About
Welcome to KHM Psychology, where my expertise in Clinical Psychology meets compassion and understanding. Specializing in the psychological well-being of children, adolescents, and young adults, my practice is grounded in extensive training and experience garnered at prestigious institutions across the United States.
My training in mental health began with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling and Wellness from New York University, situated in the vibrant city of New York. Here, I worked with intimate partner violence survivors in domestic violence shelters as well as children who witnessed domestic violence in both a clinical and research capacity. Shortly after graduating, I worked as a residential therapist for adolescents with juvenile delinquency and substance abuse histories. This laid the groundwork for my further specialization in general clinical child and adolescent psychology and child and family traumatic stress, which was honed through my predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale School of Medicine’s Child Study Center. During this time, I worked in a variety of settings including the emergency department, an inpatient psychiatric hospital, and with the New Haven Police Department. I have worked in a variety of capacities providing consultation, individual, group, and family therapy. I also provided comprehensive psychological evaluations to children and adolescents for academic, behavioral, and emotional concerns, and have treated concerns such as depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, self-esteem issues, defiance/aggression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, family conflict and grief/loss to name a few. My path also led me through the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, where I was part of a comprehensively trained dialectical behavior therapy team.
Now, as part of the esteemed faculty at the University of Miami, my practice brings together a wealth of experience to offer specialized psychological services. My approach is holistic, evidence-based, and tailored to the unique circumstances of each child, adolescent, young adult, and family I work with.
VISION & MISSION
Children and adolescents are a gift and their lives are to be celebrated and nurtured. Parents and caregivers, however, have the daunting task of figuring out what to do when things seem to go wrong or life takes an unexpected turn. I envision a world where every family is equipped and supported with the tools and strategies that are based on their unique strengths, to help their children grow, thrive, and maximize their developmental potential in spite of any challenges they face. I spent many years discerning what the purpose of my life was and fortunately, through psychology, I was able to find the vehicle through which to help alleviate human suffering and heed the simple words of my heart: help and serve others. Whether you are seeking parenting guidance, or individual and/or family treatment, my doors are open. KHM Psychology is also passionate about helping children and their families heal in the wake of upsetting, overwhelming and/or life threatening events through evidence-based trauma treatments. We equip families with science-tested tools and strategies that lower children and parent’s distress, improve functioning, and build healthier family relationships while leveraging their natural family strengths and uniqueness.
Through psychological/psychoeducational assessment, we also specialize in lending a helping hand when something doesn’t seem quite right with your child’s learning, functioning, behavior, social skills and more. We are able to provide tailored recommendations that you can provide to schools, therapists, and other professionals and assist in helping with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 plans. We have conducted evaluations for concerns such as ADHD, learning disorders, giftedness, and emotional/behavioral concerns.
KHM Psychology takes a collaborative approach to child work, and partners with you and other care providers (e.g. teachers, pediatricians, grandparents) to build a team around your child and family to ensure the best outcomes. We take a family strengthening approach because when parents are supported and equipped with tools to help their children turn the volume down on distressing symptoms, change is multidirectional, multidimensional, and more sustainable.
We aim to get to the root of the problem and not merely treat presenting symptoms, thus treatment will begin with a thorough evaluation. It would be an honor to walk alongside you and your child or adolescent on the journey towards healing and thriving!
My Professorial Background:
At the University of Miami, I teach masters and doctoral students enrolled in the counseling and counseling psychology programs. I was also previously the Clinical Director of the University of Miami’s counseling psychology program’s training clinic, where I oversaw the clinical training and supervision of 30 masters and doctoral students. I love being steeped in an academic environment that allows me to keep up to date with state-of-the-art treatment, collaborate with esteemed colleagues, and even create and test novel interventions of my own. I also do not take lightly that I am supervising and training the next generation of therapists and psychologists!
My Research Background:
I have been a member of a variety of research teams that have prioritized qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research methodologies. I have previously overseen a grant-funded, community-based racial and ethnic socialization parenting program which provided me ample experience in the design and implementation of culturally-sensitive and sustainable community-based research programs. At New York University, I was awarded a scholarship for my work using digital photography to enhance the psychosocial development of marginalized youth and domestic violence survivors. Over the years I have given presentations on child and family traumatic stress, ethnic identity, immigration, and developmental psychopathology all over the world in countries such as Jamaica, Canada, Suriname, Haiti, and the United States. I have also published on how to implement culturally sensitive and sustainable mental health programs internationally, and on how to ensure domestic violence survivors with disabilities’ needs are met in shelters in New York City. I am currently the chair of research for the Jamaica Psychological Association where we are currently exploring risk and resilience factors in Jamaican youth, rates of trauma exposure in the Jamaican population, and public health informed approaches to the prevention of trauma. Currently, I am working with Dr. Christopher Layne and his team at Nova Southeastern University on research related to evidence-based treatment of prolonged grief and trauma in youth and factors that promote resilience. A trained ballet dancer through the Royal Academy of Dance, I also have an interest in combining movement and music in the interest of youth and family mental health and well-being.
Psychology Across Multiple States (PSYPACT License)
As a licensed PSYPACT psychologist, I’m authorized to provide psychology services in 42 states across the USA. To check if your state is included, please click here to view the list of participating states. In addition, I am also individually licensed to practice in Florida, Connecticut and New York.
