Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I have three older brothers and an older sister who passed away when she was a baby. Being the youngest and the only girl definitely shaped my perspective on life! I love my brothers and I’m very lucky to be an aunt to 4 nieces and a nephew. Being an aunt is the best. I’m very close to my parents and we talk pretty regularly. I definitely got really lucky being born into this family.

Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
Currently I’m a mental health therapist. I specialize in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) at Cincinnati Center for DBT. I love what I do. Many of my clients have high risk behaviors, are going through a really challenging time, or are just trying to figure themselves out. It is such an honor to be able to sit with them, be there on this path with them as they work on healing themselves. My clients are some of the kindest, strongest, most resilient people I know and I feel so blessed to be able to serve them.

What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Definitely Christine’s, Sunnyside Grill, Maury’s, and Nick and Tom’s

How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I’ve lived on the Westside since I moved to Cincinnati in 2017. I started in Westwood and I’m currently in Cheviot now.

If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
I want to go back to Italy. I’m Italian and I’ve been lucky enough to make the trip before. There’s just so much to do, so much to see, and the food is incredible.

What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
Favorite movie right now is “Encanto.” Favorite TV show is definitely Ted Lasso.

What advice would you give to people?
One of the assumptions we make in DBT is that we are all doing the best that we can. If we can accept that this is true, then we could probably be kinder to ourselves for the mistakes we’ve made in the past- even in those moments, we were doing the best that we could. One time I read that if being mean to yourself worked, it would’ve worked by now.

What is something on your bucket list?
I’d like to win an MMA fight!

What is your go to music when you cant decide what to listen to?
Imagine Dragons

What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
Definitely Club MMA. If I ever had to move out of Cincinnati, that would be the place I would miss the most. They have my heart.

If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I would want to have lunch with Mike Tyson. Since I’m 5’1, I’m also the shorter fighter and I want to fight like him. I’d want to train with him at Club MMA and then walk on down to Christine’s for a tasty bite afterwards.

What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I love how tight knit the westside is. I’ve lived in a few other cities before and I haven’t ever experienced the closeness that exists here. I’m relatively new here and still I run into people I know all the time, Small’s Hardware and Michael’s salon employees recognize me. There’s such a strong sense of community here and I love that.

Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Hopefully I’m continuing in my career as a DBT therapist. I’ll be receiving training in a trauma therapy, EMDR, soon, so hopefully I’ll be well-established in that as well. I’d also like to have a few MMA fights under my belt at that point.

What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
So I’m an anxious human, almost everyone knows that. The thing people don’t know about me is that I have a deal with myself- if I notice I’m not doing something, I stop and reflect on why I’m not doing it. If I don’t have the time or finances, whatever, that’s fine. If I’m not doing it because it scares me- now I HAVE to do it. I’ve done so many cool things with that philosophy. I studied abroad in Italy for a month. I moved to Cincinnati for school, I did my first BJJ tournament, and did my first MMA fight all because of this rule. I’ve never once regretted doing something in this manner.

What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Oh goodness, that’s a tough one. When I studied abroad, we were in this small town outside of Rome. Someone told us about this ledge in the neighborhood where you could watch the sunrise. One morning we woke up so so early, walked our way there and watched the sun rise over Rome. It was incredible.

Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
Favorite month- September, it’s my favorite weather and everything is so colorful, favorite holiday- Thanksgiving because it’s low stress, literally just eating yummy food, single best day on the calendar- oof, tough one, maybe my birthday? I don’t know about that for sure though

What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
so many of my friendships <3

Who inspires you to be better?
My dad for sure. He’s one of the hardest workers I know, plus one of the sweetest. He’s one of the few people on this earth that I 100% trust has my back- even if he doesn’t understand what I’m doing or even if he doesn’t agree- it doesn’t matter. He supports me in whatever I do. Because of him, I will always try to live my best life, make good choices, and push myself to be the best version of me that I can. I love that guy.

What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Coffee and any desert baking in the oven

Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Safe, Comfortable, Loving