Psychiatry rooted in science. Guided by curiosity. Focused on the whole person.
I became a psychiatric nurse practitioner because I've always been fascinated by the connection between biology, the brain, and human experience. Before entering psychiatry, I studied microbiology at McGill University, completed graduate coursework in medical microbiology and immunology, and worked in infectious disease research. That background shaped how I approach complex medical questions, with curiosity, careful analysis, and a commitment to evidence.
Symptoms rarely exist in isolation. Mental health is shaped by the dynamic relationship between brain biology, physical health, sleep, hormones, metabolism, nutrition, inflammation, relationships, and life experience, and understanding those connections helps me ask better questions and build treatment plans that are both evidence-based and individualized.
I've spent more than nine years in psychiatric practice, and more than a decade in the behavioral health field, across outpatient, inpatient, and clinical leadership roles. That work convinced me that mental health can't be understood through symptoms alone.
Every person's story is different.
Depression or anxiety might involve genetics, trauma, chronic stress, hormonal changes, sleep disruption, medical illness, or lifestyle factors, often more than one at once. My goal is to understand why symptoms developed in the first place, and to build care around that.
Understanding the Whole Picture
Integrative psychiatry doesn't mean choosing between medication and lifestyle approaches. It means considering every evidence-informed tool that might help. Good psychiatric care doesn't come from quick assumptions or matching a diagnosis to a medication; it comes from asking better questions and understanding the context behind what you're experiencing.
Medication can be life-changing, and so can thoughtful attention to sleep, nutrition, and lifestyle. Often the greatest benefit comes from combining approaches rather than relying on any single one.
Why Cairn?
A cairn is a stack of stones that has guided travelers through uncertain terrain for centuries, and a mental health journey can feel much the same: uncertain, without an obvious path forward. A cairn doesn't carry you up the mountain, it helps you find your way, and that's what I hope Cairn Integrative Psychiatry offers: not a promise to have every answer, but a commitment to bringing greater clarity to complex problems.
Professional Background
- Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC)
- Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, McGill University
- Graduate coursework in Medical Microbiology and Immunology
- Infectious disease research experience
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Vanderbilt University
- Formal training in integrative and functional psychiatry
- Functional and biomarker lab interpretation training
- More than 9 years of psychiatric clinical practice, and more than a decade in the behavioral health field
- Extensive experience with complex presentations in adolescents and adults
- Behavioral Health Medical Director, MaineHealth: built behavioral health programs and trained psychiatric providers
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call 911, or go to your nearest emergency department. This practice does not provide emergency services and messages are not monitored around the clock.