Welcome to My Journal

I am a psychiatrist in Raleigh NC specializing in PTSD Care & Trauma Psychotherapy. I treat people with large or small trauma histories and my passion is working with people who have had unproductive, unhelpful, or even damaging experiences with previous trauma work.   I combine multiple modalities, such as acupuncture, hypnosis, ego-state parts work, somatic techniques, and EMDR strategies with Psychodynamic Psychiatry. I am careful with my words, my interventions and my...

What if working on your trauma didn't work for you? What if you've already done some trauma work and it was not helpful or even harmful? Would you consider it again? Did you feel like you were just re-telling and re-living the trauma? Good trauma work promotes processing and not just digging the mental ruts deeper! Coming at memories from a purely logical stance is likely to re-traumatize you with very little relief. This is because trauma is overwhelming to the nervous system...

If you want to see a change in body language, tell people you are a psychiatrist.   I don't think anybody loves small talk, but that's just what has to be done when you meet someone new.  After the standard hellos and introductions, I launch my (futile) delay and distract tactics.  I make small-talk drivel about the weather/traffic/day of the week, (as if it is going to work this time) but then comes the inevitable question... "What do you do?" Sometimes I am vague in my reply,...

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone!  Welcome to the year of the Snake!  I love a great metaphor especially when it comes to animal behavior and what we can learn from them.  I've always found snakes in the most unusual places and I've had many opportunities to ponder why they are in such unlikely places at those times. To me, snakes represent shedding our skin (when we have outgrown what has come become too tight and too small and no longer fits us.)  We have to shed our outer layers...