Work
My work is evenly split between clinical service, research, and supervision. On the clinical side, I provide psychological care to patients with acquired disabilities, including spinal cord injury, brain injury, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. My work there focuses on adjustment to disability and on health behavior change. I also get to supervise residents and fellows during their rotations at the UW Medical Center.
Teach
Although I don’t teach formal courses, one of the best parts of my job is working with psychology residents and fellows, who come with a great deal of intellectual curiosity and a desire to learn. Mostly I try to give them the resources and information they need, without getting in their way.
Research
Like most of us in psychology, I’m interested in almost everything. Most of my work has focused on the intersection of gerontology and rehabilitation, and in looking at ways to improve healthy aging for people with mobility limitations. I also do some work in psychological approaches to manage chronic symptoms like pain and fatigue. Most recently, I’m looking at a brief psychological intervention to improve a person’s ability to cope with medical uncertainty. Over the years many residents and fellows have worked with our research team on data analysis and manuscripts.
Mentor
As a department, our goal is to mentor our trainees wherever they need it. For some trainees, that’s about developing new research skills, and for others it’s about getting training in a particular clinical approach or in working with a particular population. We also work closely with our trainees in professional development and the all-important work/life balance. I like to think our approach to mentorship is equitable and collegial, and never hierarchical.