About Me

Background

I’ve spent more than 10 years researching relationships, personality, stress, and coping. I earned a doctorate from the University of Iowa in 1997, then held fellowship and research scientist positions at the University of California-Irvine, Department of Psychology and Social Behavior. I also received specialized post-doctoral clinical training at several San Francisco Bay facilities including San Mateo Medical Center and Kaiser-Permanente.

Education

  • Clinical Specialization, California School of Professional Psychology
  • Ph.D., Psychology, University of Iowa
  • M.A., Psychology, University of Iowa
  • B.A., Psychology, University of Denver

Experience

In addition to private practice, my clinical experience includes brief and long-term psychotherapy in outpatient and inpatient hospital programs, a community mental health clinic, long-term care and rehabilitation, and a chemical dependency program. Trauma, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and medical illness have been major components of my training and experience. I also have co-led coping skills and therapy groups, and trained medical personnel and support staff in the psychological aspects of patient care.

I served as a psychologist in the medical psychiatry program at San Mateo Medical Center in California.  I worked with adults of all ages, most of whom had significant medical conditions.  I also supervised psychology interns and taught psychology interns and psychiatry residents.

Research

One of my first research projects focused on how people overcome extreme childhood adversity — resilience. For the following 10 years, I continued to study the impact of stress on mental and physical health and the importance of effective coping strategies. Research continues to inform my work as a psychotherapist. I stay current on the latest developments in psychology and will continue to explore and write about issues that are relevant in people’s lives.

Publication Highlights