About Me
Rachel is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (License # 75165) in the state of California, (License # 21100) in the state of Arizona, and a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (License # 000124029) in the state of Massachusetts, and has been providing therapy to individuals, couples, and groups since 2007. She uses a variety of therapeutic modalities, depending on her clients' needs. These include psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, motivational interviewing, cognitive processing therapy and exposure therapy. Rachel is certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) by Postpartum Support International.
Rachel earned her Bachelor of Science degree in International Business from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2001, and her Master of Social Work degree from New York University in 2007. After earning her MSW, she began practicing long-term family therapy with high-risk families struggling with issues such as attachment, abuse/neglect, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, relational issues, grieving, job loss, incarcerations, and the impacts of poverty. Within this work, Rachel saw family members individually, as couples, as families, and in groups. She worked with young children, teenagers, adults, and seniors.
In 2011, Rachel began working in the public school system in New York City with overaged, undercredited teens and young adults. She helped many young people recognize and work through the emotional issues that were causing their truancy and school failures. Working through issues of identity, sexuality, LGBTQ issues, racism, gang involvement, family issues, drug/alcohol use, and abuse were a daily occurrence. Rachel assisted these young people through graduating from high school, finding employment and/or beginning college. In this role, Rachel also worked closely with family members, especially parents and other support family members.
In 2012, Rachel moved to California and added another skill set to her repertoire: childbirth instruction! Rachel realized the impact that pregnancy, birth, and parenting can have on a family, and wanted to support new moms and dads as much as possible. She became certified to teach the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth in 2013, and began educating couples on their options regarding pregnancy, labor, and birth. Although she no longer teaches childbirth classes, Rachel continues to support this enormous life change in a therapeutic manner by counseling women and men during pregnancy and the postpartum period. She also discovered that there was a lack of group support for postpartum women in the Orange County area, and so she started the first postpartum support group at Beach Cities Midwifery in Laguna Hills in 2017, and this group continues today under Rachel’s private practice. After focusing on and supporting this population for many years, Rachel became certified in perinatal mental health through Postpartum Support International in summer 2022.
What really inspires Rachel, is the hard work that her clients do in therapy. Rachel has witnessed the transformation of so many lives by talking through and processing issues and feelings, gaining awareness, learning new skills, and creating and executing goals. Rachel is excited to meet you on your personal journey and help you in transforming your life.