Education
I received my undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Tel Aviv University in 2000, became an NLP Master practitioner in 2007, earned a certification in death counselling and education in 2019, and received a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, with Medical Family Specialty from Northcentral University in 2020. I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy with Northcentral University.
As a marriage and family therapist, I have been providing therapeutic services to adolescents, adults, families, and groups since 2018. My previous professional experiences include a suicide prevention online hotline, emotional support at a veterinarian hospital, independent work as an NLP Master Practitioner, and grief work. I am a board member of my local professional organization (GAMFT) and a member of my national professional organizations (AAMFT, ADEC). I am also an active member of the Solution Focused Universe – a global professional organization for clinicians who practice the Solution Focused Brief Therapy model. I am contracted with Cornerstone Family Services (CFS) to provide outpatient mental health counseling services under the direction and supervision of Jennifer D. Vann MS, LMFT, owner of Cornerstone Family Services. I also receive supervision from Dr. Kara McDaniel, LPC, NCC, BC-TMH.
On a more personal note
I was merely twelve when I realized what I wanted to do was listen to people, believe them and be a safe haven for them. Everything else I love in life – being in nature, reading books, writing, playing music, listening to music – it all connects for me, and it’s all therapeutic. However, life’s journey is rarely a straight line, and I’ve had a few detours: I’ve dipped my toes in research psychology, almost finished a MA, and decided it wasn’t not for me. I’m also a master practitioner of a communication model called Neuro-Linguistic Programing – NLP. In one of these detours, I wandered into the Marriage and Family Therapy field and immediately fell deeply in love. As you might have noticed in the “education” section, I am a forever student. Just as I fell in love with Marriage and Family Therapy, I fell in love with Northcentral University and have made both home.
As a fan of more than a few superheroes, I know that being a superhero is much more than just having powers – it’s about finding their identity. I also know no superhero has become one without a sidekick to help them shape that identity: Wonder Woman (my absolute all-time favorite) would stay on Themyscira, had Lieutenant Steve Trevor not accidentally parachuted on it; Supergirl would still pretend just to be Kara Danvers, had her sister Alex not needed her help; Charles Xavier would not become professor X, if not for other mutants needing his support. These are the people who saw the superheroes’ weaknesses and helped them shape their identity through their unique strengths. My job, as your therapist, is to be just that – your therapeutic sidekick, helping you shape the superhero you are.
All sidekicks have many sides to them, and I am no different: I am a homeschooling mother of twin girls, a wife, a feminist in the purest sense of the word. I love being in nature, bike, hike, read, engage in philosophical conversations, advocate for social justice and play music.
Beyond all these things, I am always fully me, unwaveringly authentic.
When we meet it all connects
Like other superheroes, my clients are finding, tuning, and fine-tuning who they are. Like other superheroes, my clients need to be seen both for their pain and for their strengths. The highest honor and privilege they give me is to be their therapeutic sidekick, holding a safe space for their pain and helping them fine-tune their identity through their unique strengths. Therefore, when we meet, I ask you about the best version of yourself and always see you as capable and resilient. Even when you can’t see yourself that way. Especially when you can’t see yourself that way. We will walk together and work together until you feel like that best version of yourself. I do have two advantages over other sidekicks: one is that you will never have to save me to become a superhero. The other is my promise to you: you will also never have to pretend to be anyone else in my therapeutic space: as I said before, I aspire to be authentic enough to allow you to be fully authentic as well.
Affiliations
- Certified in Thanatology
- A member of ADEC
- A student member of AAMFT
- A student member of GAMFT
