My Style

I have a warm, grounded, and authentic therapeutic style utilizing curiosity and compassion coupled with methods such as process-driven and Person-centered Therapy, modern Psychoanalytic Therapy, and Cognitive/Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. I encourage healing from a holistic perspective and believe in the power of meditation, exercise, nutrition, and movement.

My Vision

I am committed to offering compassion, hope and empowerment to those suffering. I have a goal to create a physically and emotionally safe environment that is trauma-informed and empowers people to pursue their own paths toward healing and recovery. I make every effort to fight stigma and engage each person I meet in a collaborative effort to realize their potential.

An interview with Hillary

“We are all balancing our resiliency and our vulnerability, our need for connection with our individuality, and our search for depth with lightness”

What was your path to becoming a therapist?

I have spent my life trying to understand the base instincts and needs that sustain human connections. I’m curious about what drives us to form or break bonds with each other and about how we can contribute to society in a way that allows for our own needs to be met. Working in non-profit organizations in New York City, with some of the most marginalized and oppressed populations, taught me that we are all balancing our resiliency and our vulnerability, our need for connection with our individuality, and our search for depth with lightness. Through this, I am able to maintain a sense of calm in the face of chaos, and enter every session with a grounded presence, a sense of humor and an ability to empathize with even the most complex issues.

What should someone know about working with you?

I believe in the importance of evening out the power structures inherent in therapy through active and direct communication during sessions, warmth and honesty, and a strengths-based approach. I integrate lessons from eastern practices with ideas about holistic care such as the importance of sleep, sun, movement, and an awareness of core beliefs, needs, and values. I think it is important to sit with discomfort and I always encourage individuals to tap into their own wisdom in order to find healing. 

What advice would you give to someone who is hesitant to try therapy?

Therapy can be deeply profound and life-changing, but its success depends on building a relationship of respect and honesty between client and practitioner. To be seen and understood by another, to take time just for yourself, and to focus on insight and growth can radically transform your perspective on the most pressing challenges in your life, such as depression, anxiety, and trauma. I encourage folks to feel empowered to choose a therapist with whom they feel safe and affirmed.

What are you most excited about within the evolving mental health landscape? 

I am excited about and constantly working toward the elevation of therapists, writers, speakers of color and the normalization of white therapists exploring their own privilege and power within the therapeutic relationship. Racism and dysfunctional power dynamics have always plagued the field of social work and psychoanalysis and, as cities seek to defund the police, communities are also exploring how mental health providers oppress POC and other marginalized communities. This is a profoundly important process, which I hope will create more equitable and accessible psychological services for all of us.

How do you think COVID-19 has impacted mental health treatment?

COVID-19 has been a collective trauma for many communities and has shed light on what is possible with virtual mental health treatment. Virtual therapy reduces barriers such access to services-- especially for individuals in rural communities and those with busy schedules-- and research shows that it is as effective as in-person services. I believe that I offer a uniquely relational and connected approach to therapy and am able to transcend the limitations of virtual therapy. I am excited about expanding my reach to individuals who may not have been able to access therapy.