It is my mission in life to help people break free from self-limiting beliefs and patterns so that they can reach their true potential. The problem is most of us don’t recognize the ways in which we might be holding ourselves back, whether it be due to anxiety, our relationship with food, or beliefs that we have taken on from others. Maybe you’ve found yourself in the same situation again and again. Even though you’ve changed jobs or ended a difficult relationship, you find yourself stuck in the same cycle of anxiety and burnout. Often, clients express that the most helpful aspect of seeing a therapist is the outside, expert perspective that you cannot get from other caring people in your life.

My role as your therapist is to provide a judgment-free zone for you to express yourself without any expectations or obligation to me and to reflect back, with compassion, things you may not have noticed. Think of it like holding up a mirror to parts of your life or self. While that image may be intimidating, think about how essential mirrors are for maneuvering a car through lane changes and turns! Along with this perspective, I guide you through a process to change your patterns with practical strategies to achieve inner peace and alignment with your goals. As a health psychologist, I also have a deep understanding of how the mind and body work together and the impacts of lifestyle changes and polyvagal exercises, which engage the nervous system and help support feelings of safety and connection. By mastering your mind and learning mind-body strategies to manage stress, you can get unstuck from the stress/burnout cycle.

In the end, my goal is to teach clients how to become an expert in their own mental health and gain the confidence to continue their self-study. I’m pulling back the curtain in session so that you can understand the tools that therapists use. I believe that we all have a source of healing within ourselves, and I want to help you connect to yours. Therapy is an investment that costs more than money. It will cost you time, sweat, and tears, too! If you can stick with it, the investment in yourself can reap rewards for years to come.

My Approach

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to therapy. I integrate a number of evidence-based theoretical approaches depending on clients’ needs and goals. Some of the modalities that I use include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and Motivational Interviewing. Treatment is tailored to your goals and learning style. I’ll be able to recommend and describe which treatment approach I recommend for you after an initial evaluation appointment.

Education & Past Experience

I have over 8 years of experience as a therapist and have been licensed since 2015. In addition to my private practice, I have worked on multidisciplinary teams in large academic medical centers, so I am skilled in communicating with medical professionals about treatment as well as using measurement-based care (i.e., using data to track improvements and inform treatment decisions). I have also served as a consultant on clinical trials and conducted research in behavioral medicine. These scholarly roles keep me at the forefront of treatments that have been proven to work in multiple high-quality research studies. I regularly invest in my education by attending new trainings, continuing education workshops, personal therapy, and consultation with other experts.

Previous Positions and Academic Degrees:

Staff Psychologist - Parkland Hospital and Health System

Staff Psychologist - Parkland Hospital

Assistant Professor in Psychiatry - UT Southwestern Medical Center

Staff Psychologist - Children’s Health/Children’s Medical Center Dallas

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Health Psychology - Children’s Health/Children’s Medical Center Dallas

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Concentration in Child and Family - University of Houston

Pre-doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology - Harvard Medical School/Boston Children’s Hospital

M.A. in Clinical Psychology - University of Houston

B.A. in Psychology - University of Houston

B.A. in English and Creative Writing - Texas A&M University