Services I Offer
Whether you are an adult struggling in your personal relationships or professional life, a parent who is worried about your child's well being, a teenager going through a major life transition, or a group stuck in a dysfunctional rut, my practice offers a safe space to develop new understanding and avenues for creating something new.
Adults
Adulthood brings challenges and responsibilities that can, at times, feel overwhelming and exasperating--marriage, parenting, career, and finances. I work with individuals to create a transformative therapeutic relationship. We will work together to navigate these situations and resolve the internal conflicts which impede our resilience. You will come to better understand yourself, your symptoms, struggles, conflicts, patterns, and impulses which undermine your capacity for satisfaction and peace in your daily life. The therapeutic relationship we create will help open your capacity to imagine and embrace new desires, experience transformations, and allow for the emergence of an authentic self.
Children
"It is in playing and only in playing that the individual child...is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.” Donald Winnicott
My approach to working with children is to meet them where they are so that together we can help alleviate anxiety, depression, social isolation, or dangerous impulsivity. This requires the right balance of seriousness, curiosity, and play. By letting the child play with crayons, toys, or storytelling, I am able to better understand them and their world. I view my work with children as a team effort. I will work closely with doctors and other specialists to make sure your child is able to cultivate a better sense of resiliency and stronger capacity to withstand the painful and/or confusing events taking place in their everyday lives.
Young people
Adolescence is often a tumultuous and confusing period for young people and the adults in their lives. The pressures of peer groups, society, and familial expectations can feel overwhelming and create anxiety, social isolation, and feelings of depression. This is even more punctuated for young people who are coming out as LGB and for young people who are questioning or seeking to transition their gender identity to better match their internal sense of self. My approach to working with young people centers on the creation of a non-judgmental space where they are seen and heard in an authentic way. The therapeutic relationship that develops as a result allows for a safe space to work through feelings of anxieties, feelings of social isolation, and taking steps toward a more positive and affirmative life transition.
Consultant Work
I have worked in the field of gender and sexuality studies for two decades. I am the author, or co-author, of five books and over 30 articles and book chapters on the topic. Over the past six years, I have done cultural competency workshops with groups and institutions (such as public schools, hospitals, therapy practices, and businesses) on the changing landscape of gender and its fluidity. In 2015, I received a commendation from the Commissioner of the New York State Health Department for this work. Another area where I have brought my understanding of diverse communities and experiences is in helping to create a positive work environment; I have done this for businesses and educational institutions. I am available for consultancy work in New London county and beyond.