I earned my PhD in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where I specialized in Behavioral Medicine. My training took me to Chicago for a predoctoral internship in Health Psychology at Rush University Medical Center before I returned to VCU to complete a postdoctoral fellowship focused on bariatric and transplant surgery care.

Following fellowship, I joined the faculty at VCU as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, working with patients facing complex medical and behavioral health challenges. I later continued my academic career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Today, I am in private practice and proud to be part of Assessment and Therapy Associates, where my colleagues and I support individuals undergoing bariatric (weight loss) surgery. While I deeply value the one-on-one work I do with clients, I have found myself missing another important part of my professional identity: teaching.

I am currently building an online platform dedicated to exploring the powerful and often overlooked ways our mental health influences our physical health. My goal is to translate complex psychological and behavioral science into practical, accessible information that helps people better understand themselves, approach challenges from new perspectives, and create lives that feel more sustainable, meaningful, and aligned with their values.

One area I am especially passionate about is increasing awareness of the health impact of ADHD across the lifespan. Despite growing public recognition of ADHD, its influence on physical health, self-care behaviors, chronic disease management, and overall quality of life remains significantly underappreciated—even within my field.

As this new chapter of my career evolves, I also hope to expand my work in advocacy. I am committed to promoting a more compassionate, evidence-based understanding of obesity and mental health while advocating for meaningful healthcare reform that improves access, reduces stigma, and supports whole-person care.