About Me

My Perspective

What draws me to this work is a fascination with the dilemmas and complexities of being human, particularly in a rapidly changing world that can sometimes feel increasingly dehumanizing. I'm interested in understanding and finding language for each person's unique experience of being alive—how our histories, relationships, and encounters with the world shape the ways we perceive and make sense of our lives.

I'm especially curious about how the mind develops ways of protecting itself, filtering what we allow ourselves to feel, know, or experience, and how these same defenses can sometimes limit our possibilities. My interest in psychoanalysis and altered states of consciousness grows out of this curiosity about the boundaries of perception and the possibility of expanding them. Ultimately, I'm drawn to understanding how greater awareness of our inner lives can open up new possibilities for creativity, connection, and psychological well-being.

Professional Background

I'm a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychoanalytic psychotherapist based in New York City, where I've lived since 2008. I earned both my B.A. and M.S.W. from Columbia University. My early interests in psychology, culture, and subjective experience led me to travel throughout India and Nepal, where I explored the psychology of religious experiences and altered states of consciousness.

I began my clinical career working with children, adolescents, and families in foster care, and later gained experience in community mental health clinics and reproductive health centers. These settings deepened my appreciation for the ways personal history, relationships, and social circumstances shape psychological life. Since earning my LCSW in 2020, my clinical interests have expanded to include addiction and compulsive behaviors, sexual trauma, and gender dysphoria.

My work is also informed by a harm reduction philosophy that emphasizes openness, collaboration, and respect for individual autonomy. I've volunteered with organizations such as DanceSafe to promote drug education and safer substance use practices. In 2021, I earned a certificate in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration from Fluence and subsequently trained as a therapist for psychedelic clinical trials.

I'm currently an advanced candidate at the Psychoanalytic Training Institute of the Contemporary Freudian Society in New York and serve as a supervisor affiliated with the Fellowship for Community Psychoanalysis. I'm also an award-winning writer and have presented my work at international psychoanalytic conferences. My research interests include the ways in which contemporary culture, social media, and consumerism shape our desires, identities, and relationships, often in ways that operate outside our conscious awareness.