About Me

I am West Coast transplant from the East Coast. Before becoming a Portlander in the early 2000s, I lived in the San Francisco Bay area for many years, followed by Seattle and Bellingham, Washington, and on a Canadian Gulf Island. I hold undergraduate degrees in English and nursing, and have a master's degree in public health, as well as in nursing, from the University of Washington. I was a musician (pianist) before I started my nursing career, and in recent years have become more involved in music again. Now I am learning violin and trying to keep up with my 7 grandchildren, some of whom are budding violinists. I view music and medicine as two sides of the same coin, and I feel very lucky to have both in my life. My pronouns are she/her/hers.

About my practice

I am very committed to my professional life as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. I chose to work in psychiatry because I am interested in people's lives and the sense they make of their lives. My best practice days are when people tell me they feel listened to, and when I feel I have made something a bit better for them. I have worked in several settings, including the Veteran's Administration and in community psychiatry before coming to Kaiser Permanente 16 years ago. I have great interest in health care policy, and before coming to Kaiser Permanente held associate medical director positions in community psychiatry. In my current role, I am happy to provide clinical care to the many patients I have come to know and care about. I love working in an integrated practice of medical and mental health care because I believe this provides a holistic framework for health.

  • Population specialties: adults, veterans
  • Language capacity: English 
  • Areas of focus: In addition to interventions for a range of mental health conditions including depression and anxiety, I have specific skills in general psychiatry

How I thrive

I am blessed to have a wonderful family of people and pets, and I spend as much time with them as I can. Walking our dogs with my daughter is my idea of a perfect time for all of us! I begin my days with early swims and end them with a good book. In between I practice violin in every spare moment.