Research: My research focus has always been my passion: *self-care*. I am fascinated with the self-care techniques we draw from,  and how we take care of ourselves- during joyous times and during difficulty. How do we soothe ourselves, what activities do we turn to when our soul is calling out, or when our hearts are crumbled? I feel self-care and self-soothing techniques are the fundamentals of a balanced life, and what best carry us through challenging times.

My fascination with self-care inspired my dissertation and research articles, which has allowed me to give lectures and presentations on the topic. It is also an important theme that I bring into therapy and teaching: exploring how self-care is already being used, and introducing and inspiring new techniques. 

Coupled with self-care, I have also studied burnout extensively, and the various ways we experience work-related stress. The theory being that self-care prevents and reduces burnout or stress.

After finishing my postdoctoral fellowship at Cedars Sinai Thalians, I joined a research team of Cedars Psychiatry faculty. Together we have created articles on burnout and wellness amongst medical students, residents and physicians. 

We were recently published in The Journal of Graduate Medical Education on the topic of burnout and self-care in medical residents.

I also had the opportunity to present my dissertation research on self-care for therapists at the 2007 APA convention in San Francisco.

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