Meet Our Pre-Doctoral Psychology Interns

By Pre-Doctoral Psychology Interns

The aim of the internship program at IHCRC is to develop psychologists to work effectively in underserved communities, particularly American Indian communities, and work in integrated care facilities. IHCRC has been fortunate to receive ongoing funding from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Program to help support their training. Additionally, the internship is part of the Northeastern Oklahoma Psychology Internship Program (NOPIP), an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited consortium, which further helps support the interns’ training. The interns come from all over the United States and have interesting and diverse backgrounds. They put together short biographies to share a little bit about themselves and the journeys that brought them to IHCRC.

I was born and raised in Accra, Ghana and spent roughly 7 years there before moving to Fort Benning, GA. A few years later, I moved to Virginia and have lived in Alexandria, Woodbridge, and Fredericksburg. I received my bachelor’s in Psychology from Virginia Tech and my master’s in Professional Counseling from the University of Oklahoma. I am currently a student at Texas A&M, pursuing my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. My clinical experiences have included trauma work with children and adolescents, community mental health, a university counseling center, working in Veteran’s Affairs, and outpatient telehealth for veterans, veteran family members, and firefighters. I am excited to be a part of the IHCRC team because the experience and knowledge I will receive as an intern will enhance my ability to work across the lifespan and with the Native community. My goal for the future is to continue working with individuals across the lifespan in underserved communities with an emphasis on trauma. 18 PROMOTING WELL-BEING

My life has been shaped by a passion for science and helping others. I grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs with a strong focus on the natural sciences throughout high school. I completed my B.S. at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in Biotechnology in 2008, after which I worked in the biotech industry for a year. I very soon realized that my passion was grounded in gaining a deeper understanding of the brain. This motivated me to complete graduate work at New York University in New York City, where I graduated with an M.S. in Neuroscience and Physiology with a focus on the primate visual system in 2013. After taking a step back to reevaluate, I realized that my academic training thus far had been lacking a more direct human element. I decided to pursue a joint Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder to engage in clinical research and work with clinical populations. There, my research has focused on understanding the role of the immune system in mental health, particularly in the context of novel therapeutics. Clinically, I have focused on working with underserved populations and acute mental illness. I completed a two-year externship in a bipolar specialty clinic, as well as a one-year externship at a substance use facility, in addition to the practica associated with my program. Most pertinent to my work here at IHCRC, I completed two summer externships working with native teens as a part of the Upward Bound program. I’m thrilled to be completing my internship here at IHCRC, and am excited for the opportunity to continue to grow as a clinician. In my free time I pursue a variety of different creative passions, including video production, public speaking, illustration, and special effects makeup artistry.

I was born in Georgia and was raised in rural Appalachia. As a teenager, I became interested in learning more about other cultures and began exploring and challenging some of my own cultural attitudes. I carried my cultural journey through my undergraduate studies, completing my bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Antillean Adventist University, a small private institution nestled in the mountains of western Puerto Rico. I then relocated to California to pursue a Psy.D. in clinical Psychology through Loma Linda University, where I lived for the five years preceding my move to Oklahoma in July of 2021. During my time in Loma Linda, I had the opportunity to work with individuals from a range of personal backgrounds and with a variety of presenting issues. My practicum placements have included community mental health, college counseling, Indian Health Services, and an intensive outpatient/partial hospitalization program focused largely on recovery from substance abuse. My research interests align with my passion for cultural humility, and my doctoral project explored outcomes of a bias-reduction intervention with medical students. My career goals are to practice in underserved treatment settings, with particular interest in working for Indian Health Services. I am excited to join the behavioral health team at IHCRC, and I look forward to a year of collaboration, new challenges, and growth through service.

The IHCRC Planned Giving Department offers a variety of ways that you can protect your family’s future, achieve your financial goals and help to ensure a brighter future for Tulsa’s Native American Community. www.ihcrc.org/legacy

American Indians have the option to enroll in health insurance coverage year-round and many may qualify for a $0 monthly premium.

You may qualify for financial help.*

Individuals with incomes below

Couples earning less than

Family of four with an income under

*Source: healthcare.gov/lower-costs Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association 611689.0321