She has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Yale University and postdoctoral training in research health psychology from the Department of Medical Psychology at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and pursued study of zoology independently at the University of California, Berkeley. She specialized in women’s health, especially menopause, for over ten years, and is a member of the board of directors of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. A theorist and analyst, she has also published critiques of reductionist approaches to human biology like evolutionary psychology. She is also interested in holistic health. She is a graduate of the Ohashi Institute, where she studied the Asian bodywork practice Ohashiatsu, and has also studied a variety of other body-oriented practices.