Originally from Illinois, I obtained my BS with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in religious studies and psychology. There I did neuroscience research into the neuropsychological functioning of experienced meditators and Buddhist monks. I then attended Teachers College, Columbia University for my MS, MPhil, and PhD degrees, and graduated in 2008. My doctoral research and dissertation investigated how religious and spiritual beliefs and behaviors affected the happiness of young people, and this work was published in several peer-reviewed articles and in handbooks.

I did my pre-doctoral internship at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn and worked there with a very diverse range of cultures, ethnicities, ages, and severity of clinical complaints, including in-patient and day-treatment settings. After receiving my doctorate I continued my training with a postdoctoral fellowship in college mental health at NYU’s Counseling and Wellness Service, specializing in the treatment of eating disorders and body image issues. At the end of that year I was hired on as a Staff Psychologist, a position I held for two years before leaving to start this private practice.