About
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) · she/her · trained in EMDR
Hi, I'm so glad you're here
This work is a collaboration. I'm here to help you make sense of the things you already know about yourself, to examine the perspectives and patterns that aren't serving you anymore, and to build habits and coping skills that actually align with your values.
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and EMDR-trained psychotherapist, with a background in child development and early education. I practice from an evidence-based psychodynamic perspective, and I bring in mindfulness, body awareness, and trauma-informed care as we go.
A lot of the work is understanding where you come from and who you've been along the way. That isn't about staying stuck in the past — it's what makes it possible to see your choices clearly now, and to make deliberate moves toward the life you want.
You don't need the perfect words or a tidy explanation of what's wrong. We'll start wherever you are, work at a pace that feels manageable, and figure it out together.
— Madeleine
Training & credentials
My training and background
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and EMDR-trained psychotherapist, with a background in child development and early education.
License
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in New York — License #103165.
Education
M.S. in Social Work, Columbia University · B.A. in Child Studies, Lesley University.
EMDR training
Completed EMDRIA-approved Basic Training in EMDR (2024). Currently pursuing the EMDRIA Certified Therapist credential.
How I work
Relationship first, then the deeper work
Research is clear that the relationship between you and your therapist is the biggest predictor of whether therapy helps. So we start there — building enough safety and trust that the harder work becomes possible. From that foundation, I draw on several evidence-based approaches, tailored to you rather than one-size-fits-all.
Trauma-informed
We go at your pace and keep you in the driver's seat. Nothing is forced, and you never have to share more than feels okay.
Collaborative
You're the expert on your own life. We figure out together what's working, what isn't, and where to go next.
Mind and body
Stress and trauma live in the nervous system, not just in thoughts. We work with both, so relief is felt as well as understood.
Whole-person
Your history, relationships, culture, and context all matter. I want to understand the full picture of you, not just a symptom.
The modalities I use
Different tools for different kinds of pain
I tailor the approach to you rather than fitting you to a method. Here are the main ones I draw on — starting with EMDR, which I'm specially trained in.
EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing
EMDR is a well-researched therapy for trauma and distressing memories. When something overwhelming happens, the brain can get 'stuck' storing that memory with all of its original emotion, and it keeps firing as if the event were still happening. Using gentle, guided back-and-forth eye movements (or taps or tones), EMDR helps your brain finish processing the memory so it can settle into the past — where it belongs. You stay grounded and in control the whole time. Many people find real relief without having to talk through every painful detail.
Especially helpful for
Trauma & PTSD, painful memories, panic, phobias, grief
Ask if EMDR is right for youBecause the body keeps the score
Somatic therapy
Body-based / nervous-system work
So much of anxiety and trauma is held in the body — a tight chest, a clenched jaw, that urge to run or shut down. Somatic work brings gentle attention to those physical sensations and to your nervous system, helping you notice, release, and regulate what talk alone can't always reach. Over time you build a felt sense of safety and more choice in how you respond, rather than being hijacked by old survival responses.
Helps with: Anxiety, panic, chronic stress, feeling disconnected from yourself
Getting curious about your inner world
Parts work (IFS-informed)
Internal Family Systems–informed
We all have different 'parts' — the inner critic, the anxious one, the part that wants to protect us by keeping everyone happy. Parts work helps you meet these parts with curiosity instead of judgment, understand what each one is trying to do for you, and lead from a calmer, more grounded center. It's a compassionate way to ease inner conflict and self-criticism.
Helps with: Self-criticism, inner conflict, people-pleasing, overwhelm
How early relationships shaped you
Attachment-focused therapy
Relational & attachment-based
The ways we learned to connect (and protect ourselves) early in life tend to echo in our adult relationships. Together we explore those patterns with warmth — not to blame anyone, but to understand them and gently build new, more secure ways of relating to others and to yourself.
Helps with: Relationship patterns, trust, closeness, fear of abandonment
Practical tools for right now
Mindfulness & CBT
Mindfulness-based & cognitive tools
Alongside deeper work, we'll build a toolkit you can use between sessions: ways to catch and reframe unhelpful thought spirals, ground yourself when anxiety spikes, and bring a little more steadiness to daily life. Skills you can actually feel working.
Helps with: Anxiety, rumination, stress, sleep, day-to-day coping
Areas I focus on
What we might work on together
Trauma & PTSD
Single events, ongoing or childhood trauma, and the ways the past keeps showing up in the present.
Anxiety & overwhelm
Racing thoughts, worry, panic, and that always-on feeling of being braced for the next thing.
Depression & low mood
Heaviness, numbness, and losing touch with the things that used to feel like you.
Life transitions
Big changes — career, identity, relationships, becoming a parent, loss — and the disorientation they bring.
Grief & loss
Mourning a person, a relationship, a version of your life, or a future you expected.
Self-worth & burnout
The inner critic, people-pleasing, and running on empty long past the point of exhaustion.
A note on confidentiality
What you share with me is confidential. The things you bring into our sessions stay between us — I won't share your information with anyone without your written permission.
There are a few exceptions the law requires me to tell you about up front: if there's a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, or if I learn of abuse or neglect of a child, an elder, or a dependent adult. Outside of those rare situations, this is your private space to be fully honest.
If any of those situations ever came up, I would talk it through with you first whenever possible. You'll never be blindsided.
Curious whether we'd be a good fit?
The best way to find out is a no-pressure conversation. I usually reply within two business days.
Book a free consultation