I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist from Lafayette, Louisiana of Cajun and Indigenous descent (Chitimacha, Choctaw). I am grateful to have called Bvlbancha/New Orleans home since 2008 when I began studying psychology and philosophy at the University of New Orleans. I completed a Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Psychology in 2018 and a Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) in 2020 from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier University (APA accredited). Guided by a commitment to accessible, affirming, and culturally-attuned psychological care, I opened Attune Psychology in January 2023.

Academic TRAINING Background

For my dissertation research in 2019, under the supervision of Dr. Matthew J. Holcomb, I facilitated free community-based workshops for romantic partnerships, in order to examine the impact of mindfulness and acceptance practices on the effectiveness of relationship therapy, specifically the Gottman Method. This project began with a comprehensive literature review of the research on how mindfulness and embodiment practices impact neuropsychological processing, with a focus on social functioning, emotional regulation, and executive functioning.

After the workshops, participant data indicated that those who learned about mindfulness and embodiment were significantly more likely to still be practicing the relationship therapy strategies from the workshop, including three months later. Through this work I solidified my commitment to the assessment of executive functioning, embodiment and mindfulness-based therapies, and community-based care and research.

I completed a Doctoral Internship at Wake Forest University Counseling Center (APA accredited) which emphasized clinical services such as psychotherapy, crisis interventions, and diagnostic assessment, as well as community-based services like programming, coalition building, and community care. I then completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the VA North Texas Healthcare System (APA accredited), where I continued practicing clinical and community psychology, focusing on clinical care provision, consultation, research, and advocacy for marginalized Veterans and their families.

Additional clinical training highlights:

• Diagnostic assessment practicum at CrescentCare Health and Wellness

• Intermediate and advanced therapy practica at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center of New Orleans

• Advanced training in mindfulness, self-compassion, and acceptance at the Beck Institute

• Advanced training in couples and relationship therapy at the Center for Relationships - Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1 and 2

COMMUNITY-BASED ADVOCACY

Over the years, I have volunteered with several New Orleans-based community organizations focused on a range of justice issues, including mass incarceration with Freedom to Grow, sexual violence with STAR, and climate disaster recovery with SBP.

For about five years I served as a core organizer for TIDAL New Orleans, a transgender health equity collective. For TIDAL, I offered program development and assessment, organizational consultation, grant writing, and training development and facilitation. I also served as the Co-Principal Investigator for TIDAL’s community-based participatory research study, “‘Community Care is Our Own Salvation’: Community-Based Resilience and Healing for Trans Communities Surviving Natural Disasters in Louisiana,” funded by Tulane University’s Center for Public Service.

Currently, I serve as an advisor for QT Care House, a community collective cultivating community care services for multiply marginalized 2SLGBTQIA+ people. I also volunteer regularly for the Imagination Farm, “a space for those most impacted by climate change to explore, imagine, and share solutions for our future” and support their Indigenous Youth Land Stewardship program.

ACADEMIC ADVOCACY

• As an Adjunct Professor for The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier University’s APA Accredited Clinical Psychology Doctorate Program, I taught courses on consultation, supervision, trauma therapy, professional identity development, culturally-responsive care, and community psychology

• I have facilitated continuing education workshops for hundreds of allied health professionals in culturally-responsive and affirming care

• I have guest lectured for McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School and LSU Health Sciences Center in professional identity development

• Through my work with TIDAL, I co-developed a research internship offering training and mentorship in community-engaged research for local undergraduate students

• I served a two-year term on the Executive Board of the American Psychological Association’s Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, including as Program Chair for the 2022 APA Convention

credentials

MA and PsyD in Clinical Psychology (APA Accredited)

Louisiana Clinical Psychology License: 1655

Texas Psychology License: 38680