My work in the world is to help people understand themselves, improve their relationships, and understand psychiatric medication. In the broadest sense, I strive to help others create more satisfying and meaningful lives. Many of my core values, life lessons, and metaphors are rooted in medical and psychotherapy training. Medicine can truly heal. And, I openly consider how diagnoses and medication can limit and at times obscure personal growth and development.

Since 2005, I have prioritized work as a psychotherapist. During the first decade of my career, I worked in various clinical settings to cultivate a working understanding of the art, science, and creativity of psychotherapies and how short-term medication catalyzes this work. While working on state policy, I was fascinated to review the effectiveness and risks of psychiatric medications and hundreds of different psychotherapies. I continue to devote time to better understand clinical outcomes, the power and limits of contemporary psychiatric treatments, integrative medicine, and emerging technologies in mental health including US and international AI platforms.

Experience

I am grateful to have learned with and from patients, colleagues, and mentors in the following roles:

• Supervising psychiatrist in community mental health in diverse care settings, as a Chief Operating Officer equivalent, and medical director serving two managed care organizations;

• National health policy and program development leader in Washington, D.C. addressing health disparities and mental health parity in medical education;

• National consultant for the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, Justice Center, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and American Holistic Medical Association;

• Published author of journal articles and book chapters; presenter at national conferences on clinical care, psychological trauma, and health system quality improvement;

• Local, regional, and national workshop facilitator creating meaningful experiential and didactic learning experiences in psychoanalytic theory and practice, health disparities, physician and clinician burnout, gender affirming care, and crisis and criminal justice service; and

• I also draw on previous work as an artist, author, carpenter, hospice worker, neuroscience researcher, and service laborer.