Here's the history and background that lead me to discovering my inner axis.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Pennsylvania and I am currently a founder/co owner and Clinical Director at the Village Center for Holistic Therapy, a specialized holistic group private practice providing mental health treatment to individuals, couples and families.  

My educational background and career began with a bachelor of science degree (2002) in Education for Persons’ with Hearing Loss from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).  During my time at IUP I attended the Philadelphia Urban Seminar where I taught inner city youth during classroom experiences. Our group also facilitated community volunteer opportunities at Norris Square Neighborhood Center, in addition to attending professional development seminars.  It was during this experience that I recognized my passion for cultures other than my own. I continue to enjoy working in community service, and serving diverse populations.

Upon graduation I began my teaching career at Pressley Ridge School for the Deaf, an approved private school, serving students who are Deaf and identified as Emotionally Disturbed or on the autism spectrum.  While teaching in this intensive individualized type of setting, it was reaffirmed to me that I had a desire to learn more about the mental health field.

Through working with students and parents, I recognized that many of them were unable to communicate even on a basic level with their children because most of the families did not know sign language.  There was a need to bridge the communication gap and educate parents on the importance of incorporating sign language and Deaf culture in order to provide a safe and supported home environment.  I found myself eager to take on the role of facilitating healing and growth for individuals and families.  Teaching students not only academic skills but emotional intelligence, social skills and the importance of giving back to the community through service projects, became my passion and influence for creating a holistic model for treatment.

In 2006, I completed my master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh and graduated with honors with my masters in social work (MSW).  Upon completion of my internship, I was hired as an outpatient mental health counselor at Mercy Behavioral Health (MBH) and worked in the community mental health setting serving both hearing and Deaf clients.  Along with a desire for learning more and working with severe and persistent mental illness population, I continued to incorporate community development and prevention efforts. As part of a reinvestment funds from the county that were awarded to MBH,  working alongside another colleague, I created and implemented a mobile mental health initiative.  The purpose of the initiative was to educate healthcare and educational programs/institutions about the needs of Deaf consumers, how to provide reasonable accommodations, and basic skills in interacting with Deaf clients.

While working at Mercy Behavioral Health, again I recognized the need for increased socialization and community involvement within the Deaf community.  A lack of access to basic physical, emotional, social and behavioral knowledge, as well as no resources for support became my motivation to create that environment.  In 2006 I created the HOPE group where members were welcomed to attend and learn about various topics of interest. Clients worked on becoming more social through conversations facilitated by myself and other professionals invited to present on their topics of expertise.  Although now facilitated by a current Mercy Behavioral Health employee, the group continues to exist.

With the start of a new year in 2010 came the dissolution of my marriage and it was then that I  found refuge on my yoga mat.  It was on my mat, in various settings, that I learned that life transitions and external circumstances are beyond our control and that we all possess the ability to focus on where those transitions transcend us.  At this time, I began work facilitating DivorceCare support groups at Orchard Hill (non-denominational) Church, where I was able to draw from my own experience of recovering from divorce to support members going through their own individual path to healing.  

Simultaneously, I began my work at Highmark’s Caring Place, a center for grieving children, adolescents and their families.  The Caring Place provides grief support to children, teen and adults after the death of a loved one.  I first completed an intensive training where I learned about the experiences and needs of grieving children and families.  Currently, I  continue to facilitate support groups for children of all ages, as well as groups for parents and caregivers. At the Caring Place, I have had the ability to extend therapeutic work by fostering the connections of community that allow people to heal and know that, no matter the details of their loss, they are not alone in their grief.

In 2011, along with my current business partner, I recognized the need for a holistic approach to mental health treatment and co-founded The Village Center For Holistic Therapy.  We are a specialized holistic group practice that incorporates wellness activities such as yoga and exercise classes, meditation classes, and educational workshops, in addition to structured and supportive therapy services.  The practice started off as two clinicians and one yoga instructor working a few hours a week sharing one office on one floor with a small yoga studio.  It has now grown into a practice with 11 mental health clinicians, 5 yoga instructors, a psychiatrist, a physical therapist, 3 reiki practitioners and 2 Ayurvedic consultants at two locations in Pittsburgh.

Through community mental health and private practice experiences, I have found treatment focus in grief and loss, life transitions, and relationships.  I find great joy working with couples in therapy, specializing in utilizing a strong focus on communication and conflict resolution. In my practice, I  also treat a wide variety of mood disorders, which include anxiety and depression.  It is through my personal experience as a business owner that I have also found a passion in consulting fellow entrepreneurs during the different phases of business ownership.