I am a Doctorate prepared New Jersey and Pennsylvania State Licensed Professional Counselor, Psychotherapist and National Board Certified Clinical Counselor with 20 years of diverse experience. I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpenteria, California. I completed my Masters degree in Counseling Psychology with Specialization in Eating Disorders at Chestnut Hill College and my Bachelors degree in Psychology from Temple University.
My clinical interests and experience include; the human-animal bond and pet loss, grief and bereavement counseling with a focus on traumatic loss and complicated grief response, psychological issues associated with chronic and terminal medical conditions, hospice counseling, chronic pain syndrome, mood disorders, mindfulness based stress reduction, normative and traumatic life transitions, eating disorders and the female triad syndrome.
With a specialization on the psychological underpinnings of the Human-Animal Bond and Pet Loss and as the Founder of Pet Loss Support Services of New Jersey, I provide clinical, education, and consultation services to; bereaved pet owners, pet memorial centers, local animal clinics and hospitals, welfare centers, law enforcement, military personnel, and licensed mental health professionals on the dynamics of the Human-Animal Bond and Pet Loss. In 2006 I conducted and published scholarly research entitled, A Phenomenological Study of Canine Loss and Grief Response: Clinical and Depth Psychological Implications, which serves as a benchmark for my clinical practice and training program for mental health professionals. I have authored two books, Beyond The Horizon: A Remembrance Journal for Healing the Loss of a Pet, and And I Love You Still…A Thoughtful Guide and Remembrance Journal for Healing the Loss of a Pet, written to help those who are have suffered the loss of beloved companion animal and interested in journal therapy as a way to process and understand their grief. I maintain a practice that compliments my on-going creative work and role as a consultant, educator and author on the cultural evolution and importance of the human-animal bond and impact of companion animal loss.
I am an ILADS Trained, Lyme Literate Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology) and treat the primary and secondary psychological impact of Tick Borne Illnesses. I work in collaboration with Lyme Literate MD’s to ensure a positive treatment outcome.
My approach to psychotherapy is integrative in that it views each person as a unique individual with very distinct psychological constitutions that require an adaptive approach. I do not work from a one size fits all approach, but rather design a treatment plan based on the individual needs and desired outcome of each client. I am trained in and employ, when appropriate, various mind/body techniques such as; clinical hypnosis, guided imagery, mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) and meditation. Commonly used clinical treatment modalities include; Psychodynamic, Existential, Object-Relations, Jungian Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Person-Centered.
I have over 20 years of diverse experience in the field of psychotherapy and counseling and have worked in both the public and private sector treating a wide range of psychological conditions. I completed my Pre-Doctoral Internship at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia Pennsylvania providing Health Psychological services and Psycho-Oncology counseling to chronic and terminally ill patients and family members. My Post-Doctoral training was at the Center for Psychotherapy and Integrative Healing in Morristown, New Jersey with a focus on Behavioral Medicine in primary care and private practice settings. Continuing post doc training includes; behavioral medicine, trauma recovery, traumatic and complicated grief, PTSD, treatment of the psychological underpinnings of health related issues with a focus on tick borne diseases, psychoneuroimmunology, and sports psychology.
As a competitive athlete, I combine my passion for sport and psychology by providing clinical and applied sports counseling services to novice as well as highly competitive athletes. I compete on a local, regional and national level as a runner and multi sport enthusiast.
