About me
My goal
My goal is to help adolescents and their caregivers lead a life with meaning, connection and resiliency. Social emotional needs interfere with students' ability to focus in school, connect with others and their academic achievement. As a trained mental health counselor and educator, I focus on bridging insight with behavioral change. I can work with students who experience anxiety, stress, depression or adjustment issues. Together we can change maladaptive behavioral patterns, identify irrational thought processes, develop greater confidence, and become more mindful of our needs and strengths.
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Parenting has its own challenges and is not with out anxiety, fear, shame or self-doubt. I believe parents do the best they can with the resources they have, and at times additional interventions are needed. I offer parental consultations for those who struggle with the demands of parenting, need tools to support their child's emotional needs, or who need postpartum emotional support.
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My background
I earned my masters degree in counseling psychology from Northeastern University. I provided therapeutic and educational services in schools and outpatient clinical settings for 10 years. I practiced therapy at a small college before I pursued my doctorate degree in education. My clinical practice is informed by resilience theory, attachment theory, principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, biopsychosocial model of mental health, ecological systems theory, and positive psychology. As a mental health counselor, I worked with adolescences who experienced a range of psychiatric conditions, but focused on supporting the growing number of students who experience anxiety, depression, who struggle with identity development, or low self-esteem. Many people experience emotional distress who do not meet criteria for psychopathology. For these students it is about learning how to adapt and thrive despite feelings of anxiety or depression.
The number of students who experience distress, never seek help and ultimately end up dropping out of school is concerning. This question led to my doctoral research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It is there I developed a comprehensive model of mental health outreach within an educational community.
I transitioned from counseling to teaching after at had twins. I spent three years teaching counseling theory, introduction to psychology, and adolescent development at the undergraduate level. Now that I am a parent to three energetic boys and have seen first had how hard going through a pandemic has been on children and parents alike, I want to use my background in psychology and education to support my community. I would like to help caregivers better address their child’s emotional needs, but also help children face challenges with confidence, to build tolerance for stress, and to better regulate his/her/their emotions. I want to help parents identify new ways to connect with their child, to development new insights into their parenting styles and find a balance between your personal needs and those of your family. I seek to support and motivate others along their journey towards growth.
Education
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University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ed.D & CAGS
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Northeastern University, M.S. Applied Education Psychology
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Wheaton College, B.A. Psychology and Education