Hi, I’m Barb!

I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has worked in the helping profession since 2010. Over the years, I’ve supported children, parents, and adults in individual and family therapy across a wide range of settings—residential treatment facilities, foster care, substance abuse treatment, special education programs in schools, and many years in private practice.

I specialize in treating OCD and anxiety in families, and I truly mean it when I say that my job does not feel like work. I absolutely love what I do. I offer in-person sessions in the greater Syracuse area and teletherapy for anyone living in New York State.

I’m a mom of two boys, and parenting them has come with some experiences that have reshaped who I am as both a person and a therapist. Those experiences have deepened my capacity for empathy and compassion, especially when supporting other parents navigating tough, unfamiliar territory. I understand how heavy the mental and emotional load can feel when coping with OCD and related disorders, and I’m here to help shoulder that weight with you.

A significant part of my clinical experience is rooted in understanding and navigating the dynamics between children, teens, and their parents. I’ve supported families through complex challenges, including reunification after foster care, supervised visitation, and family therapy with both foster parents and biological caregivers.

I’ve provided expert testimony in complex court cases involving trauma and child abuse, spent years consulting with school staff and administrators on how to support students with complex mental health needs, and have navigated every system that touches a family’s life—schools, inpatient mental health care, primary care collaboration, and helping parents access the services they need to meet basic needs.

Alongside formal training in evidence-based treatment for anxiety and OCD (BTTI International OCD Foundation), my lived experience with OCD recovery and parenting through complex medical experiences helps me bring practical, relatable support to the work we do. I am also trained in SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) and SPACE ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) through Yale Child Study Center and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) through Linehan Behavioral Tech Institute.

I am the Strategic Initiatives Lead at at MIND (Mental Health In Neuroimmune Disorders) Global Council — an international alliance dedicated to advancing education, research, and clinical standards related to mental health care for individuals impacted by neuroimmune conditions (including PANS, PANDAS, and related disorders) through integrative, evidence-informed, compassionate, and social justice approaches.

I genuinely care about my clients and the relationships we build. Whether we work together short-term or for years to come, I’m here for you through all of life’s ups and downs. Some of my clients started with me as middle schoolers and are now adults. Others pop in and out as new challenges arise. Either way, this is always a space you can return to.

Outside of the therapy room, I also offer consulting and speaking engagements throughout the Syracuse area and nationally on Zoom. Whether it’s supporting educators, clinicians, or helping communities better understand anxiety and OCD, I love bringing this work beyond the therapy office.