School Psychologist

I began my professional journey in pursuit of a Forensic Psychology degree and concentrated most of my studies on trauma and behavior disorders in children and adolescents. I worked my way through graduate school as a research assistant for a longitudinal study on drug prevention, coordinated by Weill Cornell Medical College. I also gained some experience providing ABA Therapy to children with Autism. My interests led me to intern at a school based community mental health clinic, where I provided therapeutic support, crisis intervention and individual and group counseling to at-risk youth and their families. I extended this experience to their summer program, where I returned for a couple of years to ensure underprivileged youth in Yonkers experienced summer camp. I also volunteered as a counselor at Camp Viva, a retreat experience for individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

After graduation, I worked as a self-contained special education teacher in the Bronx, where I instructed middle school children with emotional and behavioral challenges. I continued in this role while completing my PsyD at Hofstra University, eventually leaving the teaching profession to complete a school based internship in the Yonkers Public Schools. During my school placement, I engaged in additional crisis management training for first responders, co-wrote and published an article on peer support in law enforcement and completed my dissertation on Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder in Police Wives. The following year, I completed a clinical internship at a community based counseling center and diagnostic facility in Long Island, providing therapy to children, adolescents and adults. I completed Psychologist leave replacements at Children’s Village and Hastings Public Schools, ultimately obtaining a position as an Elementary School Psychologist here at Springhurst.

I have been working at Springhurst since 2006 and continue to provide social service and educational support to students and families in Dobbs Ferry and surrounding communities. Some of my more recent community ventures include: assisting in a study on knitting as a diversional activity for hospitalized antepartum patients, evaluating, reviewing and overseeing evaluations of students for entrance into private schools through ERB, preschool special education assessment, forensic assessment, neuropsychological assessment, presentations to NYC schools through Turnaround for Children and Adjunct instruction of undergraduate and graduate level students. At the present time, I am relying quite heavily on my prior training and research experience in trauma to navigate the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on teachers, students and their families.