About
My career in nursing began in Australia, where I cared for patients undergoing chemotherapy and those in hospice care. From the very beginning, I understood that one of the most healing aspects of care is giving patients the space to talk about how illness affects them emotionally and personally.
I later moved to Tennessee, where I have spent most of my professional life. Early on, I continued working with hospice patients while also providing home care for psychiatric patients. These experiences deepened my interest in the emotional and psychological dimensions of care and led me to pursue a Master’s degree at Vanderbilt University. I wanted to work in a way that allowed for more listening, reflection, and collaboration with patients.
My approach to therapy draws from supportive therapy, attachment theory, and psychodynamic principles. While my work is grounded in evidence-based practice and established theory, I believe treatment should be responsive to each person’s needs. Therapy is most effective when it can adapt to the kind of support someone is seeking.
I completed the Nashville Advanced Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Program, an intensive two-year clinical and academic training. My fascination with this work eventually led me to pursue psychoanalytic training at the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute, a ten-year program combining rigorous academic study with extensive clinical practice.
Maintaining a private practice has been one of the most meaningful and rewarding parts of my professional life. It is an honor to accompany people as they grow, change, and develop a deeper understanding of themselves.
Today my practice draws on more than three decades of psychiatric experience and over forty years in nursing and medical care. I am a Vanderbilt graduate and a board-certified Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with prescriptive privileges. Ongoing education has always been important to me, and over the years I have continued that commitment by attending and presenting at national conferences.
Alongside my clinical practice, I have also spent many years teaching. I had the privilege of working in the Vanderbilt Department of Psychiatry, specializing in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. I was also one of a small number of nurse practitioners across the country selected to treat patients in the STAR*D research study, now considered a landmark study in the treatment of depression.
In addition to my clinical work, I spent 20 years as an Assistant Professor in the graduate program at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Teaching became a natural complement to my clinical practice and something I have always deeply valued.
I have always been curious about human behavior and the complexity of our inner lives. It can be difficult to know what people truly think and feel, and our internal worlds are often far more layered than they appear.
My experiences have shaped a perspective that values careful listening and deep respect for each person’s story. Illness, stress, and emotional struggles are never one-size-fits-all, and meaningful care begins with understanding how each individual experiences what they are going through.
A few years ago, I moved to Gig Harbor and quickly fell in love with the relaxed pace of life and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. I enjoy hiking in the woods with my sweet dog, gardening, reading, and watching birds. I have also embraced the local philosophy that there is no bad weather, only bad clothing.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers —
That perches in the soul —
And sings the tune without the words —
And never stops — at all —
EMILY DICKINSON