I am a licensed clinical social worker in New York with 30 years of professional experience. I have worked in community and clinical settings, including both outpatient and inpatient psychiatric hospitals. I am culturally competent in working with clients from diverse religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, knowing how our different cultural backgrounds can influence our beliefs and behavior. I possess extensive experience in helping clients to cope with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, couples counseling, grief and loss, caregiver burden, work-life balance, and life transitions. I specialize in supportive counseling with older adults, having worked with this population in case management agencies for many years as both a case manager and supervisor. I am sensitive to the stress involved with caregiving for elderly relatives as well as taking care of special needs children, having raised a special needs child myself. I use a strengths-based perspective to build effective coping skills as well as to improve self-esteem, functioning, and healthier relationships. I draw my therapeutic approach from psychodynamic theory, ego psychology, dialectical behavioral therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. I tailor my approach according to the individual needs of each client. I build trust with clients by maintaining an open and safe environment where their thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Then I assist clients with identifying their goals for therapy and work with them at their pace to achieve them. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy takes courage and I am proud of you for getting started!