In my work as a clinical and research psychologist, I have helped individuals and couples process trauma, strengthen relationships, find meaning and purpose in life, and live creatively and authentically. My own creative interests in knitting and sewing have served as mechanisms and metaphors for psychological transformation in my own life and inspired my book, With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories which integrates psychological theory and practice with historical accounts and firsthand stories of the meaningful role that textile work has played in so many women’s lives. 

 

Prior to researching and writing this book, I worked at the Manhattan VA Medical Center as a psychologist where I helped develop treatments for PTSD, depression, and interpersonal difficulties, and address disparities in Veterans’ access to mental health care. I have received numerous research grants, published peer reviewed academic articles, and spoken at national and international psychotherapy conferences related to this work. I have served as a faculty member and clinical supervisor at New York University, Long Island University, Brooklyn, and McLean Hospital. I hold a B.A. in psychology and fine art from Washington University, St. Louis and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Long Island University, Brooklyn.

 

I am also a passionate knitter and yarn stasher, a comparably dispassionate sewist, a novice embroiderer, and a clumsy crocheter.