PhD · LP · CMNCS
“I grew up around pilots. I speak aviation before I speak clinical.”
One of fewer than 10 psychologists in Texas with specialized aviation mental health training — built for the unique demands, culture, and pressures of your career.
Dr. Powell didn’t choose to specialize in aviation mental health by accident. She grew up in an aviation family and is married to a Navy SEAL turned pilot. She knows what a duty day feels like on the family side — the stress of a looming check ride, the disruption of a base change, and the constant, underlying pressure to protect the medical certificate at all costs.
When she entered clinical practice, she saw a massive gap: pilots were avoiding therapy because traditional therapists didn’t understand the FAA. A pilot would mention feeling burned out, and a well-meaning clinician would immediately diagnose them with Major Depressive Disorder — a diagnosis that could ground them for months or years.
“I built this practice to solve that problem. I speak pilot, not just clinical. I understand the operational reality of your job, and I know how to provide the care you need without jeopardizing the career you’ve worked so hard to build.”
What Sets Her Apart
Built around the nervous system demands of aviation — not adapted from a generic clinical model.
Flying demands intense vigilance, rapid decision-making, and emotional compartmentalization. Dr. Powell works on strategies to down-regulate hypervigilance after a tough rotation so it stops following you home.
Every note and treatment plan is written with the understanding that the FAA may one day request those records. She documents your resilience, your proactive steps, and your fitness to fly — not your vulnerability.
As a CMNCS, she goes beyond symptoms — assessing how nutrition and lifestyle directly influence mood, energy, and cognitive performance. Critical for high-performance aviation professionals.
Certified Mental Health & Nutrition Clinical Specialist
CMNCS is not a separate license — it’s an advanced certification built on top of Dr. Powell’s clinical psychology foundation. It reflects a root-cause philosophy: addressing the biological and lifestyle factors that drive mental health outcomes, not just the symptoms.
For pilots, whose performance depends on mood stability, cognitive sharpness, and stress resilience, this integrated approach is uniquely powerful.
Some services are license-bound & state specific because so. Others are available to aviation professionals across the country. All services are virtual.
Services like aviation therapy fall under Dr. Powell’s Texas psychology license and require you to be physically located within the state of Texas, Arizona, or Florida at the time of the appointment.
These services fall outside clinical licensure and are available to aviation professionals across the United States — wherever you’re based.
Ready When You Are
Book a call to discuss your needs & see if Dr. Powell, The Aviation Therapist is the right fit.
Confidential · FAA-Informed · No Judgment
