During my pre-doctoral training, I provided psychotherapeutic services to a wide variety of client populations in varied treatment settings.  My APA approved clinical internship was with a Cook County Hospital, outside of Chicago, where I performed assessment and treatment of adolescent and adult medical/surgical and psychiatric patients.  I worked within a multidisciplinary team in several rotations including: Rehabilitation Medicine (i.e., Cerebral Vascular Accident, Traumatic Brain Injury, spinal injury, neurological disease and alcohol/drug related physical decrements); Neuropsychology; and Subacute/Infectious Disease in addition to co-leading an inpatient/outpatient psychotherapy group, conducting traditional and medical outpatient psychotherapy, and administering psychodiagnostic and neuropsychological assessments.  

My dissertation research afforded me the opportunity to work with chemotherapy patients.  It is entitled A Comparison of Guided Imagery Techniques with Chemotherapy Patients and involved a 3 year study comparing several Guided Imagery and Relaxation Techniques with Chemotherapy Patients at UCSF/Mt. Zion Cancer Center. 

I completed my post-doctoral training with UCSF/SFGH Department of Psychosocial Medicine at a community based medical clinic in San Francisco.  I assisted in integrating mental health and primary care in a community clinic serving a diverse population presenting with a wide range of medical and psychiatric diagnoses.  I conducted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for individuals and led several groups including a Chronic Pain Education Group.  

In addition, with UCSF and the Veterans Affairs (VA), I provided Cognitive Behavioral Phone Therapy as part of an intensively supervised study funded by NIMH for mobility impaired clients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and Major Depression. 

Experience

I began my private practice in 2001.  While building my practice I also worked with the Department of Human Services in San Francisco.  I provided testing and assessment to the disabled homeless population while providing training and consultation regarding psychological and psychosocial issues to a multidisciplinary team.  Since 2003, through Elephant Pharmacy; an innovative and education-focused pharmacy in Berkeley, California, I have been offering classes to the public such as "Negative Thinking Gotcha Down?", "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" as well as other classes on how to make goals and implement changes in one's life.  As a guest lecturer, I teach acupuncture students at the Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley (AIMC, Berkeley)  how to help their clients make the life changes necessary for improved health.    In early 2008 I began to help develop and implement the Integrative Medicine Weight Management Clinic at AIMC, Berkeley.  At this clinic I currently teach  Think, Feel, Move - a CBT-based psychoeducational class to help clients make the thought and behavioral changes necessary for weight loss and maintainance.  From 2005-2008 I edited the Alameda County Psychological Association Newsletter The East Bay Psychologist and was honored with the Outstanding Newsletter Award 2006 by the California Psychological Association. 

If you'd like additional information or detail, please click here  to view my Vita.