Licensed to practice in Maryland and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Foster Care/Adoption, Perinatal / Postpartum and 10 more.
(she/her)
New to Grow
Welcome — I’m glad you’re here. I’m a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C) in Maryland, and I’m proud to provide care in the community where I grew up. Having worked in this area for more than a decade, I’ve had the opportunity to support individuals and families through many different seasons of life. I recognize that reaching out for therapy can take courage, and I want our work together to feel like a place where you can be honest, understood, and supported. I specialize in maternal and perinatal mental health, supporting individuals through pregnancy, postpartum adjustment, pregnancy and infant loss, birth trauma, and the emotional complexities of becoming a parent. I also work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and major life transitions, as well as foster parents navigating the challenges of the child welfare system. My approach is warm, down-to-earth, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and collaborative. I’m naturally curious and enjoy helping clients connect the dots between what they’re experiencing now and the patterns, experiences, or beliefs that may be influencing them. I’ll give you space to process when you need it, while also asking thoughtful questions and gently challenging you when it may help you move forward. I believe therapy should be more than simply talking about what’s wrong. It should help you develop greater self-understanding and compassion, recognize your strengths, build practical coping skills, and feel more confident navigating your life. As a therapist and a mom, I understand that life can be messy, overwhelming, funny, exhausting, and complicated—all at the same time. You don’t have to have the perfect words or know exactly where to begin. Come as you are, and we’ll figure it out together.
Starting therapy for the first time can feel uncertain, and you may not know what to expect. My goal is to make that first step feel approachable and comfortable. You don’t need to prepare the perfect explanation, know exactly what you want to work on, or have everything figured out before we meet. Our first session will focus on getting to know you and understanding what brought you to therapy. We’ll talk about what you’ve been experiencing, how it’s affecting your daily life, your strengths and support system, and what you hope to gain from therapy. I’ll ask questions to better understand your history and current circumstances, but there is no pressure to share anything before you’re ready. We’ll also discuss confidentiality, what you can expect from therapy, and any questions you have about the process. When helpful, I may provide education about mental health or treatment so you can better understand what you’re experiencing. Because no two people need the same thing from therapy, I’ll tailor our work to you. Some clients need space to process and feel heard, while others are looking for practical tools, perspective, or gentle accountability. By the end of our first session, I hope you feel heard, respected, and less alone, with a clearer sense of where we can begin. You don’t have to navigate everything on your own, and we can take the next steps together at a pace that feels manageable.
I believe a strong therapeutic relationship is the foundation of meaningful change. My strength lies in helping clients make sense of experiences they may not fully understand or know how to express. I listen for connections between past experiences, current emotions, and recurring patterns, helping you put words to what may feel difficult or overwhelming. I’m comfortable sitting with you in difficult moments and giving you space to process without feeling the need to immediately “fix” things. At the same time, I don’t believe therapy should only be a place to vent. When it feels helpful, I will gently challenge unhelpful patterns, ask thoughtful questions, and encourage you to consider new perspectives. I offer compassion alongside gentle accountability, with the goal of helping you move toward meaningful change. My personal and professional experiences have given me a deeper appreciation for the complexity of emotions people can carry, particularly during major life transitions. They have strengthened my commitment to creating a space where you can be honest about what you’re feeling without fear of judgment. Clients can expect me to be warm, grounded, honest, and collaborative, with appropriate humor when it feels natural. I believe you are the expert on your own life. My role is to help you better understand yourself, recognize your strengths, build trust in your own judgment, and develop tools to navigate life with greater confidence.
My ideal client is someone who is ready to better understand themselves, make sense of what they’re experiencing, and create meaningful change. You may feel overwhelmed, anxious, emotionally exhausted, disconnected from yourself, or stuck in patterns that no longer feel helpful. Maybe you’re navigating a major life transition, working through grief or trauma, adjusting to parenthood, or simply feeling like something needs to change but aren’t sure where to begin. I especially enjoy working with individuals navigating the emotional complexities of pregnancy, postpartum, parenthood, pregnancy or infant loss, birth trauma, and adoption. I also support adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and major life transitions, as well as foster parents navigating the demands of the child welfare system. You don’t need to arrive with everything figured out. You may know exactly what you want to work on, or simply know that you don’t feel like yourself anymore. Either is okay. I work best with clients who are open to exploring their experiences, identifying patterns, and considering new perspectives. Whether you need a safe space to process, practical tools to cope, or gentle encouragement to challenge yourself and make changes, we’ll start where you are and work together toward where you want to be.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be helpful when you feel stuck in difficult thoughts or emotions, or find yourself spending a lot of energy trying to avoid, control, or get rid of uncomfortable feelings. ACT recognizes that painful thoughts and emotions are a normal part of being human—and that we don’t always have to eliminate them before we can move forward. In therapy, we’ll work on developing a different relationship with your thoughts and feelings so they have less power over your choices. You’ll learn skills to become more present and aware of what you’re experiencing, practice accepting what you cannot control, and identify the values that matter most to you. From there, we’ll focus on taking meaningful steps toward the life you want, even when difficult thoughts or emotions show up. The goal isn’t to feel good all the time—it’s to help you live a life that feels meaningful and aligned with who you are, rather than letting fear, discomfort, or self-doubt make your decisions for you.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps you understand the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Our minds can quickly interpret experiences and create thoughts or beliefs that influence how we feel and respond—sometimes without us realizing it. In therapy, I’ll help you slow that process down. We may work through situations together by exploring what happened, what you were thinking, how you felt, and how you responded. We’ll then look at whether those thoughts are accurate, helpful, or influenced by past experiences. The goal isn’t to “think positive,” but to develop a more balanced and realistic perspective while learning new ways to respond to difficult situations. With practice, you’ll become better able to recognize unhelpful thought patterns and use these skills outside of therapy. I commonly use CBT with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and anger, among other concerns.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can be helpful if you feel like your emotions sometimes take over, your mood changes quickly, or relationships can feel especially difficult to navigate. You may find yourself thinking in extremes—feeling like things are either completely good or completely bad—or looking outside of yourself for relief when emotions become overwhelming. DBT teaches practical skills to help you better understand and manage your emotions, tolerate difficult moments, build healthier relationships, and become more present in your everyday life. We’ll work on mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness—skills you can use both inside and outside of therapy. At its heart, DBT recognizes that two things can be true at the same time: you can accept yourself as you are and work toward meaningful change. Rather than judging your emotions or trying to eliminate them, we’ll learn how to respond to them in healthier, more effective ways.
Humanistic, or person-centered, therapy focuses on you as a whole person—not just your symptoms or the problems bringing you to therapy. I believe that a genuine, trusting relationship between therapist and client is an important part of the therapeutic process. In our sessions, I’ll work to understand your experiences, values, needs, and identity without judgment. I’m not a “silent wall” kind of therapist. I’ll actively listen, reflect back what I’m hearing, and share my understanding so you can feel seen, heard, and understood. At the same time, you remain the expert on your own life, and we’ll work together to determine what feels most helpful for you. I also practice unconditional positive regard, which means offering you acceptance, compassion, and respect—even when you’re struggling or having a hard time accepting yourself. My goal is to create a space where you can be genuinely yourself, explore what you’re experiencing, and feel supported as you work toward meaningful change.