I have been in clinical practice as a nurse and psychotherapist for more than 20 years. As a  specialist in the psychological dynamics of living with chronic illness, I have worked with people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, cystic fibrosis, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, vitiligo, irritable bowel syndrome, alopecia, bleeding disorders, and celiac disease, among other conditions. My practice includes individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, relational issues, adoption, infertility, parenting, loss, gender, and sexuality.

I received my Masters degree in Generic Nursing from Pace University, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from CUNY; additionally, I hold a CUNY Doctoral Certificate in Women’s Studies, for scholarship in feminism and psychoanalysis, and was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship in sexuality research from the Social Sciences Research Council (SSRC). I have training in mindfulness-based stress reduction for health professionals. My undergraduate degree was from Harvard University.

My work as a nurse-psychotherapist is enriched by the community-based work and teaching I’ve done over many years. I taught community health to CUNY undergraduates, and ran Barnard College’s Well-Woman Program, a college-based peer education programs in women’s health. As a consultant to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Health, I have developed programs for community health workers on motivational interviewing, behavioral change, and self-management for people living with chronic health problems. I’ve built programs around adolescent sexuality, run groups for teens with diabetes and obesity, worked with children and adolescents whose parents have HIV, and consulted to high schools around adolescent sexual health and development. I’ve also developed and run community-based health promotion/education programs for pregnant women; provided stress management and meditation groups; and facilitated groups on conflict resolution throughout NYC. 

I have written and presented extensively on living with chronic illness, girls at puberty, mother-daughter relationships, transgender narratives, critical pedagogy in the community college classroom, community health workers (CHWs), participatory action research/photovoice methods, The Kinsey Institute, transnational adoption, and psychological trauma, and have been the recipient of several research grants and fellowships.

I have lived with chronic illness since young adulthood.