Minneapolis Center for Psychotherapy, PLLC

My training experiences as a clinical psychologist have spanned a broad range of treatment settings (inpatient, outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization) and treatment populations (adults, adolescents, and children). I have worked with many types of people throughout my career: from high-functioning professionals who are experiencing job-related stress, to individuals suffering from chronic and persistent mental illness.

Above all, I specialize in helping people heal “relational trauma.” This term is a broad one, and difficult to succinctly describe (but I’ll try my best) —People who have endured relational trauma oftentimes have a childhood marked by emotional misattunement (others not correctly reading and responding to their emotional needs), emotional neglect, emotional or physical abuse, and confusing relationships with others. Typically, those with relational trauma have parents who might have been less warm, more emotionally enmeshed or punitive, or simply too consumed with their own issues or trauma to correctly “attune” to the needs of the child. Sometimes, this trauma results from some major personal or family trauma (e.g., divorce, death, major illness of a family member).

So how does relational trauma affect us in adulthood? This can show up in many ways, some of which include:

* Difficulty regulating emotions (e.g., feeling constantly overwhelmed by anxiety and fear)

* Chronic shame and guilt

* Constantly “beating” oneself up or putting oneself down

* Difficulty depending on others (e.g., emotionally)

* Discomfort with emotional intimacy and problems maintaining healthy relationships

* Feeling “empty” on the inside and struggling with identity issues

* Worrying about interpersonal abandonment, rejection, criticism, etc.

* Excessive need for approval, being overly submissive or suggestible

I would like to offer hope — the mental health field has begun to increasingly appreciate the effect of childhood on adulthood. Therapy can help to heal the pain that these experiences have caused, and help you free yourself from repetitive patterns rooted in these experiences (e.g., repeatedly choosing “unhealthy” relationships)

I graduated with my PhD in clinical psychology from the APA-accredited clinical psychology program at the University of North Texas, and completed the APA-accredited clinical psychology internship program at the Institute of Living (IOL) in Hartford, Connecticut. At the IOL, part of my primary clinical responsibilities included co-facilitating daily inpatient and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) psychotherapy groups, in addition to completing psychological testing and providing individual psychotherapy services. My time at the IOL offered me unique and intensive training in psychodynamic theory and technique, which still strongly influences my clinical work to this day.

After completing internship, I completed postdoctoral training in the psychiatry department at the University of Minnesota, where I received specialized training in the assessment and treatment of psychosis, personality issues, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and severe depression.

Prior to my internship, my clinical training in the Yale School of Medicine and at the Yale New Haven Hospital Intensive Outpatient Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program provided me with extensive psychotherapy training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. While at the Yale School of Medicine, I also received unique training in mindfulness-based interventions, which also strongly influences my approach to treatment.

The point in sharing all of this is that I have lived in many places, been exposed to many different types of training and experiences, and have a deep passion for learning and helping people. I believe that my training and skills within the realms of individual therapy, group therapy, and psychological testing helps me understand and connect with clients at a deep and profound level.