It all begins with an idea.

Dr. Kruszewski's graduate and postgraduate work focused on risk and resilience for trauma, stress, and chronic illness in both civilian and Veteran populations. In 2012, Dr. Kruszewski had a unique opportunity to serve as the first Civilian embedded psychologist at Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), at what was then called the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion. At MARSOC, Dr. Kruszewski realized her passion for helping to enhance performance and well-being for individuals and organizations engaged in high-intensity missions with global impact.

At MARSOC, Dr. Kruszewski (aka Dr. K) quickly realized that her most important task was to gain cultural competence. With Marines and Sailors constantly deploying, training, and spending time with their families whenever possible, intervention needed to be flexible, effective, and individualized. Dr. K collaborated with senior enlisted leaders, officers, and other embedded assets to shape and deliver interventions and programs. Dr. K had many conversations about how best to serve this community. The question seemed to boil down to: how to fix a car on a train that is moving at 150 miles an hour without rendering the train useless or injuring the passengers on it? In her nearly six years at MARSOC, Dr. K often returned to the same answers: proactive education, culturally-competent treatments and programs, and collaboration with the organization and family members. The goal was to enhance resilience to ongoing stressors while promoting recovery from existing injury. To both fix the train and teach the passengers to notice and address the sounds coming from the train car before it breaks down next time.

While it was intensely gratifying to work at MARSOC, Dr. K made the tough decision to leave in December 2017 to open the Center for Stress Recovery and Resilience (CSRR). Her goal was to replicate this model of recovery and resilience-building for individuals and organizations engaged in high-demand personal and professional endeavors. The CSRR has a threefold mission: provide culturally-competent, evidence-based clinical care, enhance CSRR therapists’ professional knowledge and personal well-being via ongoing education and networking, and provide trauma-sensitive resilience-building consultation, training, and psychotherapy for organizations and individuals engaged in high-demand professional and/or personal commitments.


CSRR

As the founder and Clinical Director at CSRR, my goal is to flexibly, respectfully, and adeptly support our community and staff. I oversee our daily operations, nurture our community relationships, and provide consultation and education for our clinicians.

As a clinician at CSRR, I provide individual psychotherapy to adults recovering from trauma, anxiety, and life stressors. I also train individuals and groups in mindfulness-based approaches. Finally, I assist leaders to enhance the collective wellness of their organizations, such as military and non-governmental organizations.

WHAT MOTIVATES ME TO DO THIS WORK?

I am inspired by the fact that when one person improves their well-being, they become a resource for their entire community. Additionally, learning from every client keeps me curious and engaged. Finally, I am committed to helping people develop mindfulness and compassion skills to meet moments of challenge and enjoy moments of peace.

BACKGROUND

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from Brown University and earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Arizona State University. I completed a year-long APA-accredited internship at the UCSD/VA San Diego Healthcare System Clinical Psychology Internship Program, specializing in adjustment to chronic pain, disease, and acute burn injury in Veterans and Civilians. I also completed a year-long APA-accredited VA Evidence-Based Psychology postdoctoral fellowship, specializing in Mood, Sleep, and Suicidality for both inpatient and outpatient Veterans. I achieved board certification in clinical psychology in 2015.

Prior to founding CSRR, I proudly and gratefully served as the first embedded Civilian psychologist for the Marine Raider Special Operations Command (MARSOC) on Camp Pendleton from 2012-2017. At MARSOC, I developed rare expertise in delivering evidence-based approaches in real-time for members of a high-tempo unit. At CSRR, I apply this knowledge in other contexts.

SPECIALTY AREAS

Clinical specialties:
Trauma, anxiety, sleep disorders, adjustment to illness, injury, and life transitions.

CLINICAL POPULATIONS:

Adult individual clients and teams. Specific populations of interest include: military and first responder personnel and family members, parents of children with special needs, organizational leaders, and those seeking to learn how to manage stressors with mindfulness.

THERAPIES UTILIZED:

Mindfulness-based therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

PASSIONS/INTERESTS

I love hiking, biking, swimming, and high-intensity interval training. As a mother of two young children, one with special needs, I am passionate about meaningful inclusion and respect for people. I also take every chance I get to support other parents of special needs children. Personally, I benefit from an ongoing practice in mindfulness meditation. Being present and connected with my loved ones matters to me greatly, as well as living authentically and with integrity.


  • Founder and Director, Licensed Psychologist (CA PSY 24375)

    My clinical specialties are trauma, anxiety, sleep disorders, adjustment to illness, injury, and life transitions.

    Therapies utilized: Mindfulness-based therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.