Like many of us in psychiatry, I was originally drawn to the field due to my own traumatic experiences. I wanted to understand why people who appear kind and healthy can be compelled by an unseen internal force to harm those around them. I learned that people are multifaceted and that their own histories and traumas often inform their choices. I also wanted to be a support for others who struggled with trauma and who lacked the support they needed to heal.

My own history of trauma coupled with a support system that allowed me to be resilient and find strength gave me a sense of obligation to help others who were dealing with traumas and mental health issues. I spent my first decade in psychiatry working with children and families struggling with complex trauma in inner-city Baltimore. I often felt frustrated by our lack of deep progress in healing the underlying intergenerational traumas affecting these patients and their families. Although we seemed to understand a bit more about the ways complex trauma affected the brain than we did a decade before, we didn’t have many tools that allowed us to effectively treat the issues. We continued to rely heavily on conventional psychiatric medications often with mediocre results.

I moved into a more integrative practice model about a year ago. I grew up as the child of two research scientists. I was taught from a young age to look for the why and to figure out the root causes of dysfunction. After a couple of decades of feeling disheartened with conventional treatments and our lack of understanding as to why they so often failed, I started to look for other options. I took some courses with James Greenblatt, MD, and signed up for the IPI integrative fellowship. I felt such a sense of excitement and revitalized energy as I learned new strategies that seemed to approach mental health and trauma from the inside out instead of mostly just reducing symptoms.

I currently use a number of integrative techniques and strive to help patients in the ways that feel best to them. I believe that true mental wellness is achieved by addressing the whole person-mind, body, and spirit. As such, I work to incorporate treatments that address all aspects of human living. I use conventional medications as requested or as previously prescribed and work on lifestyle interventions, gut imbalance, supplements, and nutraceuticals. I also work with patients to incorporate mind-body techniques into their daily routines and help them learn to regulate their nervous systems. I trained in Ketamine assisted psychotherapy at PRATI and plan to incorporate KAP into my practice in the near future.

Most patients respond with excitement and a sense of relief. Finally!! Something different! Often they have been trialed on a number of medications without ever feeling like they are thriving. Other healthcare providers can be skeptical but most have been open-minded and curious.