Education and Credentials

  • Bachelors of Social Work, Colorado State University-Pueblo, 2010

  • Bachelors of Political Science- Colorado State University-Pueblo, 2010

  • Masters of Social Work- Hunter College, 2015

  • Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)

  • Attachment Focused Family Therapy- Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Certification- in process

  • Trauma Therapy- Brain Synchronization Therapy Certification

  • Trauma Focused- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Certification

Hi, I’m Rachel. I’m so glad you’re here.

Inner Refuge is not just a name, it’s also a journey and a destination. I know what it’s like to want to escape reality, to look for refuge in any place that wasn’t me. But in avoiding my pain, I was also avoiding my joy. Through my own healing, I have learned that the goal is not to find everlasting comfort and happiness, but to practice being fully present, to find freedom in being. That is the true road to joy, to healing, to freedom.

“We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”
― Pema Chödrön

I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2015 and have worked with adults, children, and families. For over four years of my career I worked as a home based individual and family therapist to families in Pueblo, CO and New York City. During this time, I trained and studied heavily in Attachment Theory, and have gone on to create trainings on attachment in my community. I have also worked as a Program Manager and psychotherapist for a harm reduction agency in NY. I understand how addiction is often born from traumatic experiences. In this way, I work within a Harm Reduction Psychotherapy framework.

When you come to me for therapy, my first task is getting to know and understand you. I want you to leave our first session together with the feeling that you are a unique, complex individual worthy of knowing. I am committed to doing everything in my power to understand you, so that you can feel confident in the work we do together.

I believe therapy is both a journey and a practice of being vulnerable with another human being. So often trauma makes us feel like we have to hide parts of ourselves. In sessions with me, I will work to help you feel safe enough to truly feel seen and take this inner safety out with you into the world.

Rachel is credentialed to take Medicare, United, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, Optum, Oscar, Kaiser, and Medicare.