About

Professional Experience

I have more than 20 years of experience treating people using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The goal is to create lasting change within a reasonable timeframe. Much of my training has focused on learning more about the obstacles—internal and external—that can stand in the way of desired change.

During my doctoral training with Patricia Resick, PhD, the developer of Cognitive Processing Therapy, I learned the importance of understanding the active components of psychotherapy interventions. By working on Dr. Resick’s clinical research studies, I gained firsthand insight into the importance and challenges of addressing avoidance behaviors. My understanding deepened while at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center as a post-doctoral research and clinical fellow.                               

My clinical work inspired me to explore two key questions during my time as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. Why do we humans often engage in behaviors that are seemingly not in our best interest? And how do we respond to uncertainty in making decisions? I conducted research on risk-taking and decision-making in clinical populations that explored those questions.

Continuing my research, I transferred to the University of California, San Francisco, and the San Francisco VA Health Care System as a faculty member and clinician. While working at the VA, I gained more experience working with male clients and understanding how they cope with distress. I also mentored and supervised 18 post-doctoral fellows, many of whom now practice CBT in the Bay Area.

My final two years with the VA took me away from the clinic and exposed me to the Bay Area’s startup culture. I became an Innovation Specialist for the VA, finding and nurturing innovations and helping bring them to scale. This experience taught me about technology and entrepreneurship, knowledge that I apply when working with founders and tech employees. 

Today, I apply the insights gained throughout my career to help people through my private practice.

Education

Psychology Clinical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship
National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Ph.D., Clinical Psychology
Department of Psychology University of Missouri—St. Louis, St. Louis, MO Dissertation Chair: Patricia A. Resick, Ph.D.

Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship
Charleston Consortium Psychology Internship Training Program Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC Psychology Service, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC

M.A., Psychology
Department of Psychology
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
Thesis Advisor: Charles Richman, Ph.D. 

B.A., Psychology & Sociology
Department of Psychology, Department of Sociology
University of Richmond, Richmond, VA