My Story

The human mind has fascinated me since childhood, but psychiatry became personal when someone in my immediate family struggled with mental health challenges during my early years.

Witnessing the impact it had on our family opened my eyes to how deeply mental health affects not only individuals, but entire family systems. I also saw how treatment that focused only on medication sometimes overlooked the emotional, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of healing.

In my family’s experience, medication played an important role, but I also saw how difficult side effects could be. At the same time, I witnessed how stigma and misunderstanding surrounding mental health can shape the way families and communities respond to someone who is struggling.

Those experiences shaped my conviction that faith, culture, biology, trauma, and environment all matter. Effective mental health care must be both clinically sound and culturally aware.

My personal journey deepened my empathy even further. Like many people, I have navigated seasons of anxiety, depression, ADHD, and trauma, and I understand how complex and overwhelming mental health challenges can feel.

I have also experienced profound loss, including losing my mother to ovarian cancer, caring for my father as he developed dementia, the passing of my grandmother, and the unexpected loss of my brother at the age of 46. During many of these seasons, I often stepped into the role of caretaker and felt the quiet pressure of being “the strong one” for my family.

These experiences did not define me, but they refined me. They strengthened my belief that healing requires space, time, compassion, and the right support. A diagnosis does not determine a person’s worth, identity, or future.

Today, those experiences help me meet patients with deeper understanding and humility. I know that healing is rarely linear, and that people deserve care that honors both their struggles and their resilience.

I earned a Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University as a Family Nurse Practitioner.  Over time, I felt called to specialize in mental health and pursued a  Post-Master’s Certificate as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Maryville University.

Throughout my clinical career, I often felt constrained by systems that prioritized quotas over connection. I wanted more time with patients. More room for curiosity.

My approach is collaborative and compassionate. I believe in longer appointment times, thoughtful assessment, and shared decision-making. I am especially passionate about supporting individuals who may have felt dismissed, misunderstood, or overmedicated in the past. My goal is to help patients reconnect with clarity, stability, and a sense of agency in their lives.

The most rewarding part of my work is watching treatment plans come to life. When a patient returns and says, “I feel like myself again,” or “This is the first time something has really worked,” it reinforces why I chose this path.

Healing creates momentum. Confidence builds. Families shift. Generations benefit.

Because of these experiences, I feel especially drawn to supporting individuals who carry a great deal of responsibility for others while quietly struggling themselves. Many of the people I work with are thoughtful, capable, and deeply committed to their families, careers, and communities—yet feel overwhelmed by anxiety, burnout, grief, or the pressure to keep everything together.

While my practice primarily supports women navigating these challenges, I welcome adults of all genders who feel aligned with this approach to care.

My goal is to create a space where those experiences can be spoken about openly and where healing is approached with curiosity, respect, and compassion.

My hope is that each person who enters this space feels heard, respected, and supported as they rise into greater clarity, stability, and self-understanding.

In my free time, I enjoy music, traveling and cooking.