My Background

I grew up in Shaker Heights and graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1988.  I received my Bachelor's Degree from The University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1993, and went on to receive a Master's Degree from The Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in 1997, with concentrations in Children, Youth, and Families and School Social Work.

- State of Ohio Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisory designation since 1997

- State of Ohio Certified School Social Worker since 1997  

- NASW member since 1997

- Visiting Faculty - The Gestalt Institute of Cleveland (GIC) - since 2001

- Co-facilitator of the Ongoing Personal Growth Group - GIC - 2001 to present

- Couple and Family Therapy Training Program - GIC - 2000 

- Gestalt Faculty Development Program in Group Facilitation - GIC - 2012

- Clinician's Advanced Training Program with Certification Option (CATCO) - GIC - 2017

- Certified Gestalt Psychotherapist by GIC's CATCO Training Faculty - 2017

- NASW Certified Anti-Oppression Informed Practitioner - 2018

- Working with Physical Process Training Program - GIC - 2019

- Gestalt Development Program - GIC - starting April 2021

I draw from:

Gestalt Therapy -  Gestalt therapy takes into account the whole individual and is concerned with the obstacles to the functioning of the whole in the context of the present. Gestalt is a relational therapy. The therapeutic relationship is an essential ingredient to personal growth and meaningful work in therapy.  This has the potential to extend into one's broader relationships and life. 

Evidence-Based Treatment -  I have extensive training in and draw from evidence-based treatment models including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Maudsley Family-Based Treatment for Eating Disorders (FBT), and SPACE - Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions.