Is there any research-based work you’ve done that you found particularly exciting, and how has that informed your practice today?
I've researched topics including the genetic factors of musicianship, ADHD, and spirituality. Each topic revolves around free-will and I find them fascinating. I think by entering therapy, an individual seeks their way back from anxiety, depression or other negative feelings.
What is your style/approach to therapy?
I utilize evidence based treatments from cognitive and mindfulness perspectives. While therapy is evolving today and ongoing, gaining more control of our emotions can make exponential differences in our lives. I will teach you what I know as opposed to me being like an almighty talk-show-host on a bigger chair. I can show you how to create models to deal with negative emotions on your own. I will also show you how to reduce your negative emotions and change them into more positive ones. On the other hand, I can show you how to do some great mind-training/mindfulness and meditation techniques.
In what ways have your personal experiences influenced your work with your clients?
When I was in my youth I had a negative experience with a therapist and developed strong negative opinions about therapy. I felt this way about therapy until I later met a therapist that helped me not only gain awareness and insight to my challenges but helped me to create my own practical changes in my life.
Specialties
Depression
Depression often causes people to feel sad, empty, or hopeless, and can cause a lack of interest in life. It can also affect a person's thinking patterns and physical health.
Anxiety
Anxiety can mean nervousness, worry, or self-doubt. Anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder that entails excessive, repeated bouts of worry, anxiety, and/or fear.
ADHD
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) causes a hard time focusing attention and controlling restless or impulsive behavior. People with ADHD might have emotional outbursts, be forgetful, and/or find it difficult to stay organized.
Anger management
It's normal to experience anger at times, but for some, it becomes so frequent, intense, or difficult to control that it negatively affects their life. Anger management is a structured therapeutic approach toward reducing one’s anger to a point where more appropriate coping and/or conflict management skills are used. Beliefs and thoughts leading toward anger outbursts are explored while healthy coping and interpersonal skills are put into practice.
Narcissism
Narcissism entails an excessive interest in and over-inflated image of self. It is characterized by selfishness, sense of entitlement, and need for praise. Oftentimes ingrained in one’s personality (i.e., narcissistic personality disorder), narcissism generally develops as a coping mechanism to protect oneself from various insecurities and past traumas.
General Expertise
Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is the degree to which a person feels confident, valuable, and worthy of respect. Feeling low self-esteem can influence overall well-being and be linked to anxiety and/or depression.
Academic challenges
Concerns that impact school performance or academic life. Can include perfectionism, bullying, financial stress, academic transitions, test anxiety, balancing school with other responsibilities, discrimination, or harassment.
Addiction
Regular involvement with a substance or activity in a compulsive, hard to control way that often has harmful consequences. Often refers to substance use, but can include compulsive behaviors such as sex, gambling, or shopping.
Abuse/Survivors of abuse
Abuse includes any significant mistreatment along the lines of psychical, emotional, sexual, verbal, and neglect. Survivors of abuse may experience negative thoughts and feelings, flashbacks, distrust of others, social withdrawal, self-harm, and increased likelihood of developing mental health and substance abuse issues.
Adolescent mental health
Adolescent mental health focuses on adolescent-specific experiences including physical and cognitive development, social and environmental factors, sex, sexual identification and orientation, emotional processing, and substance use. Given the influence that parents/guardians have on adolescents, home life is a particularly important consideration.
Fees
$120
First Session
$120
Individual Therapy
Types of Therapy
Family Session
Individual Session
Group Session
Clientele
Young Adults (18-24)
Adults (25-65)
Children (5-12)
Adolescents (13-17)
Treatment Approaches / Modalities
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Existential Therapy
Positive Psychology
Psychodynamic Therapy
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
Training / Certifications
I was taught by a direct student of Albert Ellis (Creator of CBT/REBT) and by the student of the last student of Sigmund Freud.
Licensure
NY, LMHC, 010772
Education
M.S. Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling, Long Island University
B.S./B.A. St. Thomas Aquinas College. L.A. Rockland Community College
Work History
Freshly out of alternative high-school I entered college studying psychology and volunteering in lower-income communities. For 6 years I worked in the alternative education system, usually a one-to-one with a student for the day or weeks. Simultaneously wanting to be able to do more, I ventured to be psychotherapist. Along this path I worked with both young people and adults that initially displayed characteristics of severe mental illnesses. Applying he lessons given to me by the exclusive expertise of masters, I learned the art of psychotherapy and their teaching-model type nature, my clients did as well. Working over the past year, in direct formal talk-therapy, seeing over 30 clients a week (plus structured groups i designed), gave me the experience of living as a great psychotherapist.