About Me
I am a PA-licensed clinical psychologist with 15 years of clinical experience.
I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Biological / Health Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. I have worked with individuals with eating disorders and weight concerns, anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorders, and health-related concerns. I completed an APA-accredited internship with the Pittsburgh Veterans-Affairs healthcare system, working in the women's health, behavioral medicine, and anxiety clinics and receiving additional training in pain management and smoking cessation. I then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Temple University's medical center. As a postdoctoral fellow, I specialized in working with adults with emotional eating, disordered eating, and body dissatisfaction, as well as individuals before and after bariatric surgery.
In addition to extensive training in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and CBT-E, I have completed intensive trainings in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), compassion-focused practices, and mindfulness, and I have a longstanding personal mindfulness practice.
Prior to establishing a private practice, I was a tenured faculty member and the director of external clinical training for an APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology. I trained and supervised doctoral students in the assessment and treatment of adults with eating- and weight-related concerns and comorbid mood, anxiety and health conditions; coordinated external clinical training; taught and mentored doctoral and undergraduate students; and conducted and supervised clinical research.
My research interests include the role of emotions, stress, marginalization and adverse events in eating and health behaviors, the relationship of mindfulness and self-compassion with eating and health, weight bias and stigma, and the effect of social media on body image and disordered eating. I am the author of several peer-reviewed journal articles in the areas of stress, eating, weight, mindfulness and health, and continue to collaborate with doctoral students conducting research on these topics.
In addition to my experience as a therapist, I draw from my career as a clinical supervisor, clinical researcher, and teacher to ensure that you are receiving the best possible treatment. As a clinician who highly values the intricate link between research and clinical practice, I use up-to-date research on effective interventions to inform my practice.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two children, reading, and doing anything outdoors, especially hiking and running. I also sing in a choir, love dark chocolate, am an animal lover, and enjoy sitting on my porch in the morning with a hot cup of coffee.
I hope that you will reach out to me so that I can support you in the next steps of taking care of yourself. I look forward to connecting with you.