Social Science Research
Because my career has always been focused on different forms of direct practice social work, finding myself conducting research was a bit of a twist. Over the years that I’ve been a social worker, detours into administration, advocacy, and teaching have always led me back to the work of connecting personally with clients. Which I still love.
My interest in research is connected to my work with psychedelic medicines. Because of the War on Drugs, we have lost precious decades that could have been used to develop a greater understanding of how these medicines work and how best to use them to reduce human suffering. Suddenly, I had encountered a topic that was under-studied and where I felt I could make a contribution.
Recently, I had the chance to serve as the Primary Investigator for a small study that was approved by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s internal review board (IRB). This project is entitled “Approaches to Ketamine-Assisted Couple Therapy” and was published in June 2026 in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. As a result of this work, I had the chance to meet with and learn from some of the leading minds in the nascent/emergent subfield of psychedelic-assisted therapy for couples.
My current project uses qualitative methods to analyze the construction of the emerging occupational category of psychedelic-assisted treatment provider. This project is expected to conclude in December 2026.