I earned my Master of Social Work (MSW) at New York University's Silver School of Social Work. I trained in the Department of Psychiatry at New York City’s Mount Sinai Medical Center, where I worked with multidisciplinary teams of social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists.

As an administrator with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, I oversaw and assisted clinicians handling critical mental health situations. I have provided psychotherapy and case management services to adults with HIV and AIDS in both hospital and agency settings. In addition to my clinical experience, I have worked as a researcher at the University of Chicago, where I assisted in several research projects exploring the well-being of children. I earned my PhD at The Institute for Clinical Social Work, where my doctoral research focused on the psychological underpinnings of long-term coupled relationships.

Before becoming a social worker and psychotherapist, I received my law degree (JD) from New York University School of Law, and practiced as an attorney for nine years, specializing in labor and employment law and assisting clients with a variety of workplace issues. I obtained my Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Wesleyan University (Connecticut).