UMass Boston

PhD

I very much enjoy working with young adults, because it is such an exciting time of life, but also can be one of the hardest. It can be a time of big life transitions, demanding and conflicting responsibilities, and identity, relationship, and mood instability. I love helping young people to discover who they want to become, and helping them to get there. For UMass Boston students, this often includes goals for academic advancement and finding balance in one’s life.

I think that in times of stress, we sometimes use desperate behaviors and patterns of coping from our past, that give us short term relief but can be ineffective, or even detrimental, in the long term. Counseling can help you to understand yourself better, guide you through understanding what in your life isn’t working, or help you to learn about new behaviors and perspectives that may be more helpful. As a therapist, I have a warm and collaborative style. I use lots of different approaches including CBT, DBT, behavioral, mindfulness, and relational principles. I pay careful attention to my clients’ environments and social relationships, to better understand their difficulties and to tailor interventions accordingly. What’s most important is figuring out whatever works best for you as an individual, to assist you in creating the life that you want for yourself.