Dr. Virts was born and raised outside of D.C. in rural MD. She has longstanding interests in the study of mind-body inter-connections.  In pursuing these interests, Dr. Virts graduated Magna Cum Laude from Virginia Tech in 1986 with a B.S. in Psychology and minor in Biology. She graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1997 with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and emphasis in Health Psychology.

 

Dr. Virts' past scientific endeavors include research on the physiological effects of stress on the human body, social support & chronic pain, physiological effects of dieting & bingeing, eating behavior patterns & energy expenditure in humans, menstrual cycle-related mood & food changes, and behavioral & pharmaceutical treatments for obesity & eating disorders. 

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To maximize her clinical knowledge and skills, Dr. Virts pursued training in behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic approaches to psychotherapy.  She also obtained Level II training in Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) in 2002.

 

After working for ten years in the Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the last five appointed to the clinical faculty as an Assistant Professor, Dr. Virts entered full-time private practice. Her training and experience allow her to match the best interventions to her clients' individual needs.

 

In psychotherapy, Dr. Virts aims to help her clients learn skills for coping with, working through, and resolving their particular struggles and become the person they desire and were created to be. She embraces her clients' spiritual and religious beliefs, flexibly integrating these into her clients' psychotherapy as they desire.  She also welcomes and is sensitive to the challenges faced by members of racial and ethnic minority groups and the LGBTQ community. 

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​Interpersonally, Dr. Virts can be described as warm, empathic, non-judgmental, rational, ethical, and good-humored.  Outside of work, she enjoys being with loved ones and in nature, dance, weight-training, and volunteering for organizations concerned with the welfare and protection of animals.