I am a licensed clinical psychologist with over 15 years of training and experience in the assessment and treatment of mental health conditions. I have specialized training in various approaches, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy. After receiving my PhD, I worked at the Veterans Affairs hospital in San Diego for over 9 years, researching and treating PTSD and co-occurring conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression, traumatic brain injury). I also have specialized training in neuropsychology, which means I have expertise in understanding brain functioning - that is, I have deep knowledge of how mental health symptoms influence cognitive functioning (your thinking abilities) and vice versa. This means that I can utilize various approaches to improve both your mental health symptoms as well as your ability to focus, pay attention, remember information, and organize and execute tasks (if these are also issues you are noticing).

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Education, Training, & Experience:

• B.A. in Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Virginia

• M.A. in Clinical Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Pre-doctoral internship, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System/ University of California, San Diego

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System

• Research Psychologist, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System

• Faculty, Center of Excellence in Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System

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Research:

I'm passionate about using research to improve mental health treatment. I've published over 35 research articles focused on mental health, including how it relates to cognition and brain function. Science is important for understanding which types of treatments are most helpful and for who in order to better match people with effective therapy approaches. You can find some of my research publications here.

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Personal:

On a more personal note, I enjoy traveling and exploring new places. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends, walking along the beach on the boardwalk, rooting on my college team, and taking my dog Blaze out to chase balls (he's a ball-is-life kind of dog). 

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