I am a clinical psychologist who started working in the mental health field in 2010. I have worked in outpatient behavioral health centers, prisons, hospitals, and private practices on numerous multidisciplinary clinical teams. My most recent experience is as the Clinical Director for an outpatient practice serving emerging adult men ages 17-30 struggling with a myriad of academic, career, wellness, and clinical issues. The common denominator being the determination of a young man’s existential direction. As a result of my diverse set of professional experiences, I have found that I can exercise more creativity and think more critically when providing therapeutic services. Most of my clinical work has included helping men, and more specifically, younger men, more effectively navigate psychologically distressing experiences and processes. While not always the identified reason for engaging in services, I have grown to appreciate the value of gender-specific work as I have seen how establishing and maintaining healthy masculine values and behaviors have improved others’ lives.
Throughout my career, I have employed a variety of evidence-based treatment approaches, which include cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, exposure-based therapies, and motivational interviewing. In addition to providing individual psychotherapeutic services, I have experience with therapeutic assessment, which is a type of psychological testing that takes place at the beginning of the treatment and ultimately assists in diagnostic formulation and treatment planning. Therapeutic assessment is also helpful in instances where a person (or a family) is unsure about what type and/or form of treatment is best given the complexities of the challenges that they are facing. In short, therapeutic assessment can make treatment planning easier. With individuals who are struggling with a major life transition (e.g., high school or college graduation) or with long-standing psychological challenges, I have found that holistic, team-based, integrative approaches offer more positive therapeutic outcomes. Such approaches can include career coaching, psychopharmacological treatment, parent coaching, and family therapy. I provide recommendations about additional service(s) on an as-needed basis.
I am motivated to continue providing quality mental health care to those individuals who are struggling and need help discovering a life where they are happy and successful; however, a person may define those terms.
Associations
American Psychological Association (APA)
APA Division 51 – Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities
National Career Development Association (NCDA)