Meet Eileen!

Eileen is an independently licensed (LICSW) clinical social worker and holds an additional clinical certification in providing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). 

Eileen is versed in the treatment of OCD related disorders. She also specializes in the treatment of hoarding disorder with experience providing psychotherapy, facilitating support groups for individuals and family

members affected by hoarding, and providing crisis management for individuals facing outside pressure, such as evictions and condemnations. Eileen is one of the few clinicians in Massachusetts specializing in animal hoarding behavior and is often called on regionally and nationally to provide expertise consultation and training in these cases to animal control officers and other service professionals. Currently she is a consultant for King County, WA to develop uniform procedures and best practices related to hoarding cases.

Eileen successfully collaborated with state legislators to secure a legislative proclamation declaring Hoarding Disorder Awareness Week in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Eileen serves as an advocate and expert on the Massachusetts PAWS II (a bill to fight animal cruelty) commission. Currently she is working on passing similar legislation in New Hampshire. Recently Eileen published the book, Reclaim Your Life from Hoarding: Practical Strategies for Decluttering Your Home, Organizing Your Space, and Freeing Yourself. Eileen also works part-time as a hospital emergency department psychiatric triage clinician and volunteers as a mental health disaster worker for the American Red Cross.

Eileen graduated with an MSW and is a current PhD student at Simmons University School of Social Work. She is an adjunct professor in the School of Social Work at Simmons University and provides clinical supervision for MSW students and LCSWs here at NECOA. As a PhD student, Eileen is pursuing scholarship in the area of prevention, assessment, and identification of animal hoarding behavior. She is interested in exploring how animal welfare professionals (specifically humane law enforcement) investigate cases of animal cruelty and their collaboration with aging and other social services professionals to address the mental health needs of persons who hoards. Her aim is to develop evidence-based practices in animal hoarding that both respect and support the mental health needs of individuals and the welfare of animals.

In her spare time, she loves playing tennis and spending time with her pets: Darwin, Sigmund, and Enzo!