additional Training
Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Virginia Tech
EMDR Training, Level I
Gottman Level III Certified
