I have been a practicing psychotherapist since 1994. I enjoy working with and helping women, men and children make their way through their unique struggles. My practice is named ASPIRE because I maintain the belief that all people have accessible strengths that allow them to grow, heal and transform. My treatment approach is to provide counseling expertise, support and practical feedback to aid you in developing your own willingness and ability to reach your goals. The purpose of my practice is to help you shape the best tools to negotiate your way to a more self-aware, fulfilling and content life.

You are searching for the right therapeutic match to address important and personal issues and may have concerns about speaking openly and frankly to a stranger about painful or sensitive matters. While opening up can be uncomfortable initially, my careful listening and compassion provide emotional security as we begin to reduce anxiety and develop ways to resolve your difficulties. I also like to laugh with my clients; when you are confronting looming difficulties, it is good to remember that life isn't all serious and that humor is a joyful way to lighten the burden you are carrying.

I respect the courage it takes to begin finding answers when you are not sure whether it is safe, or feel that making certain decisions might result in unforeseen conflicts. Sometimes it is difficult to face painful thoughts. What I offer is a safe process, a trusting therapeutic relationship and a perceptive, sharp and non-judgmental perspective that you can rely on while taking a chance to reach a happier and more deeply satisfying life.

Whom Do I See?

As a psychotherapist (Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Master's of Social Work) I work with adults, couples, and adolescents who often face a seemingly irresolvable complex of personal, family, spousal, school and work related stresses.  These stresses can take the form of anxiety, fears, paralyzing helplessness, disintegrating relationships, poor performance and obsessive thinking. When your stresses feel like they are dominating many aspects of your life, they lock out everyday well-being, fun, joy, productivity and satisfying relationships.

A typical sampling of people who seek my treatment would include couples with conflict, anger and a loss of intimacy; men and women at different phases of life experiencing the painful and life changing issues of marital separation or divorce; new mothers experiencing post-partum depression; parents with children doing poorly in school or socially; gifted college students with identity insecurities; professionals with panic attacks or phobias that are interfering with their daily performance; strong culturally diverse families whose children seem uncontrollable in their selection of new friends and seem headed for disaster as they adapt to a new culture; struggling teenagers with binge eating disorder, obesity, bulimia, anorexia or cutting behavior.

What Happens in Therapy?

I am in interactive and solution focused therapist, My relationship with you will reflect the uniqueness of your personality and situation. Together we will choose the course of therapy from our shared insights. Your comfort level and pacing will offer the choices for action. Throughout therapy, you will maintain control over the progression of the self-discovery process.

You will gain ground in sorting out issues, see if an unclear past may be influencing your present situation, explore motivations for behavior, enhance your communication choices, develop personal control strategies using positive actions and come to recognize hidden stressors in daily life that can be modified or avoided. As you arrive at and often revise your goals based on a deeper understanding, we will look for patterns that you can identify before future emerging situations become overwhelming to or unhealthy for you.

Professional Approaches

My professional background includes extensive and ongoing psychotherapeutic training. I have seventeen years of experience counseling people through their numerous life difficulties. As a Certified Mediator, I utilize proven conflict resolution techniques in working with couples and families. I am also a Certified Parent Coordinator Trainer, helping parents during separation or divorce to protect their children emotionally through a potentially traumatic time.

I counsel children attending many Middlesex and Mercer County schools. To ensure these children's needs are met in the real world, I have developed working relationships with many teachers and school counselors. I also see young adults referred from New Jersey colleges who are in need of coordinated services.

In addition, some clients dealing with severe depression, anxiety, eating disorders, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder require medication as part of their larger holistic treatment plan. In such cases, I make sure to coordinate with psychiatrists, physicians, and nutritionists, recognizing the importance that a team approach often has to a positive outcome.

I believe in communicating with you at the highest level and listening deeply, aiding your personal discovery as your recognize your inner strengths to find control, meaning and satisfaction in your life.