Crafting Inner Gold Through the Power of Transformation
The Why Behind My Holistic Approach to Mental Health
About Me
How I Got Here
I see you, and I’ve lived it too. For years, I looked high achieving on the outside, but inside I felt unsure, less than, and often like a fraud. Behind the scenes, I battled anxiety, undiagnosed ADHD, bouts of depression, and a relentless drive to be perfect. Outwardly, I had the degrees, the career, the accomplishments. Inwardly, I felt disconnected, guilty, and unsure of who I was if I wasn’t achieving.
Perfectionism crept into everything — replaying conversations with other moms, obsessing over whether I’d said the “right” thing in meetings, pouring myself into work until I had nothing left for my family. I was wired but tired, scattered yet over-preparing for every detail. My body told the story too: headaches, fatigue, muscle tension, insomnia. Even in moments that should have felt joyful, I felt flat, stale, and out of sync with myself.
I tried to “fix” it the way so many women do — exercise, coaching, supplements, endless to-do lists, even pushing harder at work. Nothing gave me the relief I was chasing. I still felt unsatisfied, restless, and searching for something I couldn’t quite name. What finally helped me heal was accepting that I couldn’t out-think or out-achieve my way out of burnout — I had to look deeper.
For years, no one took me seriously because I was “high achieving,” so I had to seek answers on my own. Through therapy, functional lab testing, supplements, lifestyle changes, and values-based work, I began to see the full picture. I wasn’t weak or unfixable. My body was depleted with vitamin deficiencies, and my nervous system was stuck in overdrive. At age 40, I was finally diagnosed with ADHD through neuropsych testing — learning that my brain was wired differently all along. Once I had clarity, I could finally stop surviving and start rebuilding my life from the inside out, focusing on what truly mattered to me.
That transformation didn’t just change me — it shaped the way I practice psychiatry today. When I sit with women who are burned out, caught in spirals of anxiety, or questioning who they are without the titles and promotions, I don’t just see symptoms. I see a story I know by heart. That’s why my approach goes beyond simply managing symptoms. I use both clinical expertise and lived experience to uncover why you feel the way you do, align treatment with your values, and help you reclaim your confidence, rediscover your identity, and finally enjoy the life you’ve worked so hard to build. That’s the heart of my holistic approach to mental health — and the reason I created Mind Alchemy.
My Approach
Boutique Psychiatry that Redefines Mental Health Care
I’ve worked in the traditional systems — the large corporations where people wait months for an appointment, only to have a brief encounter that barely scratches the surface and focuses almost entirely on medication. It never sat right with me. My perfectionism, my high standards, and my belief in excellence made it impossible to accept that this was “good enough.”
So when I created Mind Alchemy Mental Health, I built it differently. My model is intentionally boutique. I keep a small caseload so I can give every client the time, depth, and attention they deserve. This isn’t surface-level symptom management. It’s personalized, root-cause, concierge-level care designed for ambitious women who expect the same excellence in their mental health care that they demand in every other part of their lives.
By limiting my caseload, I protect my own well-being too. That means I’m not burned out or spread thin — I’m fully present, fully invested, and able to pour everything I have into the clients I work with. It also allows me to model the very thing I encourage my clients to create: balance, boundaries, and alignment with their values. Because real healing isn’t just about getting out of crisis — it’s about building a life where thriving is sustainable.
I believe boutique psychiatry is the future. It’s the model that actually delivers results — faster, more precisely, and with lasting transformation — because it blends the rigor of science with the excellence, presence, and personalization modern women value. And it’s where a holistic approach to mental health finally becomes the standard, not the exception.
What You Can Expect
When you work with me, your care is never reduced to a checklist. Every journey begins with a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation — a deep dive into your history, current stressors, and the patterns that keep showing up. I take time to understand not just your symptoms, but your whole story.
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From there, we get to the foundation: functional lab testing. These labs are a cornerstone of my approach because they often reveal what traditional psychiatry overlooks — nutrient deficiencies, hormonal shifts, inflammation, or other imbalances that can quietly fuel anxiety, depression, ADHD symptoms, and burnout. Instead of simply asking if your numbers fall into a “normal” range, I interpret them through a functional lens, looking at what’s optimal for you. This step is vital, because if your body isn’t working at its best, no medication or therapy will ever give you the full results you deserve.
Depending on your needs, we may also use QbCheck ADHD testing for objective clarity, or genetic testing to understand how your body responds to medications. Once we have the data, we create a personalized plan that may include medication, deprescribing, pharmaceutical-grade supplements, therapy, or lifestyle strategies — always tailored to your values and goals.
Most importantly, this plan evolves with you. We’ll track progress together, adjust as needed, and focus not just on relief but on prevention — protecting you from sliding back into burnout or disconnection. My goal is to help you move beyond survival mode and into a life that feels energized, aligned, and fully yours. That’s the power of a holistic approach to mental health: healing that doesn’t just quiet symptoms, but transforms the way you live.
Outside the Office
When I’m not working with clients, I’m a wife, mom to two boys, and dog-mom to three pups. Movement has always been a core part of who I am — I ran competitively for years until a knee injury forced me to shift gears. These days, you’ll find me skiing in the mountains, hiking or biking in the Colorado sunshine, or sweating it out on my Peloton tread or bike. Exercise isn’t just a hobby for me; it’s essential for both mental and physical health. Staying active sharpens cognition, strengthens resilience, and, I believe, is one of the keys to aging gracefully and living life to its fullest.
But I’m also silly and playful — because adulting and being a professional doesn’t mean losing your sense of fun. Whether that’s laughing way too hard with friends, goofing around with my kids, or just letting loose in everyday moments, I believe playfulness is part of staying healthy too.
I’m a regular at Rockies and Broncos games, and I love cheering from the sidelines at my kids’ sports. Balance matters deeply to me, which means you’ll just as often find me belly-laughing at something ridiculous as you will see me binging a psychiatry podcast or diving into new research.
My Path In Healthcare
Before opening Mind Alchemy Mental Health, I spent over a decade as an ICU and perioperative nurse. Those years gave me a deep respect for the connection between physical and mental health, and taught me how to navigate complex cases with precision and compassion.
I went on to earn both my Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at the University of Colorado, where I later returned as an assistant professor. Teaching and mentoring students shaped my passion for advancing psychiatry — not only in clinical practice but also in research and education.
Over the years, I’ve been honored with awards for academic excellence, clinical impact and leadership, published peer-reviewed articles, contributed to national conferences and even presented overseas. While these experiences strengthened my expertise, what matters most is how they shape the care I deliver today: grounded in science, but always centered on the woman in front of me — her story, her values, and her vision for a life she actually wants to live.
Why I Do This Work
For years, I chased achievement hoping it would fill the emptiness I felt inside. When it didn’t, I thought something was wrong with me. What I’ve since learned — and what I now help women discover — is that nothing was “wrong.” I just needed care that looked deeper.
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That’s the heart of Mind Alchemy. A place where women can stop pretending, stop pushing through, and finally find the answers they’ve been searching for.
My work isn’t about quick fixes — it’s about lasting transformation through a holistic approach to mental health, so you can show up as yourself, with confidence, energy, and joy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you only work with women?
No. I specialize in psychiatry for ambitious, high-achieving women in Denver and across Colorado because I understand the unique pressures they face—like burnout, perfectionism, and the constant drive to “hold it all together.” That said, my integrative, root-cause approach is effective for anyone seeking thoughtful, holistic psychiatric care. I also welcome men who are looking for a more personalized alternative to traditional psychiatry.
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Why did you choose to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner?
My path into psychiatry was both professional and personal. After years of working in nursing, I pursued advanced training because I wanted to bring a more holistic, root-cause approach to mental health. My own lived experience with ADHD, anxiety, perfectionism and burnout also shapes how I connect with and support my clients.
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How does your background make your approach different from other providers in Colorado?
With over 18 years in healthcare—including ICU nursing, hospital psychiatry, and academic teaching—I bring both medical depth and integrative training. That means I look beyond symptoms, considering nutrition, hormones, lifestyle, and emotional patterns to create personalized treatment plans for ambitious women across Colorado.
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What’s the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychiatric nurse practitioner (NP)?
Both psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners (NPs) are licensed medical professionals who diagnose and treat mental health conditions. The main difference is in training: psychiatrists are medical doctors (MDs or DOs), while psychiatric NPs hold advanced nursing degrees (MSN or DNP) with specialized training in psychiatry. You can learn more about what a psychiatric nurse practitioner can do on my blog.
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In practice, both can prescribe medication, provide therapy, and create treatment plans. Psychiatric NPs often bring a more holistic approach rooted in nursing values, while psychiatrists train in a medical model. At Mind Alchemy Mental Health in Denver, I use my background as a doctorate-prepared psychiatric NP to blend evidence-based psychiatry with integrative care—helping clients across Colorado access personalized, root-cause mental health support.
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