Biography
I received my doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver Graduate School of Professional Psychology. During training, I focused on culturally-responsive, anti-oppressive approaches to evidence-based practice, especially Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and psychological evaluations. I completed my postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change in Rockville, Maryland with an emphasis on treating obsessive-compulsive disorder, body focused repetitive behaviors, and anxiety-related disorders. I am independently licensed as a clinical psychologist in Colorado and have been granted Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) by The PSYPACT Commission, which means that I can provide telehealth services to anyone residing in any of the states participating in PSYPACT. I spent several years in community mental health where I deepened my commitment to providing compassionate, person-centered care to teens and young adults from a multitude of backgrounds, especially serving the LGBTQ+ community where having a queer ancestor is not always a given.
In my personal time, I enjoy heavy instrumental rock fusion and funk, alongside my love of reading fantasy and nerding out about a variety of nonfiction topics. I’m a big fan of cozy resource management videogames and most board games, from the unnecessarily crunchy to very simple classics. As a queer, nonbinary, disabled person myself, I heavily value ensuring that the people I work with are safe to show up exactly as themselves. I feel very passionate about tailoring the evidence-based practice I am trained in (e.g. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure with Response Prevention) to the needs of people whose identities/communities were not held in mind when these modalities were originally developed.
What would your clients say about you as a therapist?
I think my clients feel confident that I am rooting for them, especially given that I’ve been known to pantomime a mic drop and stomp around my office when they report back that they tackled a particularly challenging exposure. In the words of someone I was privileged to work with years ago, I would make a good “Hypeman-dy.”
Do you have pets?
I’ve been told one of the most surprising things about me is that I don’t have my own pup despite my love for them. I do have a 4-year-old jalepeño plant that is still going strong. His name is Charles and he is very prolific.
What is a weird fact about you that most people wouldn’t know?
I once got to sit in with a band that played a show at the DC Bacon Festival. No, I did not get free bacon.
Do you play an instrument?
Yes, I play guitar, but technically I only learned to play guitar so I’d always have someone to sing with.
What is your favorite type of food?
Peruvian Ceviche, though probably anything that is between 25K and 200K on the Scoville scale is probably something I would go for.
Where are you from?
Rockville, Maryland