About me
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with an advanced Master's degree in Counseling Psychology and have been working in the field of mental health for over 20 years.
My early work at the Division of Youth and Family Services as a Family Service Specialist (working in long-term support with families who had extensive and generational trauma) stimulated a beginning awareness of trauma.
Sandplay. Therapy for everyone.
This awareness included a growing understanding of the relationship between trauma and chronic patterns of familial and individual relating, functioning, and coping. My work at St. Francis center, both in the addiction program as a clinician and prevention specialist and in the counseling program as a staff clinician, added to my growing questions and awareness around trauma as well as around overall mental health status. During my four years at St. Francis, I came to understand that trauma was misunderstood by most people and often ignored in the clinical setting for a multitude of reasons.
Defining trauma
I also learned that trauma was not just defined by catastrophic events, as most people define trauma, but often by smaller, chronic patterns during developmental years which imbed their impact deep within a person. My history includes work in agency, private practice and group practice over the past 20 years as well as extensive work training clinicians.
Welcome in Red Bank and Westfield
I returned to private practice in February 2013 after being a founding member and owner of a group practice for about 10 of those years. I presently have two locations in New Jersey, one in Red Bank and one in Westfield.
The move out of the group practice has allowed me to open up time and energy to explore a deeper and ongoing study of Sandplay as well as Jungian theory. This continued study resulted in an acknowledgement by the Sandplay Therapists of America (STA) as a Sandplay Practitioner.
This return to study has included attendance at the Caring for the Soul workshop in July 2013.
This was a wonderfully deep and enriching study of Jungian theory and Sandplay in the beautiful setting of Switzerland. The study there included time spent at Dora Kalff’s home as well as at the Jung Institute Zurich in Kusnacht. Study also included teaching by Sandplay clinicians recognized both nationally (STA) and internationally (ISST) including Judy Zappacosta, Martin Kalff, Ruth Amman, and Maria Kendler.
Well-being
I am certified in Hatha yoga and continue to study and utilize the fundamental principles of yoga philosophy.
It is my belief that mental health is a function of overall health including nutrition, exercise, spiritual, and emotional and psychological well-being.
