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Core Faculty and Clinical Associate Professor<\/h4>\nCore Faculty and Clinical Associate Professor<\/h4>\nI received my BS in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and my MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Binghamton University (SUNY) in Binghamton, NY.<\/span><\/p>\n I am a core faculty member of the MHCBM Program and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine.\u00a0 From 1998 to 2011, I was on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.\u00a0 I worked during this period as a clinical and research psychologist at Boston Children\u2019s Hospital (2008-2011) and McLean Hospital (1998-2008). \u00a0Although my general area of expertise is mental health disorders of childhood and adolescence, I have a strong interest in the neurobiological and psychosocial consequences of early psychological trauma as well as effective interventions for such sequelae. \u00a0To that end, I was an investigator on several NIH grant-funded projects focused on understanding the neurobehavioral effects of childhood maltreatment (e.g., sexual and physical abuse, verbal abuse, witnessing domestic violence, and other adverse childhood experiences [ACEs]). \u00a0I also served as a researcher on a SAMHSA-funded center devoted to developing, adapting, evaluating, and disseminating effective treatment approaches for traumatized children and youth, such as Trauma Systems Therapy (TST).\u00a0 Presently, I am an investigator and clinical research supervisor at the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute.\u00a0 Clinically, I use a scientist-practitioner framework and provide evidence-based mental health interventions.\u00a0 Specifically, I conduct applied behavior analysis, behavior therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy from both a developmental psychopathology and cultural\/contextual perspective. \u00a0My overarching mission is to improve the lives of children and adolescents who are either at risk for or already have impairing and\/or distressing mental health problems.<\/span><\/p>\n Q: Please describe your theoretical orientation and teaching philosophy?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: Behavior and cognitive-behavior approaches are the predominant evidence-based interventions for mental health problems during childhood and adolescence. However, the interaction of biological and psychosocial forces drives both typical and atypical human functioning. That is, both \u2018nature\u2019 and \u2018nurture\u2019 work in synergy to guide development. As a means to link these issues, I use a developmental psychopathology framework to orient both my research and therapeutic work. This model spans across scientific fields, including psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, and molecular biology, to best inform how children and youth can become impaired and dysfunctional and, in turn, how this maladaptive course can ultimately be redirected toward a normalized developmental trajectory.<\/p>\n Educating the next generation of practitioners is highly important given the public health impact of mental health problems locally, nationally, and globally. Because of this great need, I follow a philosophy of teaching that strives for excellence in students\u2019 critical thinking and clinical savvy as they develop and mature into their future professional lives. To that end, I use a combination of didactic and experiential learning activities to ensure that students gain the necessary knowledge and competencies that they can use to effectively help individuals in need of mental health services and support.<\/p>\n Q: Why did you choose to be a faculty member in the Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine Program?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: I was exposed early on to the gratifying and meaningful experiences of a career in the \u2018helping professions\u2019 because of my father\u2019s identity and work as a physician. Although I began undergraduate studies with the expectation to subsequently attend medical school, I eventually steered toward a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychobiology. This education \u2018opened my eyes\u2019 to the equal importance of psychological health and physical well-being. My college experiences also included an introduction to the delivery of mental health services at both ends of the service-setting continuum (i.e., home and inpatient hospital unit), which showed me that psychotherapeutic care can be compassionately and effectively provided regardless of where delivered. Moreover, I had the privilege during this time to meet a preeminent psychologist and psychiatrist who both encouraged me to pursue a doctoral program in psychology that emphasizes excellence in research as well as clinical training. Fortunately, I was accepted to and subsequently attended a program that fostered my development as a mental health professional in the scientist-practitioner tradition. To this day, my professional work in the mental health field continues to align with the definition of psychology and related fields as a \u201cscience of human behavior\u201d.<\/p>\n Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching in the Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine Program?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: As a mid-career Counselor Educator, I believe that I have attained sufficient clinical wisdom to effectively educate the next generation of licensed mental health clinicians. I also strongly feel the duty to pass along what I have learned over the years to my students. Moreover, I become immensely gratified whenever I get that \u2018sense\u2019 that my students are truly learning and consequently maturing both personally and professionally. This genuine impact that I can have on future practitioners is what continuously motivates me to teach and what gives me joy.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\nBiography<\/h4>\n
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