About Me.

I'm a licensed clinical psychologist with a passion for science and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). I am an author of more than 40 peer-reviewed and invited publications, and I hold the highest certification from the International Society of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (ISIPT), where I also serve on the Executive Board and co-lead the IPSRT Special Interest Group. I am a certified IPT therapist, consultant, and trainer with added qualifications (AQ) in Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT). I’ve had the privilege of sharing my work with mental health professionals around the world, including in Singapore, Iceland, England, China, and Hungry.

I love being outside, gardening, making things, and walking my dog.

My Education.

• Doctor of Philosophy, Clinical Psychology, University of Pittsburgh

• Predoctoral Internship, New Orleans Veterans Affairs Medical Center

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan

• Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Cognitive Science, Hampshire College

My Story.

My interest in psychology and mood disorders began at age 15 while attending a creative writing camp. There, an instructor introduced me to the poetry of Anne Sexton. With melodic rhyme and meter and sharp metaphors, Sexton vividly detailed her experiences of living with bipolar disorder, including postpartum depression. Captivated by her work, I later read her biography and learned that Sexton began writing poetry as part of a psychotherapy homework assignment — a fact that intrigued me as much as her poetry itself. Sexton often spoke of how psychotherapy and writing had been lifesaving for her. Yet, despite her writing and treatment, she was unable to experience a stabilization of her mood episodes and she died from suicide in 1974 at age 45.

In the 50 years since Sexton’s death, our understanding of mood and perinatal disorders has advanced considerably, and I am hopeful that today’s evidence-based approaches can help not only our poets and writers but also our not-so-poetic selves, family, and friends.