I was born and raised in Connecticut and came to Florida shortly after 9/11 in 2001. After receiving a BA degree in Sociology from Central Connecticut State College and entering a Master’s Program in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work in NYC.  As a result of 9/11, I left the New York area and moved to Florida where I received an MSW with Honors and a concentration in addictions from Florida International University. Prior to graduate school, I worked as a Behavioral Tech at Four Winds Psychiatric Hospital working with adults in Katonah NY. Although I spent many years in an unrelated field, I decided to make a career change where I could use my empathy, compassion, and understanding to help others. While at Columbia University, my Field Placement was at Greenwich Hospital Addictions Recovery Unit for one year. It was there I treated an older adult population in an inpatient and outpatient program where many patients had begun drinking heavily after...