Role at CSRR:
As the founder and Clinical Director at CSRR, my goal is to flexibly, respectfully, and adeptly support our community and staff. I oversee our daily operations, nurture our community relationships, and provide consultation and education for our clinicians.
As a clinician at CSRR, I provide individual psychotherapy to adults recovering from trauma, anxiety, and life stressors. I also train individuals and groups in mindfulness-based approaches. Finally, I assist leaders to enhance the collective wellness of their organizations, such as military and non-governmental organizations.
What motivates me to do this work?
I am inspired by the fact that when one person improves their well-being, they become a resource for their entire community. Additionally, learning from every client keeps me curious and engaged. Finally, I am committed to helping people develop mindfulness and compassion skills to meet moments of challenge and enjoy moments of peace.
Background
I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from Brown University and earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Arizona State University. I completed a year-long APA-accredited internship at the UCSD/VA San Diego Healthcare System Clinical Psychology Internship Program, specializing in adjustment to chronic pain, disease, and acute burn injury in Veterans and Civilians. I also completed a year-long APA-accredited VA Evidence Based Psychology postdoctoral fellowship, specializing in Mood, Sleep, and Suicidality for both inpatient and outpatient Veterans. I achieved board certification in clinical psychology in 2015.
Prior to founding CSRR, I proudly and gratefully served as the first embedded Civilian psychologist for the Marine Raider Special Operations Command (MARSOC) on Camp Pendleton from 2012-2017. At MARSOC, I developed rare expertise delivering evidence-based approaches in real-time for members of a high-tempo unit. At CSRR, I apply this knowledge in other contexts.
Specialty areas
Clinical specialties:
Trauma, anxiety, sleep disorders, adjustment to illness, injury, and life transitions.
Professional certifications:
I hold two professional certifications: Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) which guarantee my work operates in the most current body of knowledge in the field of health and wellness.
Clinical populations:
Adult individual clients and teams. Specific populations of interest include: military and first responder personnel and family members, parents of children with special needs, organizational leaders, and those seeking to learn how to manage stressors with mindfulness.
Therapies utilized:
Mindfulness-based therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Passions/Interests
I love hiking, biking, swimming, and high intensity interval training. As a mother of two young children, one with special needs, I am passionate about meaningful inclusion and respect of people. I also take every chance I get to support other parents of special needs children. Personally, I benefit from an ongoing practice in mindfulness meditation. Being present and connected with my loved ones matters to me greatly as well as living authentically and with integrity.