Hello, I am...

I graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and have been working in integrated healthcare since that time. My doctoral training focused on health psychology and the social stigma that comes with many psychiatric and medical conditions. I have worked with a variety of patients including veterans, incarcerated individuals, patients with substance use disorders, patients in medical facilities, post-trauma surgery patients, bariatrics, chronic pain, chronically ill  teens, and geriatric patients. My clinical goal is to help patients identify the connection between their health status and their thoughts, feeling and behaviors. They can then work to change their health-related behaviors to reduce pain & physical symptoms and improve quality of  life. Living with a chronic health condition is challenging. Living well sometimes takes a little extra help.

My current practice is specialized to provide presurgical evaluations for  patients with chronic illnesses. I work in tandem with several large medical practices in the East Tennessee area to help their patients succeed with long-term health improvements as they prepare for surgical procedures including weight loss (bariatric) surgery and spinal cord  stimulator implants. I also provide independent medical evaluations (IME or 2nd opinions) for disability and Worker's Compensation cases that involve psychiatric diagnoses.