In 1980 I received my undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Guilford College, Greensboro, NC. I received my Masters in Social Work from UNC at Chapel Hill in 1988. My specialty was Clinical Social Work with a mental health focus. My training in graduate school was primarily in Psychodynamic and Family Systems models of treatment. Since then I have also had training in clinical hypnosis and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

My experience for the past 20+ years has been in a variety of clinical settings, including psychiatric inpatient, partial hospital, mental health center, and outpatient clinic and private practice. I have led therapy groups for sexual abuse survivors and ACOAs at Holly Hill Hospital in Raleigh, NC. In addition, I have lead support groups in Domestic Violence at the Durham Crisis Response Center and the Family Violence Prevention Center, and groups for women (grief and loss, Addiction to Perfection) at the Orange County Women’s Center.

I have been in private practice for 10+ years. In addition to my clinical practice in psychotherapy, I teach a weekly DBT skills class. I’ve been co-leading DBT groups since October 2003, and also attend a monthly DBT consultation team.