Who Am I
I am a New York State licensed clinical psychologist who provides psychotherapy services to adult individuals primarily via telehealth.
I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana in 1994. I have worked in private practice since 2003, and have worked extensively in college and university settings as well. I work from an eclectic perspective, utilizing cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and psychodynamic strategies. My primary goal is to help my clients develop more effective ways of coping with their difficulties in an effort to improve the quality of their lives. I approach each individual with respect for her/his values, goals, and individuality.
Services Provided
I provide adult individual psychotherapy services to residents of the State of New York aged 18 and above. I strive to respect everyone, and to be sensitive to the ways in which one’s ethnicity, race, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and economic status impact, both positively and negatively, the individual.
I have particular expertise in the following areas: depression, anxiety, women’s issues, self-esteem/self-confidence, relationship issues, sexual abuse and assault, grief, divorce, life transitions, and college student issues.
The Therapy Process
The psychotherapy process varies depending on the personality of both the therapist and the client and the particular concerns that the client brings into the situation. There are a number of different approaches that may be utilized to address the problems you hope to address. I will discuss with you the strategies that I believe will be most beneficial to you, and you are encouraged to ask questions or express concerns every step of the way.
Therapy has been shown to have positive benefits for many who undertake it. It often leads to significant reduction of feelings of distress, better relationships, and resolutions of specific problems. There are no guarantees, of course, but these would be among our general goals for therapy. There are also some potential risks of therapy; these may include experiencing uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, and frustration as well as sometimes discussing unpleasant aspects of your life or yourself.
During our first sessions I will ask you questions about what brings you in and I will gather information about your past and current experiences. Together we will begin working on establishing treatment goals. Soon I will be able to offer you some impressions of what our work might include if you decide to continue. In deciding whether to undergo continuing therapy with me, you should evaluate the information provided here, along with your own assessment about whether you feel comfortable working with me. Therapy involves a commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be very careful about the therapist that you select. I will be happy to answer questions and listen to your feedback about our work together during all phases of therapy.
Frequency and Duration of Therapy
Sessions are typically 60 minutes long. If you elect to work with me in therapy, we will decide together on the frequency of therapy (for example, we may meet weekly or bi-monthly), as well as on the number of sessions most appropriate to address your concerns.
Confidentiality
For therapy to work best, there must exist a sense of trust in the therapist and a promise of privacy. In fact, professional ethics and mental health law both require me to keep all information about my clients confidential, and I take this mandate very seriously. I require written consent from a client to share any information about that client with anyone; this means that I may not talk to a family member or another professional about a client without that client's explicit permission to do so. However, there are some important exceptions to this policy of confidentiality. I am required to share information about a client if the client tells me s/he intends to seriously harm or kill her/himself or another person; if s/he discloses knowledge or suspicion of abuse or neglect of anyone under the age of 18; if ordered by a judge to do so; and in a few other, very rare circumstances.
If you have any questions or concerns about confidentiality, please bring them up with me and we will discuss them.