About me
I am a native of Upstate NY and went to college and medical school in Northern New Jersey. I moved to Miami for residency training in family medicine and stayed for the first part of my teaching career. I relocated to Washington DC in 2013 to be closer to my cousins and their kids. In my free time, I enjoy exercising, singing with a classical chorus, and touring our incredible museums and monuments here in the nation's capital.
In 2021, I started sharing my poems related to mental health on social media and began posting to my blog. Writing provides me with a healthy outlet, and I hope you enjoy my offerings. We are all a work in progress, and one of my goals is to post with increased regularity and frequency.
My path to executive coaching and wellness consulting
One fact is for certain: my career pathway has strayed from the norm. With each passing year, I reflect on my professional journey with new insight and new questions.
From a young age, I expressed interest in becoming a doctor. In medical school, I was drawn to family medicine for two reasons: the emphasis placed on patient education and the limitless nature of the problems presenting in the office. I appreciated the variety of issues addressed by a family doctor and enjoyed the ability to care for an entire family--not just a single patient.
My decision to become a teacher was consistent with reasons for my chosen medical specialty: the importance and the value of educating others and the variety of issues a teacher in leadership positions could address. Over several years, I served in various leadership roles outside of the classroom, including Curriculum Coordinator, Class Sponsor, and Diversity Coordinator, while still teaching science full time.
The pandemic of 2020 presented a logical time to explore my interests outside of a school setting and pursue a master's in mental health counseling. When an opportunity to work for a physician development program presented itself, I paused my studies to work full time as a professional behavior coach. The physicians and other healthcare workers I coached were tasked with learning new skills to improve their leadership, teamwork, and communication. This experience allowed me to develop my skills in a new field that followed the established pattern of my professional life--helping others learn and move forward through a variety of challenges.
Serving as your wellness consultant or executive coach is a natural extension of my prior careers. Like I did as a family medicine resident, I help individuals manage a variety of challenges. There is a solid educational component to my coaching which harkens back to my years in front of the classroom. Undoubtedly, I draw from information we studied in coursework that was part of my masters in counseling. The approach I take when helping clients set and achieve goals is based on the template I learned working as a full time behavior coach. Above all, I think my experience navigating my own non-traditional path serves me well as I work with clients navigating their own version of a surprising or unexpected situation.
The mindset we bring to the table and the tools we have at our disposal facilitate successful, effective navigation of the unknown and help maintain wellness through uncertain times. As your wellness consultant and coach, I will encourage you to move beyond a familiar mindset and explore alternate ways to view a situation. I hope to increase the variety of implements in your toolkit as we identify and address barriers to your complete and lasting wellness.
Academic tutoring and other experiences in education
Since 2003, I have been a private academic tutor. I have worked with students from kindergarten to first-year college in a variety of subjects including math, writing, study skills, organizational skills, biology, chemistry, AP Biology, psychology, and college test prep (SAT, ACT).
Unlike many typical tutors, I have 17 years of classroom experience--I taught science at four competitive, independent schools. In the course of my teaching career, I had a front row seat to see thousands of students navigate rigorous classes like honors chemistry and AP biology with varying degrees of success. Partnering with them in their quest for success in my classes tremendously enriched my ability to be an effective tutor.
During my time in education, I am proud to have served as one school's first Diversity Coordinator, executing school-wide programming to foster dialogue about social justice, equity, and inclusion. I also held leadership positions as 9th grade Biology Curriculum Coordinator and Junior Class Sponsor. Serving in these roles afforded me opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the school community.