Who I am & What I do:

I am a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who can provide psychiatric assessments, medication management, psychotherapy, and psychoeducation.  I strive to nurture the therapeutic alliance between myself and my patients in a way that helps them feel safe, heard, and genuinely cared for in a judgement-free and empathic environment.  In every session I work hard to understand both troublesome and non-troublesome aspects of my patient’s life so that I can treat them in a holistic way, tailoring each patient’s needs as we work together as a TEAM in pursuit of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.

How I got here:

Before psychiatry, I spent eight years caring for critically ill patients in the intensive care setting.  I realized that majority of my patients also suffered from psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, mood disorders, addiction, PTSD, and a variety of interpersonal relationship problems.  I found that my patients were able to be emotionally vulnerable with me fairly quickly and that is when I began to understand that my true calling is psychiatry! I had always had a passion for mental health and wellness but this insight changed the trajectory of my nursing career forever and for the better.  There is nothing I value more as a nurse and nurse practitioner than the trust my patients place in me.

My life in a nutshell:

In my free time I enjoy playing with my dog Lily, being out in nature, gardening, painting, attending local art/music events, visiting family/friends, and staying active by doing Ironman triathlons.  I strive to maintain a healthy work-life-workout balance to promote a good mood for myself and hope to lead by example in this arena. 

That being said, a major passion of mine is triathlon. I first started doing triathlons in 2016 and have since completed three full Ironmans.  Triathlon has taught me about the incredible power of the mind, the courageousness of the human spirit, the resiliency of the human body, and the true meaning of GRIT!  It has taught me discipline, how to create a positive narrative for myself, and how to stay more present and take things one minute at a time if I have to. 

Like most people, I too enjoy traveling.  Four of my eight years as an ICU nurse were spent travel nursing in Washington and California.  Between assignments I traveled to Thailand, New Zealand, Peru, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Australia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Canada.  I traveled some of these countries alone which cultivated a sense of independence and self-reliance I had never known before.  What I find most valuable about my traveling adventures are the enriching and humbling experiences that come from immersing myself in different cultures.  I always leave with more awareness, empathy for others, and gratitude.