After earning my Master’s Degree in Social Work at New York University in 2008, I worked in various community mental health organizations and residential facilities as a means to assisting families and supporting my community. This experience built my expertise and comfort in working with all types of trauma, which I continue to provide. I am committed to the health and well-being of children, specifically with adolescents and the zero-to-five population. My extensive training allows me to focus on “strength based” models and improve healthy attachment with children and their parents.
On the use of cultural humility:
Using my foundational training as a social worker, I value the use of social justice in my practice. In this practice, we are committed to working to maintain awareness of societal oppression and biases as a means of understanding and providing treatment on a holistic level. A critical goal we hold is to practice cultural humility and to radically accept that more than one truth can exist. With this, we maintain an ongoing dedication to providing comfort for a diverse range of clients- racially, culturally and for the LGBTQIA+ community.
On trauma informed care:
We are specifically trained to recognize and respond to the signs of trauma. Having the experience of trauma is prevalent in our society and needs a specialized type of attention. We work to provide safety, understanding and to avoid re-traumatization. This involves the building of trust at your pace, and step by step collaborative work with you. We are not here to ask, “what is wrong with you?” we are here to understand “what happened to you?”
Continuing education and trainings include:
Brazelton Touchpoints Certification
Nurturing Parenting Program Certification
International Association of Infant Massage Training
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Certification
Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles – GPALA (ongoing training)
Professional Affiliations:
Group Psychotherapy Association of America (GPALA)
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA)