Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?
I became a therapist because I wanted to make a meaningful difference in people's lives and pursue a career aligned with my passion for mental health and well-being. Coming from a business background with an MBA from MIT, I felt a strong desire to transition into a field where I could directly impact individuals' lives in a profound and positive way. Psychiatry intrigued me because it addresses universal challenges that every individual faces to some extent, and I've always been fascinated by the complexities of the human brain. What motivates me to continue is the profound satisfaction I derive from helping my clients achieve their goals and witnessing their transformational growth. Hearing my clients describe our sessions as akin to having conversations with a friend over pizza fills me with immense joy and reaffirms my commitment to making a difference in their lives. My goal is to continue supporting and empowering individuals on their journey towards mental wellness, one session at a time.
I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental health Nurse Practitioner. I treat clients across the lifespan and a sub-specialization in child and adolescents and addiction medicine. I make the experience a positive, supportive, and at times fun one. I am very clinical but I remove the "clinical feeling" from the experience. I am very client-focused and develop unique treatment plans that actually help them achieve their goals. I treat numerous areas of psychiatry including, ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar, PTSD and Trauma, Family/Couples therapy, sleep and appetite, Schizophrenia, OCD, ODD, personality, and eating disorders and addiction.
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and supportive therapy. I learn about each individual client and learn my client's "story" so as to understand where they have been, where they are, and where they need/want to go. I also get to the "why" for each client, which is oftentimes the most important question.
I utilize humor and my clients engage particularly well. My clients often say I should do standup psychiatry. My clients oftentimes ask me how I know them so well. I am famous for actively listening. My clients feel they receive my clinical expertise without feeling the clinical aspects of what one may expect in psychiatry. I am highly supportive and provide relevant health education. I utilize a team-based approach. I don't speak at my clients I speak with them.
Anxiety in anticipation of the "first meeting" will be replaced by feeling more relaxed, comfortable, in a better mood, and more confident after the meeting than prior to it. They can also expect that their needs will be addressed and feel they have been "heard" by me. I am different than most in this regard as I treat my patients as I would a family member, and they can definitely feel it.