Who I Am

I am a licensed clinical psychologist. In addition to being licensed in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC., I am also authorized to practice telehealth in 42 states via the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, or PSYPACT.   

I have been independently licensed for 15 years and have two decades of experience conducting a variety of psychological evaluations, including (but not limited to) diagnostic assessments, therapeutic assessments, psychological assessments, adult Autism and ADHD evaluations, and forensic evaluations.  I conduct workshops on psychological evaluation for licensed psychologists, local universities, psychological associations, state hospitals, and attorneys.  I have testified in court in the DC metro area in education, family law, criminal, and civil proceedings. In addition, I have published academic papers on assessment, presented research at national and state level conferences, and have a published book on psychological assessment, Essentials of Rorschach Assessment: Comprehensive System and R-PAS.

My education:  I completed my Bachelor’s Degree at Brandeis University in 2002, where I had a triple major in biology, psychology, and neuroscience.  I completed my Master’s Degree in clinical psychology in 2004 at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.  I also completed my PhD in clinical psychology at Sam Houston State University in 2008, specializing in clinical and forensic assessment.  In 2008, I completed my pre-doctoral internship at the Superior Court of DC Child Guidance Clinic, where I conducted court ordered psychological assessments and therapy.  My post-doctoral fellowship was completed in 2009 in the Office of Forensic Services at Springfield State Hospital, which is a state-run psychiatric hospital in Sykesville, Maryland. There I conducted court-ordered forensic evaluations, including evaluations for competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and dangerousness.

Immediately upon getting licensed as a psychologist, I started a small private practice where I conducted psychological evaluations with children, adolescents, and young adults. I soon incorporated more forensic work, including sentencing mitigation and pretrial forensic evaluations on youth and adults with intellectual disabilities and Autism. However, my initial career focus was in academia.

After completing my post-doctoral work, I worked as a faculty member in the American School of Professional Psychology’s clinical psychology doctoral program at Argosy University in Northern Virginia. There I taught courses in psychological and forensic assessment until 2017. At this time, I decided to leave academia and pursue my love of psychological assessment full time. I joined a small group practice, Quince Orchard Psychotherapy, (currently Orchard Mental Health Group). I was attracted to this practice in particular because it accepted health insurance, which increased access to mental health services. The practice grew quickly and I quickly moved into the role of Assessment Director and was in charge of running the growing psychological assessment team at the practice.

I have always believed that psychological assessment was part of the therapeutic process. Psychological assessment is more than just diagnoses and numbers; it helps provide a better understanding of the human experience and can identify a “roadmap” for healing. I realized I can best provide a more therapeutic psychological assessment model in a solo practice. In 2024, I made the decision to branch out on my own. I started my own private practice, Pay It Forward Assessments, LLC. I named my practice  “Pay It Forward” because I have always believed services should be accessible to all. I have been conducting low cost and pro-bono work since I obtained my license, offsetting my costs of living through my primary employment at the time (e.g., academic, group practice work).  The practice is designed so that 20% of my evaluations are conducted free of charge to those individuals who cannot otherwise afford them. This allows me to pursue my goal of providing a therapeutic assessment experience while still giving back to the community.

It is important to me to give back to the community. I coach youth sports with Gaithersburg Recreation and SAM soccer, work with various nonprofit groups around Montgomery County (i.e., 480 Club and Identity), and currently serve as the co-chair for the School Health Council of Montgomery County. I also informally mentor young adults looking to pursue careers in psychology and mental health. The more we work together, the better the future will be for our youth.