A little about me

I am an educator with over 20 years of experience, holding a Master’s in Child Development/Special Education from the Bank Street College and a Bachelor’s in Literature/Creative Writing from Columbia University. My post-graduate training at the Payne Whitney Clinic in NYC involved extensive work with parents and interdisciplinary collaboration with specialists, including psychiatrists, psychologists, Speech Pathologists, and Occupational Therapists. As a mother of three teens/young adults, I bring a wealth of personal and professional experience to the table in order to support you effectively and help you find solutions. Keep reading for more details, or click here

The Whole Enchilada: Let’s begin at the beginning:

Sometimes we teach what we most need to learn.  While receiving my Master’s in Child Development and Special Education from the Bank Street College of Education, I scored a coveted internship at the prestigious Payne Whitney Therapeutic Nursery School at New York Hospital.  After graduating, I was hired on as a teacher, and later became their educational coordinator, working with children and their families. I was specifically trained in how to hear, value, communicate with, and collaborate with parents.

During my tenure at Payne Whitney, I trained volunteers, presented cases, ran a classroom, worked one-on-one with children, and collaborated closely with their parents and the other professionals who served them. The training was intensive and ongoing. Along the way, as educational coordinator, I learned the business of running a school. Most importantly, I learned how to empathize with parents and the problems that arise from having challenging children. What I didn’t know then is that I would also become one of those parents.  

What happened next?

Once I became a mother, my passion for education only continued to grow. At Disney, I managed the company’s web presence for educational  and family initiatives, working my way up the ranks from writer to senior producer. My tenure at Disney allowed me to build on the foundation of my academic background and further sharpen my business skills.  Under my supervision, my team did in excess of a million dollars in business for the Walt Disney Company each year. We created some of the company’s most enduring online content including The Last Minute Book Reports (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL565C9ACB4EDB8B91) which became a bit of a cult favorite!

What else have you done?

In 2010, I co-founded Valley Charter Elementary School along with a small group of other families. As the only founder who was also an educator, this project made intuitive sense to me and I could fully envision the end result, despite being told I was crazy for believing I could start a school. We persisted, and this labor of love became a win for our local communities. It became my mission to bring together a wildly diverse-- culturally, developmentally, and socioeconomically-- group of children to receive a progressive, individualized, project and inquiry-based education. As the face of Valley Charter, I was responsible for all outreach for the launch and beyond. When our doors opened in September 2010, we had succeeded in filling our classrooms with 120 bright young learners, led by inspired, highly-qualified teachers, and a top notch administration and board. Each year we matriculated a new group of kids until our school was 264 families strong. 

What have you been up to recently?

Today, I work closely with parents and children to create a healthy home environment where everyone feels safe and loved, and where all family members can thrive. I bring fresh thinking, evidence-based interpretation, creative solutions and a unique understanding to this sacred process. It is my privilege to help families address their children’s social-emotional needs and challenges in a way that nurtures connection, creates empathy, and deepens bonds.  

Here are some of the gifts I bring to the families I serve: 

Chemistry- Because you can’t teach anything without connection, this is always the first step. It’s easy and natural for me to connect with both kids and the adults who care for them.

Radar- I’m something of a sleuth when it comes to figuring out where communication is breaking down and what’s in the way. This is one of my superpowers!

Learning- I love to learn as much as I love to teach. And in this process, we’re all learning together.

Humor- I love to laugh and bring fun and creativity to the everyday. I thoroughly enjoy the work I do, and the children and families that I help. 

Is there anything else I should know?

What I want you to know is that I am a mother of three young adults, 2 of whom are 2e. I struggle too. Sometimes I feel I can never do enough for my family. I worry about things that are beyond my control. I stress about tomorrow. It’s all normal, but it isn’t easy.

If you’re a parent struggling with a child and you could use support from someone who understands your struggles, inside and out, please e-mail me. 

If you’re a parent looking for community and the comfort of a welcoming group, please e-mail me too!