My journey into psychology didn’t follow a conventional route. Over the past twenty years, I’ve navigated firsthand experiences with mental health challenges, addiction, compulsive behaviors, and complex relationships. Along the way, I’ve worked across diverse landscapes—from the performing arts to blue-collar trades to academic settings—each offering its own lens into human behavior and resilience. My decision to become a therapist was influenced by the significant help I received from my own therapists, including those I still work with today.

My professional experience spans 14 years, during which I've worked in various settings including group homes for people with severe mental illnesses and addictions, a local Veterans Affairs medical center, a college health center, various outpatient mental health and addiction clinics, and now private practice. I've made contributions to the field through published research and have been recognized with awards for my service to the profession. Currently, I'm an active member of several advocacy and mental health boards and committees at both local and state levels. In 2022, I co-founded a local affiliate of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science in Western New York.