Who am I?

I’m a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC), based in Western Massachusetts, providing outpatient therapy both in person and via telehealth. I specialize in working with autistic, ADHD, and/or anxious teens and adults and I especially enjoy working with neurodivergent queer, transgender, and otherwise marginalized people. I can help with difficulties related to executive functioning, anxiety, mood, obsessions and compulsions, and living in a society that does not appreciate diversity as much as we need it to.

I use the term “neuroqueer”, defined here by Dr. Nick Walker, to describe both who I am and what I do. More specifically, I’m a queer AuDHD parent who’s experienced both anxiety and depression. I offer my perspective and support as both a licensed clinician and as a person with lived experience. I’m also a middle class, cisgender, white women who has been able to access and afford higher education. I strive to practice awareness and cultural humility regarding my privilege.

Fun facts:

• I’ve had previous careers in professional theater (as a stage manager) and education (as an elementary and middle school teacher… the hardest job I’ve ever had).

• Aside from about 6 years in NYC, I’ve lived in Western Mass for most of my life.

• My wife and I are parents to an incredible young adult.

• When I’m not working, I enjoy attending live theater, playing board games, traveling, and making and appreciating art.

What do I do?

Most of my therapeutic work involves asking questions intended to help people think about themselves and their experiences in new ways. After building a strong rapport, I seek to explore and, potentially, gently challenge people’s previous assumptions or patterns of thinking and behavior. I also encourage people to push-back when I’m not quite getting it right. I think the term “empathetic curiosity” describes the approach I hope you’ll see me take.

I can offer tools and techniques from many different therapeutic modalities and other people with lived-experience, including resources I’ve made and those that I can find to provide more information about specific topics. While I don’t assign homework, I can offer resources for additional ways to continue your therapeutic work between sessions.

Some of the modalities I’ve had training in include:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) (specifically from Sonny Jane Wise’s “Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills”)

• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) (specifically using Aiden Reis and Sharon Aguilar’s Autistic-Affirming ERP)

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Internal Family Systems (IFS)

• Predictive Processing Flash treatment (previously known as 4 Blinks)

• Narrative Therapy

I also strongly believe in Lived-Experience Informed Practice, as described in a Medium article by Sonny Jane Wise. If self-disclosure is appropriate and desired, I’m willing to share examples of things that have worked for me or other people I know. I truly believe the quote at the top of this page and I strive to be a co-creator of people’s therapeutic journeys. I see myself as more of a curious collaborator than an all-knowing expert. “We are all stars in this galaxy. All of us. No one's greater than the other.” - Benjamin Sherman "Scatman" Crothers