I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Before co-founding Fairfax Place Therapy in 2022, I worked for close to ten years as a therapist and supervisor at Alexandria Place Therapy.

I have extensive clinical experience and training working with children and families, adolescents, and adults experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma and loss, adjustment, and family changes. I incorporate various treatment modalities to help my clients explore their inner worlds to gain insight, develop adaptive coping strategies, and heal from life experiences from the inside out. I am also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and use this therapy model to inform my work with both children and adults.

I approach my work with individuals and families from an attachment and relational perspective. I strongly believe in the therapeutic relationship as an essential component for co-creating a healing and brave space with my clients. I truly value the story every client brings and support them in their self-exploration to better understand how they have come to think, feel, and physiologically respond to the present the way they do.

I believe it is part of my ethical practice to honor my client’s experiences of the world through continued professional learning and personal growth. I am deeply committed to seeking out opportunities for learning, reflecting, and taking action as it relates to the systemic inequities my clients and their families face.

Certifications

I am a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and have extensive training in both play and expressive therapies. I am actively working towards my EMDR certification through EMDRIA.

Specialized Services

• Extended Play-Based Developmental Assessment (EPBDA, Gil)
• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
• Parent-Child Assessments
• Parent Consultations
• Professional Presentations and Clinical Workshops
• Supervision for RPT-S

Professional Presentations & Training

I have provided professional presentations and training to clinicians, school staff and PTA organizations, agencies (including Jewish Community Services in Baltimore and Jewish Social Service Agency in Rockville), and clinical organizations including the Northern Virginia Play Therapy Association. I have presented on topics including trauma, attachment, play therapy, and parenting topics such as how to parent an anxious child, helping kids manage big emotions, and raising a secure child.

Professional Affiliations

• Association for Play Therapy
• National Association of Social Workers
• The Greater Washington Society of Clinical Social Workers
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA)

A Few of My Favorite Books

• Let’s Have a Visit With Our Feelings by Ana Gomez
• Hey Warrior by Karen Young
• Hooray For You! by Marianne R. Richmond
• Listening to My Body by Gabi Garcia
• Ish by Peter H. Reynolds
• Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey
• How Zac Got His Z’s by Kerri Golding Oransky and Jason Oransky
• No Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
• You Are The One You’ve Been Waiting For by Richard Schwartz
• Raising a Secure Child by Kent Hoffman, Glen Cooper, and Bert Powell