Education and Clinical Experience
I completed my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Seattle Pacific University (A.P.A. accredited) in August of 2016. My doctoral research focused primary on positive psychology and health psychology. My dissertation explored the relationship between courage, somatic symptoms, and psychological well-being. I also was involved in research in the areas of trauma, chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. As part of my coursework, I completed the clinical child and family cognate, which provided training in marriage therapy and child/family interventions. I also earned my M.S. in Psychological Sciences in June of 2012, after two years of doctoral course work.
My predoctoral internship was completed at the University of Washington Counseling Center (A.P.A. accredited; Seattle, WA). At this internship I provided short-term psychotherapy--individual, couples, and group--to undergraduate and graduate students. I also provided career and therapeutic assessment services and outreach seminars. As part of my internship training, I specialized in two emphasis areas: trauma and psychology of men and masculinity. These specialization areas included both supervised clinical experience and didactic training from staff specialists. Multicultural competency and social justice issues in psychology were both pillars of this training program, and I worked with a diverse student population at this top-tier university.
As part of my doctoral training, I also completed year-long clinical rotations at three practicum sites: Virginia Mason Neurosciences Institute (Seattle, WA), Swedish Family Medicine (First Hill; Seattle, WA), and Opal Clinic for Eating Disorders (First Hill; Seattle, WA). At Virginia Mason Neurosciences Institute, I completed an advanced practicum in neuropsychological testing for diverse conditions such as dementias, ADHD, MS, concussion-related injuries, and movement disorders. I also worked in multidisciplinary treatment teams with patients suffering from co-occuring health and psychological disorders. I gained additional experience in multidisciplinary treatment teams during my training at Swedish Family Medicine, where I provided short-term psychotherapy to individuals needing supplemental care to medical conditions.
At Opal Clinic for Eating Disorders, I provided individual, couples, and group psychology for individuals who were at various levels of eating disorder recovery, including the Partial Hospitalization Program, Intensive Outpatient Program, and Outpatient Care. In this treatment setting, I worked again in multidisciplinary treatment teams, often comprised of a psychotherapist, psychiatrist, dietitian, and marriage and family therapist. I also benefited from trainings in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT).
Before entering into doctoral studies, I worked as a mental health counselor in a variety of settings. I completed my Masters in Counseling at Western Seminary in Seattle (currently named The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology) in 2001. In my Masters program I focused on working with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. My post-Masters externship was completed at Presbyterian Counseling Services (currently called Samaritan Counseling Services). At this externship I gained experience at both the Ravenna clinic working with low-income clients, as well as at Trinity Lutheran College in Issaquah, WA working with college students. As a mental health therapist, I also worked at Seattle Pacific University's student counseling center. From 2001-present, I have been in private practice. From 2006-present I have practiced as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Washington.
Overall, I believe I've benefited from my experience as a masters-level counselor as well as my training in a clinical psychology doctoral program. If you have any additional questions about my training or qualifications, please feel free to contact me.