I was born and raised in Alabama and relocated to Georgia in 1994 to begin my career in the behavioral health field. I graduated from Auburn University with a degree in psychology. My studies had a strong behavioral emphasis, and I was able to train with some of the most outstanding scholars in the field of applied behavioral analysis and cognitive behavioral therapy. I am told by my mother that from an early age I had an insatiable curiosity of answering the question, "Why do people do what they do?" and I never considered another career path. I started clinical practice in 1996 and consider myself to be one of the fortunate few who love to go to work every day. Personally, I have been married for over 20 years and I have a daughter. My greatest moments of joy, peace and fun are found in the company of my family. When not working, I enjoy running, rowing and a good book.
As a psychologist in the Behavioral Health Department at Kaiser Permanente, I am dedicated to helping our members gain insight and implement the most effective strategies for achieving not only psychological well-being, but complete health. My daily work is most often guided by a quote of William James, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." I employ treatment modalities such as structured cognitive-behavioral therapy, clinical hypnosis and life skills training to address concerns such as depression, anxiety, parenting effectiveness, life transition and trauma resolution.
My guiding philosophy for thriving on a daily basis is that the most fulfilled and content people are not those that have the best of everything, but those that make the best of everything. I have learned three critical components that help me make the best of every day: Engaging in some form of outside physical activity for at least 20 minutes, quiet time spent sharing and laughing with my husband and daughter, and sleeping 7 to 8 hours per night. I also enjoy traveling, rowing on the Chattahoochee and volunteering monthly for the Hope Project, a local non-profit that provides women with job and life skills training.
