About Me

After earning a BA in comparative literature from Brown University, I volunteered with a rape crisis service that sent us to hospital ERs to provide support and information to survivors of sexual violence. This was the most rewarding work experience I had during this time, and it motivated me to return to school to become a psychologist.

My graduate school research was in two areas: identifying and addressing the effects of sexual violence and psychological trauma, and caregiving to those with progressive, incurable illness. In 1997, I achieved a master's equivalency and was licensed as a psychologist. I earned my PhD in Psychology from the University of MN, Department of Psychology, in 2003.

My interest in Health Psychology emerged as I accompanied a beloved family member through progressive and ultimately fatal illness. I wanted to know: how can psychological positives decrease suffering? What allows the mind and spirit to expand even as the body declines? I immersed myself in the psychoneuroimmunology literature, and sought training and work experiences in medical settings.

Today, the various streams of my academic and life experience flow together in my work as a psychologist - the art of using language to connect and to understand, a passion for aiding in recovery from trauma, continued immersion in the psychological and psychobiological literatures, and ongoing fascination with the interconnectedness of mind and body in healing.