I have been US-licensed as a clinical psychologist for more than 16 years. Like most people, my professional pathway has not been a straight one; unlike many, my path has taken me to across the globe and across a wide range of settings which has given me unique personal and professional training opportunities.

I gained my professional foundation working in the Veterans Health Administration, where I was formally and intensively trained in several evidence-based practices for a range of mental health challenges, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBT-P), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Social Skills Training (SST), Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD (CPT), and Behavioral Family Therapy (BFT). During this period I also participated in research in my faculty role at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and had a small private practice in La Jolla, California.

With this strong foundation, I next stepped into the humanitarian sector and worked as a psychologist with both Medicines Sans Frontiers/Doctors Without Borders and International Medical Corps (IMC), leading mental health teams and providing mental health services to displaced people, refugees, and migrants in Southeast Asia, Europe, Oceania, and North Africa. I gained additional training in trauma-focused work, including Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), an evidence-based practice recommended by the American Psychological Association for those who have experienced multiple traumas throughout their life.

On a personal level, as a humanitarian psychologist, I grew immeasurably in my own resilience, personal philosophies, and greater worldview. I have lived and worked in extremely remote places, from a tiny, isolated island to the chaos of one of the world’s largest cities. I have witnessed or experienced firsthand the challenges of living and working internationally and the high highs and low lows of being a humanitarian: bullying, harassment, isolation, legal fears, moral injury, even deportation. I know that my experiences are both unique and all too common and I share this with you to highlight my ability to truly grasp and empathize with the unique challenges that face humanitarians and expats.