Practice Philosophy:
Dr. Van Berkel is a licensed clinical psychologist who works with adults struggling with a wide range of mental health concerns. She pivoted to a career in mental health after working 15 years as an educator and emergency management professional, where she witnessed the impact of traumatic events around the world and was moved by the vast number of people with untreated mental health issues. Her approach to treatment is informed by these experiences, which helps her relate to people across cultures and professions. She has familiarity with the stresses and challenges of working in government, non-profit, and private sector spaces.
Easy to connect with, Dr. Van Berkel creates a friendly, safe environment for clients, using culturally sensitive, evidence-based treatments that foster collaboration and trust. With humor and compassion, she encourages clients to accept themselves as they are while helping them to identify what is getting in the way of constructing the life they want to live. She individualizes treatment to each client’s unique needs, values, goals, and personality. She also helps clients improve their self-efficacy, develop healthier relationships, and practice skills to regulate their emotions. Clients learn new ways to think about their past, present, and future while processing painful experiences that have interfered with their current functioning.
Areas of Expertise:
Dr. Van Berkel specializes in treating adults with anxiety, depression, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), fears and phobias, OCD, mood disorders, suicidal thoughts, and emotion dysregulation. These issues often present as struggles with work concerns, relationship conflicts, career and life transitions, and cross-cultural adjustment. Dr. Van Berkel has been intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and has completed advanced training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), and Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS). Her extensive background encompasses working with trauma patients including veterans with PTSD, survivors of abuse and assault, and survivors of natural disasters. She also treats those in the aviation and first responder communities.
Experience and Training:
Dr. Van Berkel earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Eastern Kentucky University, where she focused her research on the cross-cultural efficacy of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and trauma interventions. She completed her clinical internship at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center, Department of Psychiatry, in New Orleans. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Arlington/DC Behavior Therapy Institute, treating culturally diverse adults experiencing a wide variety of clinical concerns. She has been appointed by the American Psychological Association (APA) to the position of Federal Advocacy Coordinator, where she is an integral part of the team responsible for APA’s public policy, lobbying, and advocacy. In this role, she also helps to educate Congress about issues that impact mental health. Prior to her career in clinical psychology, Dr. Van Berkel received her master’s degree in international relations from the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce and held positions focused on organizational coordination after disasters.
