he/him

clinical COUNSELOR, LEVEL 1

Serving Maryland, Virginia, DC & DELAWARE Clients

I am a doctoral extern, currently enrolled in the University of Maryland Baltimore County’s Ph.D. program in Clinical and Community Psychology. At Playful Therapy Connections, I offer both virtual therapy and in person testing, under the direct supervision of Dr. Jaclyn Halpern.

I have been engaging in mental health-related work since high school. Before I was more formally in the mental health field, a lot of my work was centered around activism and organizing for Black neighborhood equity, criminal legal justice, and Black mental health.

What does my experience mean for you as my client? My background in organizing work and community psychology allows me to attend to larger social contexts in therapy, exploring the difficulties they may present in our lives as we navigate our various identities.

Professionally and personally, I am interested in how the mixture of culture, identity, and systems of power influence both individual and collective well-being, especially for those of marginalized communities. I am particularly attentive to the various ways trauma shows up in our lives, and impacts our mental, physical, and social health.

I also know what it means to grow up and be socialized as a boy, which allows me to make intentional space for boys’ and men’s expression and healing.

I know what it is like to feel unheard, to feel like you may be judged or valued less for bringing your full range of emotions and difficulties into your relationships or the spaces you occupy. I never want that to be the case with me, and I will always do my best to make room for all of you.

I am dedicated to using anti-colonial, Afrocentric, and liberatory therapeutic practices to inform my work with clients.

• What is your favorite color?

  • Purple and orange (sunset colors generally).

• What is your favorite book?

  • Beloved by Toni Morrison (not very kid friendly), or Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (more kid friendly).

• Do you have any plants?

  • I have several plants I've had for a few years and looking to get more.

• What’s your favorite video game?

  • The Borderlands video games and an old OG Xbox game called Advent Rising that I'm pretty sure no one else ever played.

• How tall are you?

  • 6’ 5”

• Why did you decide to become a psychologist?

  • I am passionate about healing trauma, especially those experienced by marginalized people that are related to oppressive systems, and I have always had the skills and inclination to make people feel seen and safe.

  • I find fulfillment in facilitating the process of someone gaining deep understanding of themselves and their world.

  • Throughout my doctoral program, as I learned more about assessments, I realized how powerful the systematic exploration of someone’s mental and emotional functioning can be. The opportunity to deeply understand our inner cognitive, emotional and relational experiences creates a pathway to affirming our neurotypes and identifying ways in which we need to build a world that works for each individual.

Education

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD
Currently Enrolled: Ph.D., Clinical and Community Psychology

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD
M.A., Community and Clinical Psychology (2021)

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE, GA
B.A., Psychology (2019)

Clinical Experience

Washington Behavioral Medicine Associates
Doctoral Extern

East Towson Psychological Services
Doctoral Extern

Bolton Therapy
Doctoral Extern

UMBC Psychology Training Clinic
Doctoral Extern

Research Assistant Positions

Transformative Justice Needs Assessment

Social Justice in Clinical Training Study

Community Reentry Lab

Project Ujima

Racial Identity, Discrimination, and Political Activism

Neighborhood Perceptions and Community Connections