MY MISSION IS TO turn trauma into more than just a buzzwoRD.

My exploration into trauma began with a fundamental question: why do similar life experiences impact mental health differently? This curiosity developed as an undergraduate at U-Michigan and fueled my academic pursuits, leading me through graduate school in the Bronx where I took a deep dive into how brains process traumatic events. In my doctoral research on chronic PTSD predictors in female rape survivors, I discovered that how a survivor understood what caused the rape to happen to her (i.e. causal attribution of blame) significantly affected risk for chronic PTSD. These findings didn't just expand my understanding—they ignited a passion for the intersection of research and clinical practice, offering insight into why some develop mental health issues while others don't. 

After graduating with my doctorate, I joined Yale School of Medicine's PRIME Research Clinic as a post-doctoral fellow, investigating risk factors and symptoms predictive of onset of serious mental health disorders like schizophrenia. The work proved compelling, leading me to continue with PRIME beyond my fellowship, eventually assuming roles as Co-Clinical Director and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry within Yale School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry. 

When the planes struck the Twin Towers on 9/11/01, a former internship supervisor contacted me, asking if I would take a temporary leave from PRIME to join HART (Healing and Recovery after Trauma). This post-9/11 grant-funded program aimed to reduce acute trauma risk in directly impacted northern NJ communities. With nationally-renowned trauma experts involved, HART provided community education and trauma-prevention interventions for children, teens, and adults. Without hesitation, I joined the team, putting boots on the ground to help offset risk of acute mental health problems in high-risk communities. 

In the years that followed, I relocated to Connecticut, ultimately settling in Newtown in 2004. There, I returned to my clinical roots, opening up a private practice and joining the outpatient psychiatry department at our local hospital.  Unbeknownst to me, a sequence of high-profile tragedies would soon follow and bring me back to the frontlines of trauma. 

Close to my office in 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School fell victim to a devastating attack, resulting in the tragic loss of 26 children and educators. The following year, the Boston Marathon bombing shook our region. With so many in our community impacted, I made it my mission to swiftly become versed in the latest evidence-based trauma treatments. Since then, the focus of my clinical work has extended beyond public tragedies to encompass personal traumas such as sexual abuse, suicide, homicide, sexual assault, and automobile fatalities. 

The common bond that unites all trauma survivors and their family members? Nobody asks for trauma to happen to them.   

Brain science guides my clinical practice, and I firmly believe that individuals seeking trauma treatment, as well as all other forms of therapy, deserve approaches grounded in peer-reviewed research. Among the evidence-based methods that align with this principle, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are my preferred approaches, utilized only when clinically appropriate. As a certified EMDR therapist, I volunteer with the Fairfield County Trauma Response Team (FCTRT where, alongside a group of regional EMDR-certified clinicians, we provide support to first responders and frontline healthcare workers through training, education, and clinical interventions.

No up-to-date bio would be complete without acknowledging the profound psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on everyday people and frontline workers. Personally and professionally, the pandemic spurred the birth of BETWEEN2EARS®, a consultancy aimed at bridging gaps in trauma awareness and expanding the reach of trauma-informed support through consulting, training, and outreach.

BETWEEN2EARS® empowers everyday people and community professionals with the knowledge, strategies, and competency to navigate trauma. By simplifying the topic of trauma and normalizing open conversations about mental health, BETWEEN2EARS® strives to ensure that individuals, professionals, businesses, and organizations have the simplified information and practical solutions they need to help others move forward in a world filled with unprecedented stress and trauma.