ABOUT ME
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall
It has been my life’s passion to become a clinical psychologist. Throughout my training and early career, I have been fortunate to practice as a clinician and a clinical research scientist. I have loved both aspects of my career, yet the most rewarding and enjoyable part of my work has been working as a clinician. I am continually moved and deeply humbled by the strength, courage, and determination of the many wonderful people with whom I have had the privilege to work. In my own life, I have benefited from the support of others, and my goal is to provide support to people who wish to improve their well-being.
My clinical research, which has strongly informed my clinical practice, has primarily focused on: 1) the consequences of trauma, the process of disclosing distressing and traumatic events, and the importance of supportive individuals and systems when someone discloses trauma; 2) the relationships between parenting behaviors, children’s stress response systems and children’s mental health; and 3) parents’ mental health and strategies to develop interventions aimed at improving mental health for both children and their parents.
In my free time, I love being in nature. I enjoy hiking, camping, and doing anything in the sunshine.
“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
EDUCATION AND BACKGROUND
2005
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Summa Cum Laude, Psychology, University of Oregon
2009
Master of Science (M.S.), Psychology, University of Oregon
2017
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Clinical Psychology, University of Oregon
Predoctoral Internship (2016-2017)
I completed my clinical internship at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). I received specialized training in working with children, adolescents, and adults who experienced trauma and/or maltreatment at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center. I received training in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Complicated Grief Treatment (CGT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), TF-CBT for childhood traumatic grief (CTG), and Alternatives for Families Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT).
Postdoctoral Fellowship (2017-2020)
Following internship, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) at the University of Oregon, where I received intensive training in DBT. I worked as the lead DBT interventionist for a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded randomized clinical trial implementing DBT Skills with mothers of young children.
Clinical Instructor and Supervisor (2020-2021)
At the University of Oregon, I taught clinical psychology doctoral students Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and supervised their DBT Skills groups and individual clients using a range of evidence-based therapies.