Who I work with
I work with children from early childhood through age 12, and the parents raising them, most often around behavior problems (tantrums, defiance, aggression) and anxiety (separation anxiety, school refusal, worry). I also see younger children with sleep or feeding challenges, especially when they are triggering stress or conflict in the family. This practice isn't set up for emergency or crisis care, or highly specialized services like autism diagnostic evaluations or custody evaluations; if you're unsure whether this is a fit, feel free to ask.
What if we've already tried therapy?
A good number of the families I see have tried something before (a parenting program, a school-based intervention, another therapist) and are discouraged that it didn't hold. That history is useful information, not a strike against you. It tells us something about what didn't fit, and it's part of why I start with careful assessment rather than assuming which approach you need.
Where I'm located
Sessions take place by telehealth on a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. In-person sessions are available in Setauket, NY — the office address is provided when scheduling.
Because I'm licensed in New York State, I can only see clients who are physically located in New York at the time of the session. New York does not participate in the interstate telepsychology compact, so this holds even if you're a New York resident who happens to be elsewhere that day — travelling, or away at school. If your family moves between states, let's talk about it early so we can plan around it.
If you ever need urgent help between sessions, call 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), contact Suffolk County DASH at 631-952-3333, or call 911 in an emergency.
What sessions look like
Sessions are available in person or via telehealth, depending on what works best for your family. I primarily work with parents rather than directly with your child; with young children, you have far more influence over daily life than a once-a-week session can provide. Together, we build a plan you carry out at home, then assess whether your child would additionally benefit from individual sessions.
How I measure progress
I don't rely on clinical impression alone. I track progress using the same validated, standardized measures used in published science, collected before we start and repeated as we go, so you always know, objectively, whether treatment is working, not just how it feels. If the data show we need to change course, we do, quickly.
Confidentiality
As with any therapy, what you share is confidential, with a few important exceptions required by law, such as situations involving risk of harm to a child or others. I'm happy to discuss these limits in more detail during our first conversation.
Availability
I maintain a waitlist when the practice is full, and I'm glad to refer you to trusted colleagues upon request.
My relationship to evidence-based programs
My approach draws on the leading evidence-based treatments for children's behavior problems and anxiety, including PCIT, Triple P, Parent Management Training, SPACE, and Independence Therapy, informed by close, longstanding collaboration with many of the researchers who created them, alongside my own original research on parent-child interaction. I supervise clinicians trained in PCIT, have contributed content directly to Triple P, and currently serve as PI on a randomized controlled trial of Independence Therapy.
Credentials
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Stony Brook University. Licensed Psychologist, New York State, License #013435-01.