Wilderness and Walking Therapy

During Covid-19 many became accustomed to being in work-from-home spaces or being outside as a means to cope and social distance during the Global Pandemic. For some a return to traditional and more passive (sitting, laying, etc) therapy spaces isn’t as desired or even helpful. In fact, numerous studies suggest sitting and stationary behavior can be harmful to health and counter to healing and growth despite widespread practice. In addition, being outside provides both increased space for exposure therapies, explorative and real-world context interactions and an opportunity for deeper processing of stronger emotions in safe settings.

Many studies suggest significant benefits to therapeutic walking and immersing in more natural/ecological environments as forms of therapy, healing and growth. I enjoy facilitating kinesthetic and walking sessions in particular, such as trekking/hiking, cycling, walking in the urban park/core and equine therapy supervised sessions. Many clients can greatly benefit and in fact prefer these types of more immersive therapy sessions if given the option. Read more about walking therapy from a colleague, click here.

2SLGBTQI+, Affirming and Culturally Competent Care

Throughout human history a complex interplay of gender, sex and identity has unfolded. Often times one’s experience and understanding of self and others does not conform to individual, group or societal understanding, dogma and/or expectations. This inevitable mismatch can lead to concerns, distress or the need for affirming care to reach full potential. Humans embody an extraordinarily diverse spectrum of biology, sex and gender, which is often misunderstood, ignored and/or counter to belief systems, societal structures, etc. It is much more accurate to think of every human as existing on a continuum or spectrum of sexuality, gender and lived experience.

My practice is specialized on exploring concerns of gender and sexual identity in an accepting, inclusive and affirming context. In addition to being a clinical psychologist, I am a gender/queer feminist scholar and a doctorally trained sociocultural anthropologist. I am an expert in diverse global forms of being, knowing, behaving, thinking, feeling, etc. I have studied, undertaken field-work and lived in European, Sub-Saharan African, Latin American and Asian countries. I see clients in a sensitive, warm, accepting and non-judgmental context whether single-partnered or multi-patterned or on the normalized continuum of gender, sex, identity, ethnoracial, social, cultural, economic spectrums, etc. I make care available to those that cannot afford to pay as much as possible.

Individual and Relationship Adult Therapy

Individuals often bravely enter therapy to work towards addressing an emergent concern or solving a problem. Yet others enter therapy for self-improvement, self-care, extra support or the desire for a safe, non-judgmental and affirming space. Therapy serves as a crucial basis for self-reflection, exploration, healing and growth. In our work together whether individually, with partners or group settings, we collaborate in moving towards meeting treatment goals and effectuating positive change. This includes treatment goals of feeling happier, sleeping better, overcoming an addiction, improving communication and more expansive engagement in positive self-growth, etc. I specialize in comprehensive therapies for spectrum concerns such as personality, mood, feeding, psychotic, trauma and executive function-oriented differences. I enjoy working collaboratively in these areas of specialization and beyond.

High Conflict Marriage, Intimate and Family Concerns

In marital dissolution, de/partnering and in enmeshed, triangulated and/or codependent family systems, a higher degree of conflict is often present. Such situations and family systems can be rightly stressful, tense and present a moderate to high level of conflict. Some conflict is healthy, natural and inevitable and yet some conflict can quickly become counter to positive health and productivity. Higher conflict situations can be distressing for all involved, but particularly for children and adolescents who often internalize this conflict. This internalized conflict can lead to or worsen problem behaviors in school and home and in relationship interactions.

In higher conflict relational situations, psychotherapy and guidance on how to best defuse and manage conflict is highly effective. I specialize in providing highly effective evidence-based psychotherapy and skills training in such moderate to high conflict relational and family situations. I specialize in relationship, marriage, couples and 2SLGBTQI+ relational therapy with a forthcoming book entitled, You Can Be Happy Too: How to Stop Conflict, Feel Closer and Reclaim Happiness in Your Relationship.

Developmental-Behavioral Evaluations and Assessments

I specialize in child, teen, adolescent and adult development, particularly concerning executive functioning differences such as ASD and ADD/ADHD. I have written a number of publications in this space including The Field Guide to ADHD. I specialize in the assessment and advisory of concerns relating to ADHD/ADD, learning, adjustment, regulatory and delayed development of children, teens, adolescents and adults. I seek to facilitate socioculturally competent evaluation, assessment and treatment approaches. This includes sensitive, careful and pointed consideration of sociocultural, economic, political, linguistic, gender, identity, sex, ethno-racial, religious/spiritual, etc phenomena in the evaluation and treatment processes.

Child, Adolescent, Emerging Adult and Family Therapy

I enjoy working with families, children, adolescents and emerging adults, particularly oriented to concerning behaviors, academic, occupational, emotional, transitional and executive function concerns. I utilize a holistic approach including but not limited to modalities of Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy (MDFT), play, movement/dance, visual art, somatic, skills training, attachment, psychodrama, equine/nature, trauma oriented/informed and/or mindfulness approaches.

Educational Coaching, Consulting and Capacity Building

I advise and counsel families and students on how to best position, obtain admission and thrive at highly competitive institutions in the United States and abroad. In particular, I work comprehensively with families and students that may have psychoeducational and/or learning concerns and yet deserve to thrive in a highly competitive and rewarding environment such as the Ivy League. I have served on interview and admissions committees for UC Berkeley. I hold admissions expertise with high-ranked institutions in France, UK and South Africa. I am able to effectively leverage and apply these experiences from matriculating to highly competitive institutions including Columbia, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Yale and Wits South Africa.

Organizational Coaching and Management Consultancy

The barometer of a healthy and profitable organization is the quality of its relationships and the emotional intelligence of leadership. Yet many organizations falter and miss revenue capture and growth as a result of poor interpersonal functioning and effective utilization of emotional intelligence as a highly effective and core leadership strategy. I have held senior management consulting and executive roles (senior director, senior manager, SME, etc) in the private sector and I advise and coach organizational private and public sector clients individually and in group settings. This includes leading micro-schools, organizational retreats, etc on topics ranging from leading with emotional intelligence to effectively coping with organizational transitions. I specialize in organizational/team capacity building while efficaciously addressing various human behavior, cognitive and social-emotional concerns that arise and must be attended to in the successful operation of an organization.

As noted, I have previously served in leadership roles in the private sector and management consultancy at large multinational firms as a subject area expert. I have received various training, experience and orientation to organizational coaching methodologies and approaches during my clinical training at Columbia University. I can readily apply such experiences, knowledge and training in these areas along with clinical psychological and sociocultural expertise to serve as a highly effective, efficient, and positively impactful organization advisor/coach. Contact to discuss engagement.

Group Treatment

I specialize in group treatment of co-occurring concerns including eating disorders, personality/emotional regulation disorders, mood continuum and psychotic concerns. I utilize a very comprehensive, holistic, human-centered and iterative practice-based approach (CBT/DBT, psychodynamic, internal family systems, attachment theory, etc). In addition, I co-facilitate accessible weekly skills-oriented groups in person and via tele-practice faculty directly suited to co-occurring mood, personality and/or disordered eating concerns.

ADD/ADHD, Executive Function and Ivy League Academic Coaching

I approach ADD/ADHD and executive function diversities as positive strengths and benefits for individuals and family systems. For individuals with concerns on the executive function spectrum including labels of ADD/ADHD, executive function disorder, developmental delay, learning concerns, conduct disorders, etc–I facilitate psychotherapy, coaching, guidance, advisory and training in these areas.

As a published clinical and coaching expert in ADD/ADHD, I work closely alongside individuals and families including children, adolescents and adults to facilitate and empower positive change in coping effectively with ADD/ADHD and executive function concerns. I seek to empower positive cognitive-behavioral, emotional, environmental, social and similarly situated changes to improve domain-level functioning in various contexts. This includes measurable and marked positive change and coping capacity in contexts including professional, academic, social, etc so that clients can live happier, fuller and more successful lives.