I am a board-certified  and licensed clinical psychologist and a Tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I also hold a cross appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Additionally, I am the Director of the Trauma, Anxiety, and Stress Lab. My clinical and research background is focused on the pathology, assessment, and treatment of trauma, anxiety, and mood related disorders.

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Background: I initially completed a master’s degree in Experimental Psychology at the UTSA focused on coping with stress and biostatistics. I then earned a Clinical Psychology doctoral degree (PsyD) at Nova Southeastern University to balance my research background and further my understanding of interventions following trauma exposure. My doctoral training largely focused on evidence-based, cognitive behavioral psychotherapies and trauma exposure among military and first responder populations. I next completed a 1-year predoctoral internship at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, where I worked in the Combat Stress and Recovery PTSD Clinic, the Center for the Treatment of Addiction Disorders, and the OEF/OIF Clinic. Following my doctoral degree, I completed a 2-year trauma research fellowship at STRONG STAR Consortium. My residency focused on evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD, military health, and clinical trial methodology and biostatistics. 

 

Clinical: I have extensive training and experience in cognitive and behavior therapy. My expertise is in trauma-focused therapies, such as Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Written Exposure Therapy. However, I strive to maintain a generalist approach and have experience with anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders for adult and adolescent populations. I also incorporate standardized, evidence-based assessment into my clinical practice for diagnostic and outcome monitoring purposes. I also teach these methods to my students and encourage them to utilize the same procedures in their practice.​

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Research: My research career has broadly focused on trauma psychology, military health, and clinical trial research. I am most notably recognized for my work in PTSD treatment and biostatistics. Much of my research has focused on adapting psychological treatments in military populations and augmenting treatment outcomes through psychosocial and neurobiological mechanisms. In addition to my interests in trauma, I have training in clinical trial methodology and biostatistics. I also collaborate as a biostatistician on study design, statistical/sample size planning, statistical analyses, and database management. To this point in my career, I have been a key investigator on more than 20 grant projects funded through the NIH, DoD, VA, State of Texas, and private foundations.