She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 2002. Prior to this, she received her undergraduate degree in Music Therapy from State University of New York, College at Fredonia (1985) where she double majored in piano performance. She practiced as a Music Therapist, as well as a Board Certified Applied Behavior Analyst for 12 years before returning to graduate school to become a psychologist.