Making a Connection

When I meet my clients for the first time, adults often arrive burdened with emotional and behavioral challenges that may comply with a specific diagnosis such as anxiety, OCD, ADHD or depression. Parents may be looking for a resolution to their child’s struggles at school, conflicts at home or disconnection from peers. In each case, my approach supports skills development and fosters consistent action that adds up to a sense of living a life aligned with core personal values. On this journey, we form a collaborative team.

I work with cognitive behavioral approach to treatment (CBT), as well as acceptance commitment therapy (ACT). As a CBT and ACT therapist, my approach is forward-looking, positive, and goal-oriented, with the ultimate vision of building skills and engaging in action leading toward your core values. Quite often, we dedicate time to exposure and response prevention (ERP) approach that supports skills acquisition.

Researchers have invested remarkable effort in verifying positive impact of the CBT upon a wide range of psychological issues. ACT belongs under the same cognitive-behavioral umbrella, sometimes nick-named “third waive CBT,” and it has been a subject of literally hundreds of studies. For most current information, please refer to the website for the Association for Contextual Behavioral Sciences (ACBS) that supports research and development https://contextualscience.org/act. For information about treating OCD and related disorders, please review the pages provided by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) https://iocdf.org/.

I graduated from U Mass Amherst with a PhD in Clinical Psychology in 1998 and, since then, had a rich and varied career as a psychologist, individual and group therapist, organizational consultant, and director of hospital psychiatric programs. I have presented at regional and international conferences on a range of topics such as stress management, ADHD, CBT, and ACT. I work with a wide range of ages – children, adolescents, and adults – and with broad expression of sexuality and gender.

You may call or email me for an initial consultation, and I look forward to  working with you.