My Background
My academic background began in philosophy and human rights before I trained in psychoanalysis at The National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis (NPAP) in New York City. Prior to becoming a psychoanalyst, I founded Empowering Development Alternatives (EDA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the education of orphaned children in rural Uganda. www.em-powerin.org. I currently am a member, faculty member, and training supervisor at NPAP.
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I first encountered psychoanalysis through my own personal treatment. That experience opened doors within me that I did not know existed and ultimately led me to pursue this work professionally. I believe a central aspect of any psychoanalytic work is the therapeutic relationship itself. It becomes the vehicle through which unconscious patterns of relating can be explored, experienced, and understood. Together, we examine how past emotional experiences shape the way you live, work, and relate in the present. In the ‘here and now’ of our work, you may find yourself able to think, feel, and speak more freely than before—creating the possibility of new ways of relating and responding to what troubles you.
My Approach
Many people who come to see me have tried other forms of therapy that were helpful in certain ways but did not fully address deeper, underlying issues. Psychoanalysis involves a deeper exploration of the unconscious, seeing “behind” the symptoms as it were to understand their meaning. Early experiences, particularly traumatic ones, maybe be held outside of awareness through defenses such as denial and repression. Although protective at one time, these defenses can lead to depression, anxiety, anger or relational difficulties.
Together, we can begin to understand symptoms not simply as problems to eliminate, but as meaningful communications—signals calling for change and a desire to live more authentically. By approaching these experiences with curiosity and care, we create space for integration and growth.
As an analytically trained clinician, I offer a deeply attentive and individualized approach. Our work will focus on building a relationship that allows wounded or disowned parts of the self to come into fuller, more alive expression. Dreams, desires, imagination, and memory are all welcome in the process and can serve as pathways toward healing.
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If we end up working together, I encourage you to speak openly about your needs and to maintain an ongoing dialogue about our therapeutic relationship. In my practice, I use a multimodal, depth-oriented approach, informed by object relations theory and contemporary Freudian thought.