About Me
Hello! I’m Holly
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Welcome and thank you for allowing me to be a part of your journey towards a more balanced and fulfilled life. Whether you are here for yourself or for someone you love and care about, it takes a lot of courage to take the first step. For some of you it may be your very first time considering therapy. For others, perhaps you have been in therapy before and didn’t feel you were getting anywhere. Maybe you are struggling in your relationships or with your children. For a lot of people, deciding to pursue therapy happens after going it alone and trying to figure out solutions to problems is no longer working.
I am here to help you by being your partner and guide on this journey providing a safe and nonjudgmental space for us to discover together what is keeping you stuck. When we are stuck we feel we have no choices and when we feel we have no choices we start to give up on the things that are really important to us.
We will discover together what is keeping you stuck in unhealthy patterns of thinking and acting. We will slowly dig deeper into the origins of your negative core beliefs about yourself and how these beliefs make you feel. It’s hard work. Sometimes it will be painful. Yet with your new awareness you will be empowered to make proactive instead of reactive choices about how you live your life.
My Experience
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey since 2001. I received my Master’s Degree from Columbia University School of Social Work in 1998. In addition, I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
For over twenty two years I have worked with individuals, couples, children and families addressing a myriad of transitions across the life cycle. I have a particular interest in perinatal mental health and am certified in Perinatal Mental Health through Postpartum Support International (PMH-C).
My approach to therapy is eclectic and uses techniques found in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and psychodynamic psychotherapy. My work is Trauma Informed and pays close attention to the experiences people may have had with trauma. I utilize the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) as a guide to assessing and discussing trauma with my patients. I am very interested in and continue to advance my skills in how traumatic events are experienced by the body.
I practice yoga regularly and trained as a yoga instructor through Kinneret Yoga. I am currently certified through Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200). I also practice and encourage Mindfulness and participated in a 12 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course through Ramapo College.
I believe there is a strong connection between the body and the mind. Between mental health and physical health. When we are attuned to the sensations we are experiencing in our bodies, we can be more attuned to our emotions. When we are connected to our emotions, in the moment, we give ourselves the opportunity to learn to tolerate difficult feeling states. We can then make choices about what to do with those feelings.
I hope what I have shared with you resonates and will empower you to take the next step on your personal path.
