About Me

I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and all around relationship nerd.

Whether it's your relationship with your significant other, family member, friend, coworker...even yourself...

I believe the quality of your relationships determine the quality of your life. 

But as valuable as relationships are, we don't give them the time and energy they deserve. Especially romantic relationships. In our culture, they very quickly take a back seat to our jobs, kids, TikTok...you name it.

Next thing you know, you're living like roommates and wondering if this is all there is.

Well, this is unacceptable to me. There’s no reason to just accept negativity or mediocrity in the most important area of life.

I believe we all deserve a fulfilling relationship, and I’m passionate about helping people have the tools, skills, knowledge, and support that they need to make that happen.

What Therapy with Me Looks Like

You would think this goes without saying, but I know some people have had bad experiences with therapy so I feel the need to mention it anyways- my office is a judgment-free zone.

I have a front row seat to everybody’s behind-the-scenes and trust me, nobody has their shit 100% together. Nope, not even me. I’m on this crazy ride with you. (And yes swearing in a respectful context is acceptable in our sessions)

And I believe that’s part of the beauty of being human. Being able to love and grow and learn all while embracing uncertainty, failing miserably, and being truly seen for who we are, messiness and all. It’s wonderful and unbelievably uncomfortable at the same time.

Speaking of discomfort, you might be lovingly confronted and challenged in our work together. I have more of a direct and active approach that my clients tend to appreciate. There is nothing wrong with a more nurturing, smile-and-nod therapist, that may be exactly what you need right now. But that's not my style.

I bring my authentic self to therapy, and my hope is that you will feel safe to do the same. And I’m not for everyone! I tend to place a larger emphasis on direct feedback, education, and positive change.

Click here to read reviews left on my online profile from clients I’ve worked with.

Education and Training

I graduated from the University of Miami (go Canes!) with a Bachelors degree in Psychology. I've been a Marriage and Family Therapist since 2012, after graduating with my Masters from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

I completed my clinical training at Strong Family Therapy Services and Strong Behavioral Health at Highland Family Medicine.

I chose to go into a Marriage and Family Therapy program because I didn’t want to be a generalist in the mental health field. I knew I wanted to specialize in working with families and couples and get specialized training in it.

But MFTs aren't just specialists when it comes to relationship issues, we're also trained to provide individual psychotherapy for all kinds of problems (trauma, depression, grief, substance abuse, etc). The difference between us and other mental health professionals is that we (primarily) understand behavior in the context of one's relationships. Want more info about why MFTs are great? Click here.

As soon as I finished my clinical training I worked 3 years at a Rochester Regional Health System community mental health center as a therapist in the adult clinic.

I started working for a counseling platform called Talkspace in 2014 and opened up my private practice in 2016.

I am a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).

I am a Certified Relational Life Therapist which probably means nothing to most people but please check out Terry Real and his work to understand why this is important and if you think this approach resonates with you and your needs.

Personal Tidbits

I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and raised in the US by Argentinean parents. My grandparents were immigrants to Argentina from Italy, hence the Italian last name. I speak Spanish and sarcasm fluently.

I moved several times growing up, which wasn't ideal at the time, but now looking back I can't begin to describe how invaluable these experiences have been for me, both personally and professionally. I love that I have had the opportunity to experience so many different cities/countries, cultures, people. It has informed my perspective on people and relationships in a way that no book or training program ever could.

I am happily married and we have 2 rescue dogs that are like my children- Otis (far left) and Ariel (right). Otis is a bundle of energy who loves sprinting at the dog park, while Ariel would much rather cuddle up on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a good book. 

In 2020 we were tired of sleeping in and having free time so we added a human child to the mix.

I suffer from extreme hanger (hunger+anger). It's not pretty, so I try to always make sure I have some kind of snack on me.

I have an irrational fear of sloths. I don't have any sloth-induced trauma or anything, so I'm not sure where it originated, but they just creep me out. Thankfully, they're easy to avoid in Western New York.