My patients and their families are active members of their treatment team. I seek to develop my patient’s care plan through mutual decision-making.

As a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, I work with children and teens with psychiatric conditions. While medications may be part of the treatment plan, they’re not the only treatment approach.

I engage patients and families in identifying and overcoming barriers to positive lifestyle behaviors — like healthful nutrition, physical activity, and sleep — that may contribute to mental health concerns.

When patients under my care are prescribed psychiatric medicines, I strongly encourage psychotherapy as a valuable and ongoing part of their care plan.

The opportunity to provide early health promotion education to children and adolescents inspired me to go into child/adolescent psychiatry. I believe that providing education and support surrounding positive behavior change can help reduce or prevent the burden of illness or disease in adulthood.

When I’m not working, I enjoy traveling, running, hiking and trying new foods and restaurants.