A little about me
My interest in psychology began in a somewhat unlikely place: aboard a Navy ship.
Before becoming a psychologist, I served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Boxer, where I worked on weapons systems. I had a small shop toward the fantail (the back of the ship), where I’d often retreat with my guitar during downtime.
Over time, fellow sailors started calling my shop to ask if they could stop by, hang out, play some music, or just talk. What started as casual conversations sometimes turned into discussions about things they were going through. Family problems, depression, anxiety, and occasionally thoughts of suicide. Things they weren’t necessarily comfortable sharing with everyone else.
I didn’t have any clinical training back then. I wasn’t trying to play therapist or offer some profound piece of advice. Mostly, I listened. And I remember walking away from those conversations feeling grateful that someone had trusted me enough to share those parts of their life.
I began to wonder what it would be like to do something like that for a living.
Around that time, I was also questioning whether I wanted to spend the rest of my career maintaining and repairing weapons systems. I could picture myself doing it for decades, but when I imagined looking back on my life, I kept returning to the moments I’d spent with people.
Psychology began to feel like a natural direction to pursue.
Those Navy years also gave me some personal experiences that I understand differently today. In 2016, after roughly sixty days at sea without a port visit, I experienced my first panic attack. I didn’t tell anyone about it. At the time, I didn’t really understand what was happening in my body. Today, panic is one of the things I regularly help people work through in therapy.
I eventually earned my Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) from Adler University. Throughout my training, I deliberately sought out a variety of experiences, working in schools, community mental health, university counseling, psychological assessment, first responder services, inpatient psychiatry, outpatient treatment, and Veterans Affairs. I wanted to learn from different people, populations, and approaches to care, and I’m grateful I had those opportunities.
Today, my clinical work focuses primarily on anxiety disorders, OCD, and trauma. I’m still learning, still curious, and still finding new things to appreciate about this profession.
Outside of work, I love traveling and experiencing different cultures. The Navy took me throughout Asia and the Middle East, and I’ve continued traveling on my own since then. One of my favorite trips was a solo adventure through Italy after repeatedly trying (and failing) to coordinate travel plans with friends. I finally decided to go anyway, and I’m glad I did.
I’ve also run a marathon, climbed Mount Rainier with friends, and spent some time practicing jiu-jitsu. I enjoy challenging myself physically, although sometimes those challenges have a way of humbling me.
Music remains a big part of my life. My dad raised me on classic rock, and I’ve been playing guitar for more than twenty years. I’m also a fan of stand-up comedy and enjoy checking out local comedy clubs when I travel. Here in Austin, I’ll occasionally make my way to the Comedy Mothership.
And when I’m not doing any of those things, I’m just as happy catching a movie, going for a run, or getting sucked into a television show that probably isn’t doing much for my intellectual development.