I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Binghamton University and my master’s degree in East/West Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. I have over 2o years of experience working as a mental health professional in a variety of settings. Most recently, I earned a second master’s degree in mental health counseling from New Mexico State University, which led to my present gig as an elementary school counselor. I LOVE this job! It’s a joy and privilege to spend the school year with these kids, and the ways I understand psychology and mental health are constantly being informed by my day-to-day work with students and their families.
I have a particular interest in critical, dissident, and anti-authoritarian perspectives that challenge the (in my opinion) corrupt, irrational, and ineffectual elements of the prevailing mental health system in the United States. I value critical thinking a lot, and have taken a “question everything” approach to life from as far back as I can remember. Hopefully, it’s not some sort of blindspot that leads me to take so many contrarian stances, but if you think so, I look forward to your feedback.
The term “integral,” as I use it, refers to any approach that explicitly brings together multiple perspectives in an effort to address the multiple dimensions of human life. Coming from an undergraduate psychology program that emphasized the traditional “stats and rats” experimental approach, my time at the California Institute of Integral Studies broadened my understanding significantly by introducing me to humanistic, transpersonal, somatic, and integral approaches to psychology. For more on these approaches, check out the page-links below:
Humanistic Psychology
Integral Psychology
Somatic/Body-oriented Psychology
Transpersonal Psychology