The mission is to provide:1. Evidence-based psychotherapy for stress and aging related disorders to all in the community2. Knowledgeable, qualified, and culturally competent care to promote overall health and well-beinghttps://www.centerforstressandhealthyaging.com/

Provide Motivational Interviewing training and coaching for healthcare providers in the medical and mental health field

Completed post-doctoral fellowship in Primary Care-Mental Health Integration and Tobacco Cessation

Received training and supervision in multiple evidence-based psychotherapy treatments including: Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and CBT for InsomniaReceived training in administering assessments including neuropsychological evaluations for cognitive impairments and psychodiagnostic evaluationsCompleted rotations in substance use treatments (e.g., relapse prevention, mindfulness based relapse prevention, emotions management with an emphasis in DBT skills training), women's health, and primary care-mental health integrationConducted mental health initial assessments, clinic intakes, and provided individual and group therapy

Assisted medical doctors and hospital research staff with health related research projects in measurement development, data collection and analysis, preparation of presentations and manuscript writing

Assisted with testing the feasibility of a brief behavioral health intervention in the Emergency Department. Provided brief behavior modification counseling (15-20 minutes) based on the principles of Motivational Interviewing (MI) in the Pediatric Emergency Department to improve adolescent sexual health. Assisted with the development of a clinical practice guideline for adolescent sexual healthcare and a computerized system to generate tailored health service recommendations

Assisted in evaluating a national multi-site study assessing the attitudes, knowledge, barriers, and recommendations of HIV healthcare providers on how to best meet the reproductive health needs of patients living with HIVConducted interviews with healthcare providers in the Kansas City area to better understand current practices surrounding reproductive planning, perceived barriers to addressing safer conception and preconception care, and suggestions about how to improve comprehensive reproductive services for patients living with HIV Assist with coding transcriptions, analyzing emergent themes, and preparation of publications

Assisted in evaluation for KC Quest, an NIH funded 3-arm randomized control trial, to assess different types of communication with smokers. KC Quest is dedicated to learning from smokers who do not want to quit, or are not ready to quit, and how health care providers should communicate with their patients

Assisted in evaluation for project MOTIV8. MOTIV8 is an NIMH funded 3-arm randomized control trial to test the efficacy of novel behavioral adherence interventions in HIV-positive patients. Developed and tested research questions related to potential mediation factors (e.g. coping styles, substance use) that may impact ART adherence. Adviser for undergraduate students in an HIV research laboratory. Provided guidance to students in development and testing of research questions related to HIV and smoking cessation. Additionally, provide assistance in graduate school application process for undergraduates interested in pursuing graduate degrees

Provided individual therapy, in collaboration with licensed psychologists and other practicum students, to a diverse population of clients (children and adults) with various types of anxiety disorders using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & Exposure Response Prevention techniques. Common diagnoses include Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Panic Disorders, Hoarding, Trichotillomania, and specific phobias

Administered neuropsychological assessments to evaluate mental status, intellectual functioning, and assess for attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Provided psychological diagnostic interviews to patients who plan to undergo bariatric surgery, provided group therapy to patients who have undergone bariatric surgery to assist with successful transition to a healthier lifestyle

Provided individual (Cognitive-Behavioral, Prolonged Exposure, and Cognitive Processing Therapy) and group therapy (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Enhancement) to Veterans in the Addiction Treatment Program; common diagnoses include substance use and dual-diagnoses with depressive, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorders and serious mental illness

Provided individual therapy and psychological assessments to a diverse population of low-income and uninsured clients; common diagnoses included depressive, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, adjustment and personality disorders

Assisted in determining the feasibility and effectiveness of using a communication skills workshop to improve physician assistants’ communication and empathic skills working in oncology. Developed coding themes, coded transcriptions, and tested research questions related to the physician assistants’ self-efficacy and use of empathic skills during consultations with patients

Assisted with aspects of research on social sources that influence immigration, health, and student success in college in the United States; developed and tested research questions related to self-efficacy and physical activity in data collected from legal and unauthorized Mexican, Brazilian and Dominican migrants in Los Angeles and Boston using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach

Assisted with all aspects of research on prevention of and symptom control in cancer, including IRB proposals, data collection, data processing and analysis, literature reviews, and preparation of conference presentations and manuscripts; developed and tested research questions related to the role of fatalism and health in Latinas, physical activity and fatigue in African American cancer survivors

Assisted with data collection and analysis for ongoing project that studies development of sexually differentiated behaviors; assisted with animal handling, video and audio data recording, transcription of video and audio files to spread sheets, further analysis of transcribed data for poster presentation

Worked with students with severe cognitive delays, physical and behavior challenges with a wide range of disabilities (autism, down syndrome, mental retardation, cerebral palsy); led small group activities and worked individually with students; helped create and develop educational, social and communicative adaptations for individual students and classroom use, assisted with integration in general education classrooms