As an outpatient general adult psychiatrist for nearly a decade, I have developed a great passion for working with individuals and groups to overcome their personal and social obstacles to achieving their goals and dreams. My objective is to help clients make the best use of their strengths and the support available in the community to maximize their recovery and autonomy. During the past few years, I have been speaking in the community at a variety of destinations. My presentations and those of Recovery In Action, International, are designed to build hope and awareness of recovery, help eliminate stigma against mental illness and substance abuse and to transform our mental health systems to become more recovery oriented and client driven.

During my twenties I became devastated by recurrent episodes of severe depression. I eventually obtained help from spiritual practices, mental health services, and peer support. I began to recover, and was able to take on roles that previously I had been forced to give up. Wanting to pass on the help I had received to others I felt the best way to share my recovery was to become a psychiatrist and help others find their way.

I became a Doctor of Medicine at Brown University in 1996 and graduated from Harvard as a psychiatrist after completing my training at Harvard University Psychiatry Residency Training Program in 2000.

My work as a psychiatrist has been influenced in a profound manner by my experience and recovery from depression. It has been invaluable as I work with the clients, families and professional groups and share my story and my views at speaking engagements. I had learned about the importance of multiple factors in recovery from mental illness and share information of the many options available to help along with my personal story. Hope, self determination, taking on meaningful roles, and surrounding yourself with others who believe in you are all also important in recovery from mental illness.