Welcome! I am born and raised in the Buffalo area and completed my undergraduate studies at the University at Buffalo, as well as my master's degree from St. Bonaventure University. I am a New York State Licensed Mental Health Counselor or LMHC, who has worked in the mental health field for over 16 years. I feel incredibly grateful during that time to have gained experience and insight working alongside many individuals, their families, and with other community providers. In all of my time working in the field, I have found one of the most unfortunate things, is how often people have struggled for extended periods of time without feeling comfortable to reach out for help. It's understandable... it feels uncomfortable, it's a bit awkward, and tomorrow will always seem like a better day to make that first call and reach out. But in my experience, counseling doesn't have to be nearly as intimidating as most people may believe. I often find most people starting out are pleasantly surprised to find that it's far more rewarding than anything, once they can make that initial step to get started. Not to mention, we all accept that things such as diet, exercise and good physical health are important to our wellbeing... why shouldn't we also prioritize our emotional well-being in the same way? With that being said, I certainly understand that it can be intimidating to even decide to seek out counseling, let alone to search for a provider you feel is a good fit for you. That is why I strongly encourage anyone to reach out to different providers to make sure they find someone they feel comfortable with and who has a good experience and skill set, for their individual needs. Please feel free to reach out to me for a no-fee, 15-minute consultation to see if I can be of help to you or a loved one. I look forward to hearing from you!