Writing
I write about translating clinical practice into educational settings, what I'm learning from program implementation, and the intersection of mental health and technology.
What Ten Years of DBT in Schools Has Taught Me
Reflections on a decade of watching teachers implement dialectical behavior therapy skills with students. What worked, what didn't, and what surprised me most about bringing clinical interventions into classrooms.
The AI Anxiety Paradox: Why Students Need Critical Thinking, Not Protection
Schools are banning ChatGPT, but students are using it anyway. Instead of prohibition, we need education. How to teach responsible AI use while acknowledging legitimate concerns about technology and mental health.
Evidence-Based Doesn't Mean One-Size-Fits-All
The tension between treatment fidelity and cultural responsiveness. How to maintain clinical integrity while adapting programs for different communities, schools, and student populations.
When Teachers Become Therapeutic: The Promise and Limits of SEL
Social-emotional learning is everywhere in schools now. But we need to be honest about what teachers can and cannot do, where clinical support is necessary, and how to set realistic expectations for school-based mental health.
Crisis Response in Schools: What I Wish Every Administrator Knew
Schools face traumatic events with increasing frequency. Drawing from crisis consultation work, practical guidance on immediate response, communication strategies, and long-term community support.
The Accessibility Problem in Mental Health Education
Why are evidence-based programs still so expensive and hard to access? The case for making clinical education freely available, what it costs to maintain quality, and how we can do better.
Motivational Interviewing in Five Minutes: Brief Interventions for Busy Schools
School counselors rarely get extended time with students. How to use MI principles in brief encounters: asking open questions, reflective listening, and supporting student agency even in short conversations.
What Teenagers Actually Want from Mental Health Support
Insights from running teen groups for five years. What students say they need versus what adults think they need, how they want to be approached, and why peer support matters more than we often acknowledge.
Therapist Burnout Is a Systems Problem, Not a Self-Care Problem
The mental health field has a sustainability crisis. Better boundaries and meditation apps won't fix it. We need structural changes: realistic caseloads, administrative support, and cultures that don't glorify overwork.
Building Mental Health Programs That Teachers Will Actually Use
Why do so many school-based mental health curricula sit unused on shelves? Design principles for creating programs that fit into real teaching schedules and don't require clinical training to implement effectively.
The Trauma-Informed Checklist Everyone Gets Wrong
Trauma-informed care has become a buzzword. But it's not about creating calm spaces and lowering your voice. It's about power, choice, and not replicating the conditions that created trauma in the first place.
Digital Well-Being for Teens: Moving Beyond Screen Time
Parents and schools obsess over hours spent on devices. But screen time is a poor proxy for what actually matters: quality of engagement, social connection versus isolation, and teaching critical digital literacy skills.
Why I Stopped Doing Private Practice
The math of private practice: I could help 20 clients per week, or I could create programs reaching thousands of students. The decision to shift from direct clinical work to program development, and what I've learned about scale and impact.
DBT Skills That Every Human Should Know
Dialectical behavior therapy isn't just for borderline personality disorder. Distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness are universal skills. Why DBT should be part of standard education.
The Myth of the Self-Sufficient Student
Schools praise independence and self-reliance. But humans are fundamentally social creatures, and asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. How to build cultures where connection and interdependence are valued.
What School Counselors Wish Parents Understood
The school counselor role has expanded far beyond college applications. Insights into their actual work, the challenges they face, and how parents can partner more effectively to support students.
Want to Collaborate?
I write for educational publications, mental health journals, and organizations working on school-based programs. If you're interested in commissioning an article or having me contribute to a publication, let's talk.
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