I am a licensed psychologist, behavioral health researcher, and a food allergy parent of nearly two decades. I hold a doctorate in child clinical psychology from the University of Washington. My approach draws on cognitive-behavioral therapies, mindfulness, acceptance, attachment theory, mind-body health, and behavioral skills training.

My first experience with severe food allergies came when my younger daughter had her first anaphylactic reaction at 6 months old. Many reactions later, she was diagnosed with severe allergies to more than a dozen different foods including 7 of the 9 top allergens. After months of seeing doctors, there was finally an explanation for her severe and unrelenting eczema, the itchiness and misery that kept both of us awake at night, her poor weight gain, and her reluctance to try new foods. Over time, we learned she was allergic to more than twenty-five foods and also navigated environmental allergies, eczema, and asthma alongside everything else.

I experienced firsthand the overwhelming stress and anxiety that accompanies severe food allergies. As a child psychologist, I understood the importance of meeting my daughter’s emotional and developmental needs while also protecting her and keeping her safe. I used my clinical and research skills to learn all I could about allergies so I could flexibly adapt and respond to my daughter in a way that allowed her to live as full of a life as possible. Some of her allergies self-resolved, some have been successfully treated through immunotherapy and are now included in her diet, and still others we actively avoid. Navigating those treatment decisions became its own education, one I now bring directly into my clinical work with families facing similar choices.

What I've learned on this journey, and continue to learn, shapes everything I now offer. I know that most people navigating food allergies cannot access the psychological support they need. Allergy-informed providers are rare. Geography, waitlists, and cost create real barriers. That is why I built Food Allergy Psychologist, to bring evidence-based tools, clinical expertise, and genuine personal understanding to anyone who needs it, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. 

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