In 1983, I opened the ‘Neighborhood Counseling Center’ (NCC), an outpatient mental health center in Brooklyn NY. I saw that many Italian families had moved to the community, and wanted to be able to offer them support services to help them better adjust to living in a new country. NCC has become a leading resource for mental health services in New York City and continues to thrive, treating over five hundred patients per week. NCC was just the beginning.
In the early 1990s, before the women’s health revolution began, I recognized that medical care for women was fragmented and did not understand the essential connection between physical and emotional health. After receiving my Medical Degree, I opened ‘Brooklyn Women’s Services’ (BWS), New York City’s first comprehensive health center for women. An affiliate of Maimonides Medical Center, BWS was committed to treating the whole woman, providing both physical and emotional health services. BWS’s program also includes a year-round free lecture series and symposiums for women on how to stay well and prevent illness.
I founded the BCS Counseling Group in 1996, focused and dedicated to providing psychological and emotional care and support through all stages of a person’s life. BCS Group has grown to become one of the most successful Online Counseling, Private Practises in New York State and New Jersey. Giving us the ability to reach more people in need across both urban and underserved rural areas. We are dedicated to continuing our commitment to provide professional, compassionate and accessible mental health care across all the communities that we serve.
In 1998, I founded ‘Women Against Violence’ (WAV), a non-profit violence prevention and education organization dedicated to empowering women of all ages with the ability and strength to avoid and recover from abuse and violence. WAV helps numerous women in crisis, who have been victims of violence and abuse, while at the same time offering preventive programs to help educate women, and the general community, about the problem of violence against women. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz appointed me as Chair of his Task Force for Teenage Violence.
In 2019, i was approached by St George’s University, Granada. I was asked to create a program to offer online counseling for their Medical students. There were many challenges to get the program up and running, but combining knowledge, expertise and technology – the students now have access to talented and dedicated therapists via Live Video.
With my expertise in developing and managing programs to keep women healthy and safe, I have been recognized by numerous prestigious organizations and individuals for my vision, knowledge, courage and ability, including the first annual New York Post Liberty Award Medal for Community Services in 2002. I received the Distinguished Humanitarian Award from the Italian American Federation, and I was on the Kingsborough Community College board.