Thank you for visiting my website. I am glad you found me and I want to tell you a little bit about myself, and why I became a counselor.

 I will never forget the day I sat across the kitchen table from my neighbor, Edie, who had recently lost her husband of fifty years. Edie was understandably heartbroken and needed to talk. We sat together for what seemed like hours as Edie reminisced about her husband and their life together. She talked, I listened, we wept. For me it was a privilege to sit with Edie as she shared the most cherished memories of her life with me. It was on that day that I learned that just being present with someone and really listening to them can be life changing.

 As I reflected on my time with Edie and thought of other life experiences, I realized that these were the things God had used to prepare me to counsel. I was then reminded of the tapestry metaphor that Edith Schaeffer used to depict the Christian life. She pointed out that the front of a tapestry is a beautiful, intricate work of art, while the back is a jumbled mess of loose threads and tangled knots with no discernable pattern.  Not until a tapestry is completed and turned over do you see its beautiful design.

 Over the years, God, the master weaver, has woven together threads of many different kinds to create the tapestry of my life. There are the richly colored threads of loving family and friends, a terrific church, and abundance of all kinds. For these I am truly grateful.  Then there are the dark colored threads of painful experiences, such as the death of a baby, a mugging, numerous house disasters and relational difficulties. More than anything else, these “tangled knots” have been the things that God has woven in my tapestry to make me look more like Christ. It is these experiences that have made the promises and presence of God become real to me. Because I have experienced God’s comfort, I can comfort others with the comfort I myself have received (2 Cor 1:3-4).

 It was also part of the wise and skillful weaver’s plan to place people in my life who struggle with their mental health. Over the years I have witnessed their suffering and I wanted to do whatever I could to help them, and people like them. This is what prompted me to go to seminary to get my master’s degree in counseling.

Education and Experience

 I received my master’s in counseling from Westminster Seminary (CCEF) in Philadelphia, PA, where I studied counseling, the Bible and reformed theology. I then earned a Certificate in Advanced Professional Counseling at Biblical Seminary in Hatfield, PA. I also did post-graduate work for licensure at Alliance Graduate School of Counseling in Nyack, NY.  In addition, I received training for marriage counseling through the Gottman Institute. I have experience counseling at First Choice Women’s Resource Center, Redeemer Montclair and now in private practice.  

 I live in Northern, NJ with my husband, Dan and we have a 26 yr old son, Ethan.

My Hobbies, Interests, and Spare Time Activities

In my spare time I can be found visiting gardens and museums with ancient tapestries, the Cloisters being a favorite. I have also been involved in the restoration of a National Historic Site. In addition I am a member of the Garden Club of America and I especially enjoy cultivating herbs to use when I cook for family and friends. Much of my life has also been dedicated to ministry of various kinds which has included helping plant two churches in Northern New Jersey.

I have yet to see the front of my tapestry that God has been weaving. But through the tangled knots and loose threads I have gotten glimpses of it, and I can clearly see that I am God’s handiwork, created in Christ for good works, which God prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:10).  It is a great joy for me to work with people just like you and see God transform their lives with truth and grace.

If you are struggling, take the first step to relief! I know that finding the right counselor can be a difficult task. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about your specific situation and discuss how I can help you. Call me at 973.464.2759 for a free 15-minute consultation.  

There is hope!