I am one of the first Advanced Practitioners of Psychiatric Nursing to be licensed in Reno, and have been in practice for over 30 years. This license allows me to prescribe medications and practice psychodynamic-oriented therapy which looks at current issues in the context of past experiences, the developmental tasks we all must accomplish in our lives, and respects the interaction between mind and body. My education after nursing school includes earning bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology, followed by several years training as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. I then continued my education by earning a doctoral degree in counseling at UNR.
That training broadened my understanding of how and why we experience our lives as we do and how we can maximize that experience. I believe all behaviors are purposeful, have meaning, and stem out of self- love and self-protection. I see therapy as a journey of discovery about the self, understanding that we always take what seems to be the best option at that time in every situation. In my practice, I see adult patients over the age of 18, for therapy, medication management, or a combination of both. I am a provider with most of the major insurance plans in the area such as Aetna, Cigna, HHP, Prominence, Prime, Medicare, and others.
On your first visit we will discuss you and how I can help you. In addition to reviewing your basic demographic information, medical history, previous therapy history and a short family history, we will discuss your goals, my assessment, and a treatment plan we both agree on. Although I will be "in charge" of the therapeutic process, and the business end of my practice, what is addressed in therapy will be what you choose to examine; and the issues you bring to your sessions. Medication management may be part of the treatment plan (but therapy alone may be appropriate). I attempt to treat the most number of symptoms with the least number of medications, in the lowest effective dose. In on-going therapy, you will address areas you wish to examine, expand your options, and discover new choices that work better for you. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please download the forms found on this website; please complete them and bring them and your insurance card to your first session. Payment is always due at the start of the session. We can bill your insurance for their part of the payment, but the ultimate responsibility for payment is yours.
*Do not email these forms* The new patient form should be downloaded, completed, and saved onto your computer to prepare for our first meeting. You will also need a copy of your insurance card, or a written copy of all of the information on the card front saved as a document or PDF. At our first session, I will be able to get these files from you using my secure [telemedicine] program.