Born in Warwick, New York, I spent my early years immersed in art, pottery, music, and dance, encouraged by my mother to explore many forms of creative expression. I attended and graduated from the Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge, New York — an education that was academically rigorous while also deeply nourishing to the spirit through music, art, movement, and literature. Science and mathematics were always among my favorite subjects growing up, and the Waldorf approach beautifully balanced these analytical interests with creativity, imagination, and reverence for the human experience.
Baptized in the Catholic Church as an infant, and during my early childhood, I was profoundly influenced by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, the spiritual head of Siddha Yoga in South Fallsburg, New York. I still carry peaceful memories from 1989, when I was nine years old — the meditation caves, the resonance of collective chanting that could be felt within the chest, the fragrance of incense, and the deep sense of devotion and service through Seva. I cherished small sacred gifts from that time, including a red velvet cloth from Muktananda’s pillow and gold butterfly earrings gifted to me by Gurumayi, who gave me the Sanskrit name “Pushpa,” meaning “the blossoming of inner devotion.”
Toward the end of adolescence, I explored the teachings and group discussions of the Gurdjieff movement before eventually entering medical school. When it came time to choose a specialty, Emergency Medicine felt like the only path aligned with who I was at that stage of life. I was fortunate to complete my Emergency Medicine training in New York City, serving communities in East Harlem and West Harlem. The work was demanding, humbling, and deeply rewarding. During those years, I witnessed both the fragility and resilience of human life on a daily basis.
After more than a decade of education and training devoted to saving lives and treating acute illness, I found myself increasingly drawn toward preventative and integrative approaches to health. I often wondered: what might our Emergency Departments look like if more time, energy, and resources were devoted to cultivating wellness before disease emerges?
My professional evolution was shaped by my own desire to become physically stronger, healthier, and more grounded. Through Yoga Teacher Training, I deepened my understanding of the body, breath, and nervous system. My initiation into Reiki further expanded my perspective on healing and reinforced my commitment to practicing medicine that honors the whole person — mind, body, and spirit.
In 2023, I officially opened Chestnut Ridge Wellness Medicine, my home-based integrative medical practice. My work blends the foundation of evidence-based Western medicine with complementary healing modalities, emphasizing prevention, resilience, and whole-person care. I believe healing occurs not only through medications and procedures, but also through connection, movement, nutrition, rest, emotional well-being, spiritual inquiry, and the restoration of balance within daily life.
In my free time, I enjoy traveling - Bali was my most recent trip which was transformative - gardening with my husband, reading psychology — likely inspired by being raised by a hypnotherpist and clinical social worker — as well as philosophy and world religion texts, deepening my understanding of healing modalities and medicine, practicing yoga asana, sharing meals and meaningful connection with friends, and raising my daughter and son with my husband.
Welcome to Chestnut Ridge Wellness Medicine. It is an honor to walk alongside others on their path toward healing, vitality, and deeper connection to themselves.
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