Credentials/Specializations

I am a licensed clinical social worker in Houston, TX. I obtained my MSW at Smith College School for Social Work, and my Ph.D. at the Institute for Clinical Social Work majoring in psychodynamic psychotherapy. Over the years I have worked in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings including the Yale Parenting Center, Menninger Clinic and Teen and Family Services. I recently changed roles at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), where I previously provided individual and couple therapy for students, residents and fellows for several years. During this timeframe I also served as the mental health liaison with the BCM Global Child Health Residency Program - meeting with residents prior to, and returning from, international assignments in pediatric care. Currently, my time is divided between my private practice and teaching faculty positions at BCM (Clinical Assistant Professor) and the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies (Adjunct).

ORIENTATION

My primary stance is psychodynamic psychotherapy which is insight-oriented and utilizes psychoanalytic theory. Emphasis is on the identification and expression of difficult thoughts, feelings, self-concepts and life experiences, with additional focus on interpersonal relationships, unconscious defenses and developmental events. I have further training in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy, Imago Relationship Therapy, Gottman Couples and Addiction Recovery, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. 

SPECIALIZATIONS/RESEARCH

My practice specializes in couples/relationships, expatriate repatriation, parenting, adolescent issues, trauma, and substance addictions. I see couples, adults of all ages, and adolescents. While I have published on the topic of combat-related trauma, my doctoral and current research focuses on the psychoanalytic therapeutic factors in working with couples with substance addictions. In 2018-19 I was honored to receive the American Psychological Association’s Division 39, Section VIII, Gerald Stechler Research Award for this work.