As a licensed clinical psychologist and performing classical musician, Dr. Humphrey is experienced in integrating the beneficial aspects of both art and science in her approach to conducting psychotherapy.   Harmony and balance are aspects of the therapeutic relationship she seeks to create, as well as functional tools for individuals and couples seeking therapy. 

Dr. Humphrey has several areas of specialty. One of her primary interests is adoption.  As an adoptee, she has a personal understanding of feelings that arise for some adoptees. Her dissertation, “Adopted Women Who Give Birth,” explored women’s experience of having been adopted in the closed adoption system, with no biological kinship until they had their own biological children.

Another area of interest is Body Dysmorphic Disorder, or BDD. BDD is a disorder of “imagined ugliness” and includes relentless preoccupation (more than one hour per day) with a perceived defect or minor flaw in one’s appearance. The obsessive worry and compulsive appearance-checking causes clinically significant distress and a disruption in functioning, particularly in social interactions. Dr. Humphrey administers assessments to patients of plastic surgeons to determine if a diagnosis of BDD is present, prior to accepting them for surgery.

Dr. Humphrey has worked with a wide range of couples and relationship issues.  A feature that often occurs is that couples wait too long to seek therapy when their relationship is undergoing distress.  A common relationship problem is communication skills, as individuals often assume that what they are trying to convey to their partner is being heard and interpreted the way they feel it internally themselves.  Although communication is a common problem, many other significant and painful issues are brought to couples therapy, whether the partners are both straight, both gay, or whether one partner is straight and the other partner is gay.  Dr. Humphrey addresses problems with all types of partnered relationships.

Collaborative Law is a non-litigational divorce process that includes 2 lawyers (one for each partner), a communications coach with a mental health background, and a financial advisor.  The primary reason couples choose collaborative law is because they want to maintain a civil relationship following the divorce, especially for the needs of their children.  The divorcing couple agrees to be respectful, honest, and to participate in good faith to try to reach an agreement which meets the interests of both parties.  Dr. Humphrey has training at the Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced level of Collaborative Law.