I began my nursing career in 2004 as a registered nurse and have over 18 years of experience in nursing and health care. I completed my Doctorate in Nursing at the University of Arizona in 2017 and I am board certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and a Family Nurse Practitioner. I completed the Integrative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine in 2019, have certification in auricular acupuncture, and have completed advanced training from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. I am currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at the U of A, College of Nursing where I teach mental health to nurse practitioner students. 

My philosophy of care and approach to working with individuals is rooted in the belief that one’s biological, social, psychological, and spiritual aspects are all interconnected, and that healing is possible, even if a cure is not. Healing and wellbeing are achieved by supporting balance in all these aspects with the use of all appropriate therapies.  My style is rooted in feminism and social justice, and I view my role as a means to help identify the roots of imbalance or illness which often include systemic oppression, violence, or trauma. My clinical focus and research interests include integrative psychiatry, women’s health,  trauma informed care, auricular acupuncture, and the use of non-ordinary states of consciousness to promote healing.  

My clinical work in Tucson has predominantly been in communities in which trauma and mental illness rates are considerably higher than the national average, where I provided integrative and holistic modalities in combination with conventional treatment to underserved individuals and populations through my work at hospitals, community mental health centers, and as a volunteer to rural communities in Mexico. I incorporate a wide range of treatment modalities including lifestyle modifications, mind-body skills, botanicals, supplements, and medications. My work at TCA will primarily focus on providing ketamine assisted psychotherapy.