Co-founder

I am excited to start my practice as a psychiatric nurse practitioner and share my passion for this important conversation about mental wellness in today’s challenging world. I believe that reducing stigma about receiving mental health services, about diagnoses, and about medication and therapy is integral to our personal growth and ability to be in relationship with others.  I hope to bring empathy, compassion and openness to my work in benefit of all those who are working with mental and emotional challenges.  You are not alone. 

I have been a nurse practitioner since 2008, primarily working in the emergency department, initially in Boston and in Navajo Nation since 2017. I am quadruple boarded as Family, Acute Care, Emergency and now as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.  I am also a Yoga Teacher and trained primarily with David Vendetti and Coeli Marsh in the Boston area. I am a utilizer of both Western and Complimentary Medicine and understand the importance of individualized care plans that honor the client’s personal experience with their body and mind.  I have particular interest in substance use disorders, eating disorders, women’s, LGBTQA+ care and care for the trans population and in general working with marginalized groups. I am also currently in training to become a mentalization based therapist and hope to broaden my services to offer therapy to individuals working with personality disorders.

My promise to the client is that I will take time to listen to you and will work alongside you to address your mental and behavioral health needs. I will bring my expertise as a seasoned nurse practitioner and as someone who has decades of recovery working with my own mental health challenges.  Together we will work to decrease emotional pain, increase resilience, and grow along a path toward more flexible, inclusive and peaceful minds. 

Co-founder

My approach as a clinician relies heavily on curiosity and an interest in your perspective. As a prescriber I have an understanding of both the benefits and limitations of medications so we can review different treatment options together using the best evidence available.

I utilize shared decision making with my clients’ values in mind and avoid paternalism at all costs. I am a transparent thinker and encourage my clients to express any questions they have about my diagnostic process or treatment recommendations.

I am LGBTQ+ allied, trans-friendly, and practice cultural humility. I have worked closely with Diné traditional practitioners and honor the value of traditional interventions to restore peace, balance, beauty and harmony.

A little bit more about myself as a person: I moved to the southwest in 2017 from Boston to work on the Navajo Nation and decided to make Flagstaff home base. My free time is spent mountain biking, road biking, backpacking, cooking, exercising at local fitness classes, and sometimes a trail run here and there. When I’m not doing those things I’m spending time with my wife and two cats, family and friends or working on continuing education to make myself a better provider for my clients.

I have a special place in my heart for those struggling with substance use disorders (SUD) as I have been in recovery from multiple SUDs for over 18 years. I am a strong advocate for harm reduction and use reduction strategies as well as medications for addiction treatment.

I am a firm believer in doing everything I can to reduce the stigma of seeking and participating in mental health care and have a non-judgmental and open minded approach to care.