About Me

I work with adults who wish to create meaningful change in their lives. My specialty is working with individuals who struggle with sticky thoughts, painful feelings, or challenging life circumstances and who find themselves coping with those stressors in unhelpful or ineffective ways. (No judgment: that describes all of us, from time to time.)

I’m passionate about helping my clients be more present in their daily lives, regulate their distressing emotions, increase their willingness to move toward their life values, and identify commitments that will help create a more purposeful, fulfilling life.

I have experience working with adults who struggle with anxiety, depression, addictive behaviors, interpersonal difficulties, and more. And as a formerly practicing attorney, I’m particularly sensitive to the demands and pressures of work in law, medicine, business, consulting, and other high-stress careers. (I love working with fellow therapists, too.)

My approach

It’s important to me that my work be empirically supported, which means that the methods I use are supported by the latest scientific research. I’ve been extensively trained in the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and these modalities form the backbone of my work with most clients. I also incorporate elements from other forms of "third-wave" cognitive behavior therapy, such as Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). For clients looking for help with insomnia, I also offer CBT-I—the gold-standard psychological intervention.

Therapy modalities can be a real bowl of alphabet soup, I know—if you've never heard of any of those acronyms, here's what I'd want you to know about my approach:

1. You're not alone—we all struggle. Sometimes we get stuck in unhelpful patterns, but I don't believe any of us are broken. All of my work is premised on that fundamental assumption.

2. My sessions tend to be active, engaging, and focused on practicing new skills and ways of relating to our experience. I strive to create a warm, empathic space for us to work in, but I can also be direct and have a sense of humor where appropriate.

3. While my work is guided by quality research, I also recognize the limitations of psychological research when working with real people. I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy, which means we'll work collaboratively on charting a path that works for you. I don't have any magic wands and don't have the "right" way to do therapy—instead, we'll explore together what's helpful for you and what's not and explicitly incorporate those elements into your treatment plan.

Background

I completed the A.M. at the University of Chicago Crown School of Social Work where I completed an intensive independent study with Dr. Paul Holmes, focusing on ACT and Relational Frame Theory. Prior to that I completed the J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and spent years working both in litigation at a large law firm as well as in in law school admissions.

I am a member of the Association for Contextual Behavior Science, and have served on the board of the Chicago chapter. I have delivered presentations on ACT and RFT at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and in the Chicago and Seattle communities, and I'm passionate about providing training and supervision to new clinicians. I am committed to lifelong learning and participate regularly in ongoing education and consultation opportunities. As of 2023, I am a member of the community at The Seattle Clinic.

Off the clock

I’m committed to pursuing a full, rich life outside the context of work. Some of my favorite ways to spend time include playing board games, reading non-fiction, and connecting to nature any chance I can get.

Interns

Because I work remotely, you may occasionally see (or hear) one of my interns during your session.