What is a clinical psychologist?

I am a licensed clinical psychologist, which means I completed a doctoral program in clinical psychology and passed both local and national licensure exams. A clinical psychologist is a type of psychotherapist, but not all psychotherapists are clinical psychologists. Clinical psychologists generally have the highest degree of training among psychotherapists, including rigor, quality, and duration of training. I am licensed to practice in both Colorado and Washington State.

Experience

Since 2004, I have practiced clinically, including in hospital settings, providing both inpatient and outpatient treatment. I have extensive experience with both short- and long-term psychotherapy for people struggling with a wide variety of problems. I work with individuals age 17 and older. While I work with a diverse set of clients and presenting problems, I have specialized experience treating individuals with:

• depression
• anxiety
• trauma
• relationship difficulties
• parenting challenges
• adjustment disorders
• stress management
• grief and loss
• chronic illness, including Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disorder (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), fibromyalgia, and HIV/AIDS
• LGBTQ identity and/or related concerns

Style

I aim for a psychotherapy style that is warm, pragmatic, and client-centered. Warmth is expressed through a supportive, validating, and empathic setting. I hope you will feel that I genuinely care for you and desire to understand you. My style is pragmatic in that I employ treatments that have been demonstrated to be effective and supported by research, and emphasis is placed on developing better functioning in life through behavior change. Therapy is client-centered because we will consider your unique experience, challenges, and strengths to develop strategies that will work for you. Effective treatment is rarely a one-size-fits-all approach, and through a customized, evidence-based, and caring approach, we will work together to develop a plan that will fit your needs.

Background

I am a Boulder native and have maintained a deep love of Colorado over the years. I completed my BS in Psychology at Pacific Lutheran University  and my Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Arizona State University. I completed a clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA through the department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. From 2007 to 2016, I continued to work at Harborview Medical Center as an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. During these years, I led the mental health component of the Chronic Fatigue Clinic, one of the very few multidisciplinary specialty clinics for chronic fatigue in the nation. I also provided outpatient psychotherapy for individuals in the Madison Clinic (a comprehensive, primary care clinic serving individuals with HIV/AIDS). In addition, I have also taught multiple psychology courses at Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Washington.