I completed my clinical psychology internship at Central Montgomery Mental Health Center in Norristown with a diverse population of adults and children. My first professional job was at a preschool for developmentally delayed children. For five years, I did developmental evaluations and behavioral consulation with parents and teachers.

My next professional position was as the Director of Psychology at Children's Rehabilitation Hospital of Philadelphia, which was a satellite of Jefferson Hospital. I met with fellow department heads and rewrote the treatment plan process for the multidisciplinary team at the hospital. I treated children with chronic illnesses and disabilities, supervised trainees, provided ongoing consultation to nursing staff, recreation therapy staff, and rehabilitation teams regarding behavioral problems. It was a privilege to help those children gain better control over their physical health and to improve the quality of care at the hospital.

Early Work

For 25+ years, I ran a program called the Anxiety and Behavior Change Program for Children, with offices in Bala Cynwyd, Devon, and Paoli. This program focuses on the treatment of anxiety and behavior problems in children, helping them learn better ways to manage their struggles. I have worked with children as young as 2 years old to help parents find ways to solve problems their children are facing.

Because the treatment was clearly focused, and the length of the treatment was relatively short, turnover was fairly rapid. I worked with about 100 new clients every year, with about half having a diagnosis of ADHD and other learning challenges. The rest of the children were treated mostly for anxiety and/or trauma.

Anxiety and Behavior Change Program for Children

In 2008, I took early retirement in order to do some international volunteer work. I was taken on by VSO (the UK's equivalent of the Peace Corps) and paired with an NGO organization in East Africa called Sense International for three years. Sense International was dedicated to advocating for the needs of the doubly disabled, deafblind children. My role was to provide support to the partner organizations in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in understanding the importance of stimulating the development of these children by bringing the world to their fingertips and including them in any way possible in the events of the household. It was very gratifying to see partners increase the stimulation of the children in their care, and to see the children respond. I worked with local teachers of the deafblind to write a simple manual for parents who lived too remotely for services to reach them, so that they would know what they could do for their children.

Returning from East Africa, I spent several years in a state of semi-retirement, working in the summer seasons as a National Park ranger, for two seasons in Haleakala in Maui, and for eight at Yellowstone in Wyoming. I also spent six months teaching psychology at Beijing Normal University in Zhuhai, China, as a visiting professor.

A Career Break

In 2022, I decided to stop being a ranger and return home full time. I missed working with clients, and started a small practice in Paoli. In 2025 I became an Aetna provider. I also have a small home office in South Philadelphia suitable only for individual adult clients. I continue to work with children and adults, helping them overcome and cope with trauma and anxiety based behaviors.

I also raise funds to feed students at a school for children with disabilites in Africa. You can read more about the story here.

Current Work

I earned my PhD. in Clinical Psychology from Temple University. I also graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in philosophy.

Education