Being a Veteran, my main focus is on military/veterans and their families.
I’m also a dementia specialist, and I enjoy working with family/caregivers of older
adults with dementia, specifically supporting them and providing education about
dementia.

I like to work with clients who are dealing with anxiety, depression, self-
esteem, anger, and issues affecting their daily functioning and sense of self.

My approach is as a Humanistic/Experiential Therapist, drawing from
person-centered modalities and philosophies. I encourage my client to feel safe
with me and able to share openly whatever they need or want to share.

I use a great deal of bibliotherapy and mediatherapy (cinema, music, etc.)
to help my client learn to use resources to help them understand what we are
talking about in a session. These allow me to let my client see and hear concrete
ideas/concepts related to their needs.

As a Psychiatric RN of 30 years, I do a lot of teaching of neuroanatomy of
mental illness and dementia, as well as psychoeducation on medications.
o I’m sensitive to different cultures (ethnic, religious, military, geographic,
etc.) of clients who see me and try to tailor my work toward honoring their cultural
beliefs and practices.

Being a Psychiatric RN for 30 years and teaching psych and therapy, the
natural progression for me was to continue using my talents to expand my ability
to spend time with people helping them find the answers to their questions about
what they want their life to look like. I love seeing the light go on behind their
eyes when they have an epiphany and are excited to move forward to use the
skills they have learned to solve their problems feeling empowered.

I enjoy helping my client find innovative and experiential ways to work on
their problems.

Areas of Expertise: 

• Military & Veterans- PTSD especially
  Psychopharmacology
  Geriatric mental health
  Dementia in older adults and support and education for their
  caregivers/families
  Anger management
  Humor and laughter in therapy
  Biology of mental health
  Resilience

Practice Location: 3901 Georgia St NE, #A4, Albuquerque, NM 87110

Education:

• PD (MA) with credentials- SEcondary Science Education, University of
  Hawai’i, Honolulu, HI- 1987
  MA Counseling Psychology/Marriage and Family Therapy- Argosy
  University, Ontario, CA- 2011
  EdD Counseling Psychology- Argosy University, Alameda, CA- 2015
  

• AA-PreMed- New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell, NM- 1982
  BS Biology- Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX- 1985
  BS Nursing- York College of Pennsylvania, York, PA- 1992