Biography

Hello! My name is Dr. F, and I take a holistic and existential approach to psychological care, meaning I see you as a whole person rather than as a set of symptoms and believe that our emotional, physical, and spiritual health must all be attended to when seeking to grow. While many practitioners focus on symptoms and tend to specialize in one or two distinct clinical disorders,

I specialize in people as they journey through this life and seek to find purpose and meaning.

As a holistic practitioner, I do not ascribe to the disease model of mental health that reduces human suffering to a biological illness that simply needs to be treated with medications. As a society, we have increasingly pathologized the normal ups and downs of life, applying psychiatric labels to these important life experiences in such a manner that we no longer believe we should ever be sad or confused. But sadness and confusion often point to a place where we feel lost and are contemplating a life change, necessitating exploration of those feelings rather than psychiatric labeling.

My primary focus is working with people who are exploring the  purpose of their lives and what makes a life worth living. For some, the children have left the home, and what comes next feels uncertain and confusing. For others, a successful career no longer feels as gratifying, leading to a question of whether there is something more. For yet others, questions or crises in their marriage have arisen. The “mid-life” crisis is a real experience for many, and the intentional exploration of this time is a wonderful gift that can help bring clarity and newfound hope.

I am driven by a desire to help people expand and create joyful lives that feel in tune with their values and desires. Our work together will be grounded in the core values of integrity, directness, humility, personal accountability, and mutual respect. While my approach is always rooted in compassion, I will challenge you when necessary and support you as you do the hard work of evoking the change you want in your life

Education + Training:

I hold a Master’s degree and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Duquesne University. Additionally, I hold a Master’s degree in Health Education from the University of Texas at Austin with specializations in mindful awareness and women’s health. I began my career volunteering at UCLA’s OCD program spearheaded by Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz while also working with UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center conducting research on the impact of mindfulness meditation on mental health in both children and adults. I desired to continue my work in the integration of mind and body and had the opportunity to assist Dr. Kristin Neff, a pioneer in the field of self-compassion studies, in her research while at UT Austin.

Following my time at UT, I was accepted as one of seven students to Duquesne University’s world-renowned clinical psychology program that is rooted in the study of psychology as a human science. In the human science approach to psychology, people are not simply reducible to our brain chemistry but are instead understood as immensely complex and as facing many existential challenges throughout life that impact our minds, bodies, and spirits. Providing thoughtful and ethical care to others thus requires a deep study of the human condition, and in addition to my clinical training, my program consisted of several years of philosophy studying the many challenges and experiences we all face as we walk through this life.

The combination of the study of various fields including embodied mindfulness, psychoanalysis, philosophy, health education, yogic practice, and religion/spirituality have provided me a wonderfully rich understanding of what it means to be human and how we get stuck when we lose our sense of meaning and purpose.

Throughout my education and professional career, I have worked in hospitals, community clinics, skilled nursing facilities, palliative care, crisis centers, universities, in family law, and in private practice.

A Few Other Things…

I am endlessly curious and love to learn, so my training is always ongoing. I delight in the mysterious and unknown and in reading, writing, talking, listening, experiencing, falling down, standing back up, living, loving, and being present to it all. Continuing to grow and evolve myself is the best way I know to support others on their paths to deeper self-knowledge and growth.

If you would like to work with me, please click here. I am happy to talk with you to see if we may be a good fit.

Licenses + Credentials:

New York State License: #021169

Texas State License: #39474

California State License:  #28758

PsyPact APIT License: #14511