About Me

Career

My name is Thekla, I am a bridge builder and creating opportunity for human connection is my passion. As a clinical psychologist, I serve as a national leader in addiction medicine, and a strategic advisor to NIH (NIAAA/NIDA). I currently strengthen human resources for abortion providers, advise behavioral health tech companies in product development, guide health systems in implementing evidence-based practices, and teach self-compassion with medical students. My joy is bringing the neuroscience of self-compassion + wellbeing into our everday lives. I held a position as National Leader of Mental Health and Addiction Care at Kaiser Permanente for the last 14 impactful years. I actively share thought leadership through podcasts, participate in educational mini-series, and offer individual and team-based consulting. My journey in the field of healthcare communication began two decades ago, during which I honed my skills in teaching, training, coaching, facilitating, and continuously learning. Before my tenure at Kaiser Permanente, I served my community in Addiction Medicine Recovery Services, Integrated Primary Care, Bilingual Family Counseling, and Jail Psychiatric Services.

Portfolio

At Kaiser Permanente, I led large-scale dissemination, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based practices and policies in addiction medicine. Notably, I developed the Kaiser Permanente National Harm Reduction Strategy and acted as a subject matter expert in patient empowerment and provider wellbeing. I also passionately contributed as an interventionist and curriculum developer in several large-scale NIH studies. Additionally, I offered consultation to various entities, including: the Mental Health Scholars Academy; the Colorado Permanente Medical Group; Employee Assistance Programs, Thriving Schools, national marketing and communications, and employer groups. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I played a crucial role on the national psychological support team, facilitating Honoring the Healer and Listen to Heal programs focused on the wellbeing of our healers. I have facilitated Balint, Healing Circles, and other trauma-informed spaces that foster self-compassion and a sense of belonging.

As a communication coach, I have worked with medical students in the Foundations of Doctoring program at The University of Colorado and taught self-compassion with medical students as part of the Colorado Permanente Longitudinal Clerkship program. Since 2009, I've had the privilege of leading Provider Share Workshops in collaboration with Planned Parenthood Federation and the University of Michigan, domestically and internationally. I have also served as a member of the PPFA Abortion School Faculty since 2016 and served as a consultant to the Consortium of Abortion Providers.

Education

As a teen and young adult, I lived in Bolivia and Argentina and it forever altered my humanity. I received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Colorado College and Master's and Doctorate degrees from the California School of Professional Psychology. Upon completion of my PsyD, I attended  University of Massachusetts Medical School for Integrated Behavioral Health Consultation and Management; UC San Diego School of Medicine for Self-Compassion in Healthcare Leadership; and the Center for Compassion and Altruism at Stanford University School of Medicine for Applied Compassion.

The world needs each one of us, and the best way to give, is by nourishing from within.

I am an imperfect human, a mother, a partner, a sister, a daughter, a cousin, a friend, a neighbor, a student of somatic abolitionism and a citizen of the world.