About
Background and training
Since childhood I have been interested in people, science and the natural world. My path to psychiatry was not straightforward. I completed my bachelor's degree at Boston University with a major in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Philosophy and Psychology. After my undergraduate studies, I worked as a laboratory assistant in an immunologic research lab for many years.
I decided to pursue medical training because I wanted to use my interest in science and people to help others in a more direct way. I went to Albany Medical College and completed my medical degree in May 2011. I decided to pursue psychiatry as my specialty because I was drawn to people's stories, learning about the mind and my own personal struggles.
I moved to Boston after medical school to train in General Adult Psychiatry. During residency I had many opportunities to learn psychiatry from a variety of excellent physicians and therapists. I was especially interested in learning about psychotherapy and trauma and got experience working with patients at the Boston Medical Center, Boston VA, Bedford VA, Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights, and by attending seminars & conferences lead by various faculty including trauma expert Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk. During my fourth year of residency I was able to participate in an outpatient elective at the Danielsen Institute where I learned how to integrate spiritual aspects of the human experience into my psychotherapeutic practice. I also did an elective with the Women's Stress Disorder Treatment Teams (WSDTTs) at the Jamaica Plain VA where I learned to use Cognitive Processing Therapy and Dialectic Behavioral Therapy to help cis and trans female veterans with Complex Trauma.
During residency I began working with people with substance use disorders and treated them with medications, and also Motivational Interviewing and Harm Reduction. The principles underlying these therapies were novel to me, and I wanted to learn more. As a result, I decided to get further training in Addiction Psychiatry through a one-year fellowship at Boston Medical Center and the Boston VA. At the same time, I completed a one-year Fellowship with the Boston Psychoanalytic Society & Institute to deepen my understanding of psychodynamic psychotherapy.
With my formal training completed, I joined the staff of the Boston VA Medical Center in 2015 as an outpatient psychiatrist and Instructor of Psychiatry at Boston University Medical Center. Then in 2018, I joined the staff of the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center as an outpatient psychiatrist and the faculty of the Psychiatry Department of Albany Medical College as Assistant Professor and eventually Site Director for the psychiatry residents. I worked there until August 2024.
As of September 2024, I am working in this private practice as a solo practitioner. This practice is not a side hustle for me. I take my work seriously and give it the attention it deserves. This is a part-time private practice because I wanted to create a sustainable practice that I can do for many years to come. By taking the time to care for myself and my family, I can be a better provider.
Because I am a lifelong learner, I will continue to update my knowledge to help my patients. I am currently in a one-year training program in Integrative Psychiatry and am doing further training in yoga to improve my somatic therapy skills.