“I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in Florida and New York , specializing in individual, couples and family therapy with a private practice located in Miami, Florida.”

I grew up on the countryside in Switzerland with a passion for horses and nature. I rode horses for much of my childhood. During the Ph.D. program, I became interested in a new innovative and holistic approach to therapy:

EQUINE ASSISTED FAMILY THERAPY

In collaboration with a professor at my university, I became actively involved in the creation and development of an equine assisted family therapy program (www.stableplace.org). I was trained in the EAGALA model of equine assisted therapy and completed my primary doctoral internship working with individuals, couples, and families doing equine family therapy.

I have organized and conducted several workshops and training sessions in South Florida for therapists and students in the community on this specialized therapeutic practice.

I was also a teacher assistant to Dr. Shelley Green in the equine family therapy graduate class at Nova Southeastern University for several years. I was a staff therapist at the non-profit organization Stable Place where I directed substance abuse groups for individuals in recovery.

I also offered equine assisted family therapy to couples and families and performed consulting services in collaboration with other therapists and their clients in this unique setting.

In my private practice I started and lead an in-person support group for daughters and sons who lost their mothers. The group now meets virtually once a month with occasional in person meetings.

I serve on the board of the Florida Family Research Network (FFRN).

EDUCATION:

I have a Ph.D in Marriage and Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. I received a Bachelor’s degree from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. I also have a Business degree KV (Kaufmännischer Verband Schweiz) from Zurich, Switzerland.

I completed my dissertation, titled The Maternal Bond Cut Too Soon: An Exploration of the Lived Experience of Daughters Who Lost Their Mothers to Suicide, and have done substantial research on suicide and suicide survivors experiences.

I have extensive training in Bowen Family Systems Theory and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.

For over 16 years I have worked with individuals, couples and families of all types who are experiencing a variety of challenges in their lives. My experience includes working with individuals who are separating or divorcing, couples who are in communication gridlock, remarried families who feel stuck in building a new foundation, and people who are searching for some kind of change and personal fulfillment.

I help couples reprocess their emotional experiences and restructure their relationship dance, always with an attention to safety, trust, and connection.

My approach is interactive, strength based and solution oriented. I assist clients in a supportive and safe environment with identifying their concerns, beliefs, and hopes while setting practical and manageable goals. Together we pinpoint unhelpful interactional patterns and find new and creative ways to resolve problems.

I provide guidance for clients to better understand their family and relationship histories and how that history may connect to the larger context of their lives. I encourage clients to revisit old perceptions and assumptions to help break destructive patterns, improve communication, and move forward in a meaningful and positive way.

I always work from a place of genuine curiosity about my clients’ lives and their relationships, respecting and honoring each person’s path as unique and different. I strive for a collaborative and compassionate practice with my clients.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

Before opening my private practice, I worked in a group practice providing therapy to individuals, couples, and families from all walks of life. Before that I interned at various schools in Miami Dade and Broward County working with adolescents and their families. I was also part of the anti-bullying program SUPERB, conducting after school programs for children in several middle schools in Broward County. For many years I volunteered at Camp Good Grief, a camp for children who have lost a parent or relative, as a therapist and cabin leader.