Ali received her BS in Psychology from Union College in 1984 and her MSW in Clinical Social Work from University of Maryland School of Social Work in 1988. She holds a 2014 Trauma certification from the University of Maryland Graduate School of Psychology as well as a 2002 certification in DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) Coping Skills from Marsha Linehan. 

She specializes in working with teens, adults, and the elderly. Topics of specialization include anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, DBT coping skills, navigating relationships, and substance use disorders. Her belief that “practice makes better” is intertwined into the work she loves to do with clients.

In 2018 she received the Newton North High School Paul E. Elicker Award for Excellence in Teaching. Ali co-wrote and self-published The High School Years: A Parent’s Guide with Dr. Barbara Gibson in 2019.

Ali holds social work licenses in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New  York, Ohio, and Colorado.

Ali grew up in Wayland, MA, and lives in Bedford, MA with her husband. She also volunteered on the Bedford Youth and Families Board for 10 years. Their adult son lives in Brooklyn and shares their love of cooking, reading, New England sports, travel, and kayaking.