A Parent First, a Clinician Second

Before I was a psychologist, clinician, or consultant, I was, and still am, a parent. I’m the parent of three children, each with their own personalities, strengths, challenges, and pace of development. Despite knowing the “best” strategies for building skills, regulating emotions, and reducing challenging behavior, I learned both personally and professionally that meaningful progress only happens when approaches are truly individualized.

Each of my children needed something different and meeting them where they were became a guiding principle in both my parenting and my work. That perspective shapes how I support families every day: with respect for their unique circumstances and compassion for how hard this journey can be.

How I Found My Way Into This Work

My introduction to this field began with 1:1 work with neurodiverse children and adolescents in family homes and school settings. In the school programs, my work focused on children and teens who often did not respond to traditional classrooms or typical approaches, and the work demanded flexibility, patience, and creativity. Similarly, my work as an in-home behavior specialist and eventually as a licensed clinical professional counselor, focused on supervising and directly providing therapeutic support for children, teens, and families. What started as hands-on support grew into a career grounded in understanding behavior as communication and helping children and families find practical, respectful ways to navigate the world together.

What I Focus On

My early work centered on skill development and supporting children with significant behavioral challenges. Over time, I recognized that families also needed access to specialty services that deeply affect daily life and long-term well-being. This led me to expand my focus to areas such as toileting and sleep, particularly for neurodiverse children, teens, and sometimes adults.

While the settings and techniques I use have evolved, my core value has not: approaching every child and parent with compassion, respect, and an appreciation for their individual journey. My goal is never to “fix” a child or change who a person is, but to empower individuals and families, helping them gain insight, reduce stress, and build a path forward that feels sustainable and hopeful.

Working Together

I bring clinical expertise, real-world experience, and the perspective of a parent who understands that loving your child deeply and feeling unsure of what to do next can coexist, whether your child is young or already an adult in need of specialized support.

I work alongside families as a partner, helping them better understand their child and make informed, individualized decisions that support growth and well-being over time.

Professional Background

I was recruited to the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) in 2015 by Susan Hyman, MD, from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. For more than a decade, I served as a full-time faculty member in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at URMC, where I previously held the role of Director of Pediatric Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Behavioral Health Services. In this role, I oversaw the 10 clinical programs that provided mental & behavioral health services for children and teens with autism or other genetic and neurodevelopmental differences. I provided direct oversight of two OPWDD Family Support Services (FSS) grants while providing additional leadership to multidisciplinary teams delivering in-home behavioral supports, a clinic-based toileting program, a challenging behavior clinic, and clinic based behavioral sleep medicine services for individuals with developmental disabilities in the Division of Pediatric Sleep Medicine. For several years, I also served as the psychologist on various ECHO Autism teams that aimed to improve Primary Care Physician abilities for supporting autistic individuals within their medical home.

Across my career in academic medical and psychology centers, I have maintained a strong focus on psychological assessment for children and adolescents ages 2–21, with particular expertise in complex diagnostic presentations involving autism. While helping families gain clarity and understanding is central to my work, my broader professional goal has always been to build and expand high-quality, evidence-based services that support caregivers at pivotal moments in development, especially around eating, sleeping, and toileting.

I continue to serve URMC as a voluntary Associate Clinical Professor and remain engaged in research focused on neurodevelopmental differences and their relationship to sleep and understanding physiological stress responses in autistic children and their caregivers.

Professional Credentials & Affiliations