“The greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
Melissa Paretsky, Ph.D.
Life inevitably includes setbacks, but therapy can help people learn how to rise from them with greater clarity, resilience, and meaning. My practice focuses on helping individuals overcome trauma, anxiety, and obsessive patterns using evidence-based therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). Many clients appreciate both the practical tools they gain in therapy and the deeper understanding they develop about the patterns shaping their lives. I particularly enjoy working with thoughtful, curious individuals who want to actively engage in therapy.
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I also incorporate meaning and existential perspectives alongside evidence-based strategies. My goal is to help clients view diagnoses not only as challenges but also as sources of insight and strength that can support growth, resilience, and a value-based life. “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Viktor Frankl
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I have advanced OCD and PTSD training through the University of Pennsylvania and specialized experience working with medically and neurologically complex individuals through the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. I also serve on the editorial board of Neurology. At its core, therapy is about helping people rise from life’s setbacks with greater purpose and insight.
Education & Specialized Training
2014-2017
Pre-doctoral Internship
Post-doctoral Fellowship
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Clinical: I received specialized training in neuropsychological evaluation and evidence-based cognitive remediation, cognitive-behavioral, emotional regulation, and problem solving strategies for individuals with neurological and medically complex conditions.
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Research: I conducted a review of treatments for cognitive fatigue. I also provided treatment and aided in research for an emotion regulation focused form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that was developed specifically for individuals with traumatic brain injury at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
2007-2014
M.A., Ph.D. Clinical Psychology
Health Emphasis
Neuropsychology Minor
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
Yeshiva University
Clinical: I obtained practicums for evidence-based group and individual psychotherapy for the older adult population at Northwell Health (previously the Long Island Jewish Medical Center) and psychotherapy and evaluations specifically tailored for individuals with various health conditions at the Parnes Clinic at Yeshiva University. I also obtained clinical neuropsychology practicum experiences at the Montefiore Medical Center (lifespan) and James J Peters VA Medical Center.
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Research: My research in graduate school was focused on the impact of fatigue as well as various motivational factors such as effort and boredom in performance in older adults at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and individuals with Multiple Sclerosis at the Holy Name Medical Center.
1999-2003
B.A. Psychology
Washington University in St. Louis
I received a B.A. in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, where I worked as a research assistant in the social cognition lab; completed training applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy and worked on a treatment team as an ABA therapist for a 3-year old girl with autism; and completed a research project on the role of exercise on emotion.
Prior to obtaining my M.A. and Ph.D., I worked for AmeriCorps, where I helped run a program that paired retired older adults in the community to serve as reading coaches for inner city children who were behind in reading; volunteered for The Samaritans, a suicide hotline; and worked as a research assistant in the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Children's Hospital Boston (Partners Network, Harvard Medical School).