ABOUT ME

I began treating patients in private practice in 2012 with medications and psychotherapy. I quickly became aware of how pervasive the impact of trauma is on the human psyche, and I sought ongoing education through the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation to better understand these processes. As I worked longer and with more individuals it became clear to me how even individuals without an identified history of trauma experience more subtle manifestations of the same processes we have studied in PTSD and more severe dissociation. The inevitable frustrations, disappointments, and betrayals that we all face in life can lead to shame, withdrawal, or any number of defenses that take us further away from ourselves and our community. At its core, I believe that psychotherapy is effective when it brings us closer to the truth of our Selves and others.

 

It was this same belief in the restoration of the natural self that inspired my return to a more functional exploration of the body's physiology, in order to better understand its systems and habits.  To this end, I enrolled in the fellowship program with the Integrative Psychiatric Institute to become a Certified Integrative Psychiatric Provider.  ​Integrative wellness speaks to me on many levels, and I view this approach as deeply compatible with the depth psychotherapy approach I learned to value early in my training.  A functional and integrative approach to biological treatment acknowledges that the health of each individual's body and mind relies upon myriad interconnected systems, and imbalance in any one of them can create a cascade that results in distress and dysfunction.  To expand the availability of holistic, depth-oriented psychiatric care, I co-founded Your Wellness Practice, a group practice integrating experts in traditional psychiatry, psychotherapy, functional medicine, nutrition, plant-based medicines (green pharmacy), and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.  Every day I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the thoughtful providers who have joined me in the practice, as we work together to heal individuals at multiple levels of intervention.

 

My interest in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) began years ago.  I am convinced of the transformative power of psychedelic and spiritual experiences, and their innate capacity to disrupt our often-rigid egos to put us in touch with something more absolute than ourselves.  It felt important to provide this awesome service in a conscientious and personalized way to those who might benefit, and it took me some time to find the right way to do so.  Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy incorporates a journey away from our usual state of consciousness into a more rarefied state.  Paradoxically, it is the "realer than real" quality of the mystical experience that creates a resonance within ourselves to recognize the truth of what the journey offers, humbling our egoic perspective and opening us up to something bigger.  My early work in this practice honing my approach to KAP provided the foundation for the work I do now with my team at Your Wellness Practice, and that I continue to do here, with my colleague and friend, Connie Ittner.

​

​

​