I got interested in studying behavior as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Living outside my culture, I was fascinated by how complex and varied the human experience can be. When I returned, I earned a masters degree and doctorate in Clinical Community Psychology at DePaul University in Chicago. Through DePaul and a Fellowship at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, I learned traditional psychodynamic approaches to psychotherapy. My training continued with an internship and Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Northwestern University Medical School, where I trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). In 2005, I formed Nashville’s first DBT Consultation Team for therapists, an essential element of providing good DBT, which I continue to lead. I’ve spoken across the country about DBT, trained many DBT therapists, and I was a member of the working group that developed the criteria for the DBT-Linehan therapist certification — the most rigorous DBT certification available. After more than 25 years of doing psychotherapy, I’m always learning about new ways to help my clients. Most recently I completed intensive training in treating Complex PTSD.