My Professional Story

I have been a licensed professional in healthcare since 1996, initially as a NICU Nurse,  and as a Family Nurse Practitioner since 2006. I have worked in a variety of settings, finding each interesting and rewarding.  I gained a variety of skill sets and perspectives, from working in community clinics for the medically uninsured and underserved,  performing forensic exams for law enforcement agencies, providing primary care in private practice, as well as serving as a faculty member for the University of Florida College of Nursing Nurse Practitioner graduate programs. These settings enriched and informed my approach to my work. ​Over those years my clinical interests lead me into advanced training in Obesity Medicine, and I started practicing within the Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic at Springhill for UFHealth in Obesity Clinic as well as Sleep Clinic.  My time there was invaluable. It lead me to believe that the modern approach in healthcare that separates the mind and body of a client is a fundamentally flawed and limiting approach.​  I decided to pursue another program of graduate study at the University of Cincinnati to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. When I started that program I was offered the opportunity to study psychodynamic therapies along side the University of Florida College of Medicine Residents of Psychiatry. It was a rare and wonderful opportunity. I had been working within the Department of Psychiatry for a number of years as a Family Nurse Practitioner, and my professional development was supported by those outstanding faculty members. The mentoring I received in the early years as a PMHNP was instrumental in my development and I enjoy giving that gift to others, serving as a Supervisor for Psychodynamic Therapy for UF PGY-3 Residents.