I am passionate about my professional work and clinical practice.

I received a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) degree from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy and Practice (2022), a Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree from NYU (New York University) (1989), and a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology from Fordham University (BS). My doctoral dissertation, “Undoing Aloneness in the COVID-19 Pandemic: How AEDP Clinicians Have Experienced the Shift to Telehealth and the Impact on the Therapeutic Relationship” can be found on the blog section of my website.

I am actively involved in ongoing consultation, supervision, and training to enhance my skills.

I am licensed as a clinical social worker in all three states that I have practiced and resided in throughout my career including: Georgia (LCSW 004053), New York (LCSW-R 040257), and South Carolina (LISW-CP 12815). Although my primary practice is in Alpharetta, Georgia, I also practice telehealth in New York and South Carolina (with availability to offer some in-person sessions in all three states.)

I first started working in the mental health field over 25 years ago.

Some of my first clinical experiences were in the psychiatry departments of large, urban, teaching-hospitals in New York City, including Jacobi Medical Center, Montefiore Hospital, and North Central Bronx Hospital. Advocating for my clients and identifying resources and community supports became one of my first social work passions.

After a move to the southeast, I began many years of service in community mental health programs, most notably at the Child & Adolescent program of the Greenville Mental Health Center in South Carolina. I first transitioned into private practice in 1996 at Pettigru Therapy in Greenville, South Carolina, helmed by Gail Nagel, LCSW.

With a growing family of my own and another relocation, I became a full-time parent for a number of years until returning to the field and building a clinical practice in the North Fulton area of Atlanta in 2012.

I strongly believe in working on my own professional growth as a doctoral level clinical social worker and clinician.

I am a cisgender white female married to my life-partner who seeks to grow together and alongside me. We are the proud parents of three twenty-something adult children launching into their own careers and passions.

In my spare time, I find fulfillment and joy in spending time and traveling with my family and close friends. I find meaning through the practice of mindfulness and spirituality. I also enjoy cuddling with my two tabby cats and my 15 year old dog, swimming, playing online chess, and writing non-fiction and fiction articles and stories.

I continue to actively work on and address my own cultural competence and awareness, striving to be sensitive to diverse experiences of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.  I respect that my office is on the grounds of land that once was occupied by Native Americans.