I grew up in south Florida and then moved to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University, where I completed my undergraduate degree in psychology. I returned to Florida State University to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Joiner. As part of my doctoral program, I completed an eating disorder-focused clinical internship at the University of Chicago Medical Center. After graduating, I worked as a professor in the psychology department at North Dakota State University for ten years. I have published over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on disordered eating, suicidal behavior, and other mental health topics and taught courses about abnormal psychology, child psychopathology, empirically supported interventions, and diversity in clinical psychology. I also had the privilege of serving as a research mentor for the following people when they were graduate students: Joseph Dombeck, Betsy Carter, Konrad Bresin, Darren Carter, Mun Yee Kwan, Allison Minnich, and Valerie Douglas. I co-host Jedi Counsel podcast, which discusses psychological science through fictional characters, current events, and interviews.