My combined clinical and research experience guide my aspirations to make a significant contribution to the field of psychosomatic medicine that can be disseminated and implemented in the clinic to improve the treatment of women coping with cancer, specifically, and individuals coping with chronic illness in general.
My current career focus is examining the mechanisms of art-based and verbal interventions for psychological and physical symptom reduction in cancer patients. This focus is part of an over-arching goal of increasing the understanding of the mechanisms through which art therapy has a salutogenic effect. My work aims at conducting clinical trials that enable the real-world examination of art-based interventions and their effect on psychological and physiological determinates of health, along with laboratory studies aimed at a focused examination of the physiological effects of art-making and engaging in creative endeavors.
I am interested in mentoring MA and Ph.D. students that are hard workers and have a passion for combining clinical knowledge and rigorous research to help individuals improve their well-being through art-making.