Specialties
What we work on.
Evidence-based treatment for a range of concerns — tailored to you, not a checklist.
Wondering if I can help with what you're navigating?
Schedule a Free 15-Minute ConsultationSpecialty
Anxiety & Stress
Anxiety rarely looks the way people expect. For most adults it isn't dramatic — it's the constant low hum of worry, the difficulty switching off, the mental replay of conversations, the exhaustion that comes from being on alert all the time. Burnout, perfectionism, and work stress often live in this same territory.
Anxiety tends to be maintained by avoidance. The more we sidestep the situations or thoughts that feel threatening, the bigger they become. Treatment helps you understand what's sustaining the anxiety and systematically changes it — not by forcing you to white-knuckle through discomfort, but by building a different relationship with uncertainty and fear.
I also work with OCD, panic attacks, health anxiety, and the kind of perfectionism that keeps people stuck rather than helping them perform.
Specialty
Insomnia & Sleep Difficulties
Poor sleep affects everything — mood, focus, physical health, pain tolerance, and the ability to cope with stress. Most people assume it's something to live with, or manage indefinitely with medication.
CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment recommended by sleep medicine experts, and the evidence behind it is substantial. It works by addressing the two things that actually maintain insomnia: the behaviors that disrupt sleep (irregular schedules, time spent awake in bed) and the thoughts that perpetuate it (catastrophizing about a bad night, clock-watching).
CBT-I is typically delivered in 6–8 sessions. It requires some effort — there is homework — but the results tend to last, which is more than can be said for most sleep medications.
Specialty
Chronic Pain & Health-Related Concerns
A significant focus of my training was integrated behavioral health — working within medical settings to support patients navigating both mental and physical health concerns together. Chronic pain, adjustment to illness, and stress-related physical symptoms were a core part of that work.
Pain and mental health are deeply connected. Chronic pain increases risk for anxiety and depression. Psychological factors — avoidance, catastrophizing, stress — affect how pain is experienced. Adjustment to a new diagnosis can shake someone's sense of identity and what they thought their future looked like.
Psychological treatment for chronic pain and health-related concerns doesn't replace medical care — it works alongside it, addressing the aspects of the experience that medical treatment alone can't reach.
Specialty
Mood, Behavior & Life Transitions
Depression, anger, and behavior change each look different — but often share a common thread: patterns of thinking and acting that made sense at some point and are now getting in the way.
I also work with women navigating mental health concerns specific to different life stages, including stress, identity shifts, and transitions — career changes, relationship changes, becoming a parent, or simply arriving at a point in life that feels different from what was expected.
Smoking cessation and behavior change more broadly are areas where Motivational Interviewing tends to be particularly useful — especially when ambivalence is the obstacle more than knowledge.
Full list
Conditions I treat.
Anxiety & Stress
- Generalized anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Stress and burnout
- Health anxiety
- Perfectionism
- Academic and work stress
- OCD
Sleep
- Insomnia
- Sleep difficulties
Chronic Pain & Health
- Chronic pain
- Adjustment to chronic illness
- Stress-related physical symptoms
Mood & Behavior
- Depression
- Anger management
- Behavior change and habit change
- Smoking cessation
Life & Identity
- Women's mental health
- Life transitions
Approach
Treatment approaches, in plain language.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
The most well-researched form of psychotherapy. CBT is structured and skills-based — you'll learn to recognize unhelpful thought patterns, change behaviors that maintain problems, and build tools you'll use long after therapy ends. It's active work, not open-ended conversation.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT focuses on building psychological flexibility — learning to relate differently to difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, and moving toward the things that matter to you even when discomfort is present. Particularly useful for chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
A collaborative approach for when ambivalence is the obstacle. Rather than pushing for change, MI explores your own reasons for changing and what's getting in the way. Especially useful for behavior change, smoking cessation, and any situation where someone knows what they want to do but can't quite get there.
CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I)
A specialized application of CBT focused specifically on sleep. Includes sleep restriction, stimulus control, and cognitive work targeting the worries and habits that keep you awake. The first-line treatment for chronic insomnia — typically delivered in 6–8 sessions.
Mindfulness-based approaches
Mindfulness practices are integrated into treatment where relevant — not as a standalone fix, but as a tool for building awareness of patterns and developing a different relationship to difficult internal experiences.
Fit
Who I may not be the right fit for.
I'm likely not the right fit if you're in active psychiatric crisis or need a higher level of care — intensive outpatient, residential, or inpatient. I can help connect you to appropriate resources.
I currently work with adults only. I don't specialize in trauma-focused treatment (such as EMDR or CPT), couples therapy, or substance use disorder as a primary presenting concern.
If you're looking for open-ended, primarily supportive therapy without structure or goals, the approaches I use may feel too directive. That's worth knowing before we start.
If anything here is unclear, the free consultation is the right place to ask.
Questions
Common questions about therapy.
How is therapy different from talking to a friend?+
A good friend listens and cares. A therapist uses structured, evidence-based methods to help you understand the patterns maintaining your problems — and to change them. Therapy also gives you a confidential space with no relational obligations, which changes what you can say and explore.
How long will I need to be in therapy?+
The approaches I use are designed to be time-limited. Many clients notice meaningful change within 8–16 sessions, though the right length depends on your goals and what you're working on. We'll review progress regularly and I'll always be honest about where things stand.
Do I need a diagnosis to work with you?+
No. Many clients come in knowing they're struggling but without a formal diagnosis. Others arrive with a diagnosis already. Either way, we start from where you are.
Can you prescribe medication?+
No — as a psychologist, I provide therapy, not medication. If medication feels relevant to your care, I can discuss options and coordinate with a prescribing provider.
What if I've tried therapy before and it didn't help?+
That's worth talking about. Sometimes the approach wasn't the right fit, sometimes the timing wasn't right. The methods I use — CBT, ACT, Motivational Interviewing — are quite different from open-ended talk therapy. A free consultation is a good place to find out whether they might be a better match.
Do you work with chronic pain even though you're a psychologist?+
Yes. Pain and mental health are deeply connected — chronic pain increases risk for anxiety and depression, and psychological factors like stress, avoidance, and catastrophizing affect how pain is experienced. Psychological treatment for chronic pain is well-supported by research and doesn't replace medical care; it works alongside it.
Wondering if I can help with what you're navigating?
Let's talk. A free 15-minute consultation is a low-pressure way to find out.
Schedule a Free Consultation