I have always been interested in healing and in understanding the mind. In college, I majored in psychology, and during medical school, the decision to specialize in psychiatry came easily. Psychiatry, with its Greek roots meaning "healing of the soul," resonated with me. During my psychiatry training, I found the most satisfaction in direct patient care.  My primary focus was in  community mental health, treating underserved individuals with severe mental illness.  I spent most of my clinic hours at the historic Massachusetts Mental Health Center , managing conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar illness, substance use disorders, borderline personality disorder and trauma.   Within this dynamic academic environment, I enjoyed being involved in all facets of patient care, including biologically oriented treatments, psychotherapeutic interventions,  case management, and homeless outreach.

​ After completing my psychiatry residency training in Boston,  I relocated to the Sacramento area for family reasons.  I initially worked at Kaiser Permanente in the outpatient clinic where I managed medications for all-too-common diagnoses such as depression, anxiety and ADHD. Eventually,  I transitioned from the managed care setting to private practice.  Although I found satisfaction in supporting my clients through their difficulties, I became disillusioned with conventional medicine and its overemphasis on prescription medications.  In 2009, facing my own health challenges with an autoimmune illness,  I decided to take a sabbatical to explore alternative approaches to healing.

​I am thrilled to have reopened my practice as of 2014 but with a renewed perspective. I look forward to treating my clients with the most current knowledge in the field of mental health.  I am excited that the medical field  is in the midst of a revolution-- a paradigm shift from a  problem-specific  disease model to a more integrative one as we begin to recognize how the mind, body, spirit and community all interact to influence our health.  Rather than treating symptoms, we must focus on the root causes of illness.  I have witnessed through my years of practice that although psychiatric medications can be beneficial, especially in the acute situation,  they have limitations and that successful long-term healing must encompass a  greater scope of treatment options.

My passion to find a more comprehensive approach to healthcare led me to complete a two-year fellowship in Integrative Medicine in 2018 through the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine (AWCIM) founded by Dr. Andrew Weil, a pioneer in the field of alternative medicine and medical education reform. Furthermore, I have engaged in immersive study of transpersonal (spiritual) psychology and ancient contemplative traditions through the Nine Gates Mystery School and have traveled to the Yucatan and South America to learn from traditional healers. I have a special interest in the field of consciousness studies— a multidisciplinary approach which brings together neuroscience, psychology, and spiritual wisdom to explore the nature of awareness, healing and human transformation. As part of this landscape, I am trained in the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy, an emerging treatment modality showing exciting promise in addressing psychological and emotional healing through expanded states of awareness.

In addition to my interest in lifelong learning, I am honored to teach as a guest instructor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Here,  I co-authored Depression: An Integrative Approach for the AWCIM’s online curriculum and serve as a clinical mentor for the integrative medicine fellowship program, leading a psychiatry-focused cohort of physicians in applying integrative principles toward real-world patient care. I am very excited to incorporate a blend of ancient wisdom and modern medicine into my practice and to be a part of this evolution in  healthcare!