How old are your kids and how long have you lived in Westport/the area? My son is 11, my daughter 9, stepdaughter 33 and my stepson is 30. I am also a step grandmother to a 6-month-old baby boy! I have lived in Westport with my husband Jeff for 16 years.
How did you end up where you are now in terms of your job, or whatever passion project it is you might be doing? I worked as an actress for 20 years but decided to make a pivot to becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist when my youngest started elementary school. I feel passionately about normalizing mental health struggles. My work as an actor comes into play in the therapy room, as I can fully immerse myself in my clients’ experiences. You are never alone. I am grateful that my brilliant friend Bianca Rodriguez invited me to join her private practice.
What is one food you could not live without? I could not live without my many Starbucks drive-thru stops for egg bites and Grande green teas.
What is your greatest indulgence? My greatest indulgence is getting massages. I leave my office in downtown Westport for Sun Reflexology, Posh, and Nash’s Nails multiple times a week (schedule permitting). Shoulder and foot rubs are my jam. (I believe in self-care for therapists as well as clients!)
What’s a cause or purpose you deeply believe in? I struggled with postpartum anxiety after my daughter weaned and, I couldn’t find a therapist in the area who could provide the help I needed. I feel strongly about mental health support for new parents. I needed to hear that I would be okay and to have a therapist hold a safe space for me to let it all out. My anxiety was temporary (but huge). In addition to my training in individual and couples therapy, I later became certified in Postpartum Perinatal Psychotherapy. I want to be that therapist I needed for others.
What words or phrases do you most often overuse
Phrases I use in the therapy room (I didn’t make these up) …
The wound is the place where the light enters you.
You’re a leading lady and you’re acting like a best friend.
You can’t hate yourself into changing,
You’re not going to solve this problem of over-thinking (anxiety) with more over- thinking.
For couples…
We marry our unfinished business.
It takes two to create a dynamic and two to break it.
Less regulating each other and more recognizing each other.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? The one thing people would be surprised to know about me is that I was a “tooth fairy” when I lived in LA. One of my odd jobs was going door-to-door to dental offices and collecting old crowns and bridges to capture the gold and silver. I made my own hours, and I could work in between auditions, but it was NOT glamorous. I always had a glove, a scale and wad of cash in my glove box.
What is the first thing you do when you walk in the door after a long day? The first thing I do when I walk in the door after a long day is give my kids and husband smooches. I am an evening shower person and take a long hot shower or bath nightly.
What is your favorite family tradition? My favorite family tradition is our holiday trip to Coral Gables. We plant ourselves at the same hotel every year and get to slow down and be together for a week. We all need that down time, and break from our over-busyness.
What is the last/best book you read? “The Anxious Generation” is a book that I love and recommend to my clients.
THIS OR THAT
At a movie: Candy or Popcorn? Old Halloween candy that I bring in my purse (shh)
Cook or order in? Does enjoying my husband’s cooking count? Jeff has been featured for his (amateur) cooking in the New York Times. I know my place is not in the kitchen.
Iced Coffee or Hot Coffee? Matcha
Beach or Mountains? Beach
Glass Half Full or Half Empty? Depends on the day
Sauce on the Side or Sauce on Top? The more sauce the better
Crunchy or Smooth Peanut Butter? Either, right from the jar
Guacamole or Salsa? I make a mean guac, I put salsa in it (it’s one of my only “dishes”)