​Dr. Pietrusza is a licensed clinical psychologist with an integrative, psychodynamic approach to therapy. She works with children, adolescents, and adults of all ages on challenges across the life span. Her approach involves an openness to the nuances and complexities of dynamics with regard to clients’ particular families of origin, intersectional identities and specific cultural contexts.

Dr. Pietrusza’s belief is that the awareness and perspective gained through therapy can free individuals to respond more flexibly to the challenging situations and changes life brings. In addition to thoughts and feelings, she considers language, dreams, fantasies and spiritual beliefs of deep importance to everyday life. She also believes that clients’ engagements with work, play and the material world hold meaningful explorations as well.

Dr. Pietrusza has experience working with individuals around intergenerational concerns, complex trauma, addictions, sexuality and relationship issues. She has done research in the areas of self-injury and her dissertation work is on the creative possibilities involved in consensual kink sexualities. She leads groups adapting and integrating cognitive- and dialectical-behavioral therapies with process discussions. Dr. Pietrusza takes a collaborative and therapeutic approach to assessment.

Dr. Pietrusza holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Duquesne University. She has worked in community mental health and college counseling centers, including her internship at Carnegie Mellon University. She completed her undergraduate education at Northwestern University. In addition to the field of psychology, she has interests in the fields of the arts and humanities, particularly film/video installation and production and performance studies.