Director
Dr. Kahler (she/her/hers) received her Doctor of Psychology degree from The George Washington University in 2001, and an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University. She completed her Pre-Doctoral Internship at Cambridge Hospital/Harvard Medical School and Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Sheppard Pratt Hospital in Baltimore, in the Trauma Services Program. Dr. Kahler has worked as a Psychologist and Clinical Supervisor at The Center: Posttraumatic Disorders Program, an inpatient trauma treatment program; as a Psychologist Supervisor on the inpatient unit and in the trauma program at the Washington, DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center; and as the Associate Director of Counseling at New York University in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where she developed and managed a university counseling center for the 4 year campus. Prior to joining Mason, she served as Director of Psychology and Training at a psychiatric hospital in Washington, DC.
Dr. Kahler’s primary areas of clinical expertise are in complex trauma and dissociative disorders, and the assessment and management of suicidality and self-injurious behaviors. Due to her past clinical experiences, she also has an interest in working with international students and veterans. Dr. Kahler has had extensive experience in supervising and training doctoral students in psychology. At Mason, she provides group supervision to Pre-Doctoral Psychology Interns and also provides seminars on the treatment of trauma.
Here at Mason, Dr. Kahler serves as the primary administrator for developing, maintaining, and evaluating the services provided by CAPS. She is responsible for recruiting and supervising the CAPS staff. She ensures that CAPS connects with campus partners to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of Mason students, with a special focus on underrepresented members of the Mason campus community for whom there may be real or perceived barriers to seeking mental health services. Finally, she oversees the process for CAPS’ full accreditation by the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS).