About Alex

Education

University of Maryland - MS, Family Studies

Master's Thesis: An Examination of a Typology of Intimate Partner Psychological Aggression Using the Multi-Dimensional Emotional Abuse Scale (MDEAS)

Tufts University - BA, Child Development

Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society

Summa Cum Laude

Mercersburg Academy

Cum Laude Society

How I Became a Therapist

My work with couples and families started with a desire to help children. While I was on a path to becoming a child psychologist, I soon realized that the most effective way to help children was to improve the emotional environment in which they live. Helping their parents stay connected, loving and stable seem like the way I could most effectively improve children's lives.

I then attended an intense graduate program in Marriage and Family Therapy. This program included live and videotaped supervision. While their feedback at times was very tough to take, it developed me as a therapist in a way nothing else could. I am so grateful for the quality of training I received.

During my graduate program, I participated in a research study examining couples' communication patterns and therapeutic interventions to reduce conflict and improve connection. The skills taught to couples in this study are frequently taught to my clients when communication concerns are primary.

After finishing graduate school, I worked with child survivors of sexual and physical abuse.

I then started my practice specializing in couples therapy in 2007.

In 2013, I moved my therapy office into the lower level of my residence that was designed specifically for this purpose. My hope is that this environment is welcoming and comfortable.

Personally

Many people are curious about their therapists, but therapists are cautioned against revealing personal information. Maintaining professional boundaries is important for the therapeutic relationship.

Here are some things I can share that I don't think will negatively affect boundaries and may even be helpful for you to know as we work together:

I like exercise. I know, I know, it's strange, right? But I enjoy the process of physical goal-setting, and I've found that being active is key to maintaining my mental health/life balance. I participate in group exercise classes, I lift weights, and I country line dance.

I love to laugh. Being a therapist is both extremely rewarding and emotionally taxing. I balance out the seriousness of my professional life by finding humor wherever I can.

I am very curious, and so I know a little bit about a lot of things. While understanding human emotion and behavior is my favorite topic, I love to learn new things. I read a lot of articles and watch a lot of documentaries.

I don't assume that what works for me will work for you. There is a common misconception that therapists give you advice based on their own life experiences. Any wisdom or insight I offer in therapy is a result of having years' worth of conversations with people who are struggling or suffering. Their successes, strategies and realizations inform my feedback more than my own experiences ever could.