What life events or challenges that you’ve experienced (could be minor, could be major) – whether you’ve experienced them directly or via someone close to you, have had any type of impact on your desire to pursue a career in psychiatry?

The life events I’ve experienced have consisted of bullying, anxiety, and heartbreak.  That coupled with my inability at the time to express emotion, it all turned inward.

How did those events impact you emotionally/morally? How, if at all did those events impact the way you view how our current system teaches us to treat patients with mental health challenges?

At the age of 13, I started experimenting with illicit drugs.  Looking back, it was self-medicating at its best.  My substance use quickly progressed over the years and eventually got out of control.  I found myself in a very negative cycle that I couldn’t get out of alone.  Eventually (at the age of 20) I checked into a substance abuse treatment facility.  My own life experiences have given me the gift of empathy when treating others that are going through the same struggles I overcame.

When and why did you decide to actually focus on practicing Integrative Psychiatry, specifically, and how was your decision shaped by the experiences above?

Once discharged from my treatment center, I was introduced to 12 step meetings.  I was skeptical, but I started to notice that I felt better after each and every meeting. It felt “good” to be helped.  It was at that point where I made a decision to go into a “helping profession”. I mulled the idea of Psychiatry, but at the time, I didn’t trust myself with my own prescription pad.  My next best option was to pursue my Doctorate in Psychology.

What methods or practices do you utilize to help individuals get/feel better?

At Recovery Unplugged we utilize the power of music as a catalyst to connect with clients and break down barriers.  We have all the components of a traditional treatment center; we just use untraditional approaches.  Music targets the same areas of the brain that drugs and alcohol do.  All our facilities have live performance stages that our clients utilize daily.  Music really does have the power to save and change lives. 

How did people react when you share this Integrative/Holistic approach with them – whether it be patients or other doctors?

When people first hear of Recovery Unplugged, they are somewhat skeptical.  Recovery Unplugged is a complete and total music-immersive experience.  People tend to think our clients sit around, bang drums, and sing the Kumbaya. That couldn’t be further from the truth.  We have a very comprehensive clinical approach that consists of an individualized trauma track, as well as a family program.  Recovery Unplugged has undergone a longitudinal study that has demonstrated empirical evidence that our methods not only work but work more effectively than traditional modalities.