Training staff

Roles: Associate Director and Interim Training Director

Role: Staff Psychologist
I grew up living the life of a nomad for the first half of my youth; as the son of a pastor relocation was a common occurrence. During my adult years frequent moves have been sparked by my pursuit of education, training, and work opportunities in the field of psychology. Over the years I have come to enjoy both the seasons of transition and change, as well as stability and consistency we all encounter to varying degrees throughout our lives. It is my belief that opportunities for meaningful growth and rewarding experiences abound during the ever unfolding beginnings and endings that comprise our life journeys. My own experiences with frequent moves as both a child and adult, and embedded in an interpersonal context, have shaped who I am and how I view and engage in the important life roles I assume, including psychologist.

My training and academic preparation began at Friends University where I completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Service Psychology. Following my time at Friends I went on to compete a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology at the University of Kansas. I subsequently worked for five years as a staff therapist and, eventually, clinical director at a residential facility for male, adolescent, juvenile offenders where I provided assessment and therapy services to residents and their families, oversaw the clinical program, and supervised marriage and family therapy practicum students. During that time I also served as an adjunct professor at Friends University. I continued my graduate training at George Fox University where I earned a master’s and doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. My postdoctoral residency was completed at Hazelden, now Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, an inpatient addictions treatment center located in Oregon. I returned to Kansas in 2013 where I obtained licensure as a psychologist and began work as a full time independent contractor for a counseling center in Manhattan providing therapy and assessment services to residents of Manhattan and surrounding communities. I joined the K-State Counseling and Psychological Services Team as a staff psychologist in August of 2017. One of the great appeals of the K-State CAPS program was the opportunity to be a part of the training of future psychologists, a strong professional interest of mine. Other draws for me included the chance to work in a university setting and as a part of a multidisciplinary team serving a diverse student population. My research and clinical interests include clergy mental health, trauma and addiction, the integration of spirituality into mental health care, mindfulness, clinical training, domestic violence/interpersonal trauma, and body image issues in males.

I think about supervision as a collaborative endeavor in which both supervisor and supervisee work to identify individual training goals/needs and establish a plan for meeting those goals/needs. My approach is integrative in that it is informed by developmental, competency, and psychotherapy based models of supervision with an emphasis on establishing a strong/supportive working alliance with the supervisee.

My approach to therapy is grounded in both Cognitive Behavioral, Emotion Focused, and Interpersonal process principles and techniques. Identifying and altering patterns of thinking, behavior, relating (to self/others), and coping is a primary focus of treatment. Additionally, I frequently incorporate mindfulness based and solution focused interventions into the therapy.

Role: Staff Psychologist, Assessment Seminar Leader and Assessment Coordinator

Pronouns: she/her

Education:
Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation and Human Services with a minor in Psychology (2016): University of North Dakota
Master of Arts in Counseling (2018): University of North Dakota
Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology (2022): University of North Dakota
APA-accredited doctoral internship at Kansas State University
Post-doctoral residency at Kansas State University

Theoretical Orientation/Professional Interests: I provide psychotherapy, with particular interest in helping students with identity, family, anxiety, sexuality, gender, ADHD, and/or interpersonal relationship concerns. I function within an integrative framework combining interpersonal psychotherapy with trauma-informed and culturally sensitive practices, including techniques from CBT, solution-focused, and emotion-focused therapies. I focus on the therapeutic relationship and modeling a culture of respect, genuineness, authenticity, collaboration, and safety. I tailor my treatment approach to the unique individual and their specific concerns and goals. I provide individual therapy and ADHD evaluations, consultation, workshops, and outreach.

Personal Interests: Outside of clinical practice, I enjoy golf, traveling, reality TV, and spending time with my partner, friends, family, and two dogs.

Role: Staff Psychotherapist
Seminar: Diversity Seminar and Supervisor

Education:
BS: Martin Methodist College, Behavioral Science
MS: Kansas State University - Marriage and Family Therapy
PhD: Kansas State University - Marriage and Family Therapy
Post Doc: Kansas State University - Marriage and Family Therapy

Therapeutic Orientation: I am a bilingual (Spanish and English) eclectic therapist who highly values the quality of the therapeutic alliance. I practice trauma-informed therapy and I usually utilize skills from CBT and ACT to help clients cope with current difficulties. In addition, I am a leader of one of the workshops on interpersonal relationships and coleader of some of the therapy groups such as Calming the Storm. I also see distressed couples and couples wanting premarital counseling.