📍ATL -> OKC

Ohhhhhhklahoma where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain... 🎶

You heard it right: I’ve moved to Oklahoma City! I want to explain what prompted this move, how I will still support Georgia patients, and introduce myself to the Oklahoma natives.

I grew up in the Atlanta area and couldn’t wait to return after graduate school. I spent the first five years of my private practice career in Atlanta, supporting the local community and building strong connections with other providers and school systems.

Sometime after the pandemic, I began experiencing some symptoms that made me question whether I had long COVID. I began functional medicine (which I highly recommend!) to investigate any potential physical problems. Over time, I began to explore more about my environment, and I had to admit, it was grim. I rarely exercised; I gave no thought to the quality of my food or the fabric of my clothing; I barely spent time outside or in the sun; I sat throughout most of my day; I only knew two of my neighbors on a block that housed hundreds of people; I had many friends but our collective busyness made time together rare; I loved my work but I was preferencing it a bit too highly over leisure activities; the traffic in Atlanta stressed me out so badly that I was avoiding driving. As I began to make changes to my lifestyle, I began to feel that my area of Atlanta was not conducive to the lifestyle that I wanted to live.

Several factors, including my family’s migration back to Central Time and others that I can’t even logically explain, colluded and influenced my decision to temporarily try out Oklahoma City. After spending about 6 weeks here, I realized it had what I needed.

I’m a huge proponent of practicing what I preach. In addition to traditional psychology recommendations, I believe these lifestyle factors are incredibly important to both physical and mental health. If I can’t maintain a healthy lifestyle, I can’t expect that of my patients and families.

I have started a solo private practice and will be exploring other business enterprises aimed at promoting optimal mental health and getting this information to as many people as possible. For my Atlanta people, I am maintaining my Georgia contacts and plan to continue to provide high-quality care to the community. I appreciate the warm welcome into Oklahoma City and hope to be a helpful resource for this community. I am working in Nichols Hills, in the city center, with select availability to do in person work, such as exposure outings. (I also maintain PSYPACT to see patients in 40+ states!)