Let’s start with something easy. Can you tell us a little about your professional background and areas of focus?

I’m a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) and family nurse practitioner (FNP) with over 30 years of experience working in both practice and as faculty in the California State University system. I hold graduate degrees in nursing from UCLA and Case Western Reserve University. Since 2014, I have worked as a nurse practitioner in psychiatric settings including acute care psychiatric health facilities, crisis stabilization units and outpatient settings with patients who are suffering from moderate to severe mental illness. It’s rewarding to see patients’ mental health improve with medication and treatment regimens. I believe mental health illness deserves the same attention and care as any disease and feel privileged to practice within this specialty.

How would you describe your approach to therapy?

I am committed to a patient centered care approach which means providing care that is respectful and responsible to individual preferences, needs and values. The patient is at the center of clinical decision making, and I see my role as providing the knowledge and expertise to guide and support the process.

What would your patients say about you?

Patients say that I listen carefully to their experience, that I review treatment options with them and thoroughly explain each step of the way.

How did you become interested in working with psychedelics including ketamine?

Mental health illness can be life threatening and not all traditional treatments work effectively for all individuals. Ketamine represents a drug classification with a different neurochemical pathway from other medications for depression. It’s exciting to be part of a practice on the cutting edge of approaches to mental health illness.

What excites you most about the future of psychedelics?

Seeing the research on psychedelic medicine applied in clinical settings.

Enough about work! Let’s try some rapid fire questions;

• First, Where do you live? - Berkeley, California
• What's a perfect afternoon? - Cycling into San Francisco with my family
• Favorite food? Pizza/Pasta - Smoked herring
• Describe yourself in two words. - Authentic and Non-judgmental