Professional Background

I received my undergraduate degree in Applied Psychology, with a focus on adolescent mental health, from New York University. While there, I collaborated with the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy on research focused on autistic individuals. I then spent two years at the Quad Preparatory School where I supported the development of neurodivergent students’ social-cognitive skills through skill development and creative engagement, such as theater, strategy games and capoeira. 

After receiving my M.A. and Ed.M. in Mental Health Counseling from Teacher’s College, Columbia University, I completed a two year postgraduate fellowship in Neurodiversity at Iona University. I continued to enhance my clinical work by exploring music and movement as a mind-body instructor within a contemporary dance company with dancers aged 12-35. 

As the Assistant Director of the Iona University Counseling Center, I served as the supervisor to the Neurodiversity Fellowship, and advocated for the inclusion of neurodivergent and queer voices in a variety of campus settings. I developed a peer mentorship program for neurodivergent students, as well as an identity-based therapy group for LGBTQIA+ students.

Person standing in a dimly lit room surrounded by a group of seated and standing people.
Audience attending a neurodivergent student panel in a conference room with presentation screen displaying event title and speaker list.
Group of people attending a seminar in a conference room, seated around tables, with a speaker presenting information about wellness programming on a projected screen.

Speaking and Presenting Experience

In Fall 2023, I presented on significant clinical trends within the emerging adult population to psychiatry residents at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. In 2023 and 2024, I created and moderated a Queer Mental Health Student Panel at Iona University. Over the past three years, I have conducted trainings for psychology externs and fellows at the Iona University Counseling Center, covering topics such as neurodiversity, the Health at Every Size (HAES) curriculum, interrogating the Mental Status Exam (MSE) and initial assessments, clinical documentation, case conceptualizations, and intersecting identities in the therapeutic relationship. Beginning in 2021, I created and moderated an annual Neurodiversity Student Panel at Iona University.

In November 2021, I participated as one of four panelists at Westchester County College Collaborative and New York-Presbyterian Behavioral Health Center, discussing the experiences of neurodivergent students in post-secondary education, including challenges related to attendance, graduation, and mental health during COVID-19. Earlier that year, in August 2021, I was the keynote speaker at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, addressing the neurodiversity movement and its impact on the college experience. In June 2021, I presented a workshop at the AUCCCO National Conference, outlining a four-tiered approach for fostering inclusivity for neurodivergent students on college campuses.

In February 2020, I acted as a research aid and co-presenter on suicide assessment related to Autism Spectrum Disorder at The Rebecca School. I began my engagements in May 2018 with a poster presentation at the NYU Applied Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference on music therapy methods for musically gifted individuals.

Person giving a thumbs-up in front of a computer screen displaying the text "Nurturing Neurodiversity in College Community."
Person at a table with LGBTQ+ pride flag, making buttons with a machine. The table has markers, brochures, a sign with QR code, and a paper with "When my pronouns are respected, I feel" written on it. Outdoor setting with chairs and building in the background.
Person standing next to a research poster on music therapy methods at a conference.