Who I Work With

Trauma & Emotion Dysregulation

Many of my clients come in not knowing what they feel, not knowing why they react the way they do, and finding that by the time they realize something has gone wrong — in a conversation, a relationship, a moment — it’s already too late. They feel triggered and reactive, flooded by emotions that don’t make sense to them, or numb in ways that are equally confusing.

These experiences often have roots in complex trauma, difficult early relationships, or the particular pressures of major life transitions. I work with people who have experienced specific traumas — including sexual assault, traumatic loss, and childhood abuse — as well as those whose trauma is harder to name but no less real in how it shapes their daily lives and relationships. I use evidence-based trauma therapies including Prolonged Exposure and EMDR, and I draw on DBT to help clients build the skills to manage intense emotions while we do the deeper work.

I also have a particular interest in high-achieving individuals — including those from academic, medical, scientific, and engineering backgrounds — who are analytically sharp in every area of their lives while sometimes simultaneously struggling to articulate or understand what’s going on inside.

Couples

I work with couples where emotional flooding and dysregulation are making it impossible to communicate, connect, or truly know each other. Many of the couples I work with are high-achieving and navigating how to be authentically themselves while figuring out how to maximize being together.

Motherhood

I also work with women engaged in every stage of motherhood — those contemplating becoming a mother, those in all stages of the perinatal and postpartum period, and mothers well into partnership and parenthood. Motherhood is an intense time of transition, and personalized support through that experience can make an enormous difference. Perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders are real, they can be very scary, and they are absolutely treatable. No woman should suffer in silence. I can help, and if I cannot help for any reason, I will find you someone who can.

My Approach

I believe your emotions are trying to tell you something — even when they are loud, confusing, or feel completely out of proportion. My job is to help you understand what that is. I work collaboratively and with genuine curiosity about who you are and how you got here. I use evidence-based approaches including DBT, EMDR, and trauma-focused therapies, always tailored to how you actually think and what may actually be helpful. I enjoy working with people who aren’t sure what they’re feeling or what they want. Those questions are a good place to start. I like to say, let’s follow the breadcrumbs.

Background

I grew up in Libertyville, Illinois and earned my PhD in Clinical Psychology from Texas A&M University. I completed my internship at Yale University Medical School and my postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University Medical School and the Providence VA, where I worked with Veterans in a PTSD clinic.

I then took a position in New York City, where I served as Assistant Professor at The New School for Social Research and Director of the New School–Beth Israel Center for Clinical Training and Research. During those years I completed a Certificate in Relational Psychotherapy at The Stephen Mitchell Center.

After moving to Connecticut I served as Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale, and founded Guilford Psychological Services in 2016. I also completed EMDR training with Laurel Parnell and specialized training in perinatal mental health through Postpartum Support International (PSI).

I am a PSYPACT participant, authorized to provide telehealth services across 40+ participating states.