. . . I have a hoe and I take it everywhere I go 'cause I'm planting seeds so I reaps what I sow"

I am a large-bodied Black woman. I bring the values of deep respect and compassion to supporting people around healing from experiences that have affected their ability to live the kind of life that they deserve. A life that is free from deep emotional pain and that allows them to be open to new and satisfying experiences.

I think of therapy as a collaboration that utilizes your existing strengths, my education and training, and the healing power of the therapeutic relationship as the essential tools in accomplishing your goals.

I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a highly effective treatment for the lasting emotional impact of trauma. Trauma can result from emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse, crime victimization, abuses of power and control in relationships, and other experiences that threaten our sense of safety in the world.

I use EMDR as an adjunct to other treatment models that inform my practice; among them: systemic theories, family systems theories, theories of social justice, and Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST).

 I also have a long history of providing support to folks with marginalized identities, including members of racial and ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ community, and couples and families with non-traditional structures.

I also specialize in providing advocacy and support for people who live in large (fat) bodies, and am the author of the book, Size Matters: The Large Woman's Comprehensive Guide to Living Well.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

B.S. in Psychology, Saint Joseph's University

Master of Social Work, University of South Carolina

Post-Graduate Certificate, The Family Institute of Philadelphia

I am a Black, queer, non-binary Muslim who was raised in the American South. My identities and experiences inform my practice, including culling the wisdom from my lineage of Black Diasporic and Afro-Indigenous healers. I believe strongly in the healing power of connection.

I am especially committed to work with BIPOC, LGBTQ, artists, migrants, college students, and others with marginalized identities. I have particular interest and experience working with issues related to grief, depression, anxiety, interpersonal conflict, trauma, shame, guilt, racial identity, gender identity, and sexuality.

I work with individuals to tend to emotional, mental, and spiritual wounds impacting their ability to live more fulfilling lives.

I take a relational, psychodynamic, queer-affirming, and anti-oppressive approach in my therapeutic practice. I believe that through deepening insight and building new, healthier relationships that healing and transformative change occur. I am committed to compassionate support and empowering people on their journeys towards healing and self-transformation.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

B.A. in Africana Studies, William and Mary 

M.S.S., Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Mawr College