An In-Depth Interview With Dr. Harper

When Dr. Harper was still a medical student, she would regularly find herself surrounded by paper, colored markers, and the quiet focus of children at a local homeless shelter where she volunteered. “I just saw the impact of homelessness on these kids, the displacement, the chaos that was unfolding in their lives,” she recalls, noting that she felt compelled to act.

Working with a mentor, she helped to develop an art therapy program where children could draw and express their experiences and feelings, offering a rare safe space to process their emotions. It was another meaningful step in a journey defined by a deep commitment to those around her and advocacy for others.

Now, with extensive experience as both psychiatrist and educator, Dr. Harper brings the same compassion and curiosity to her clinical practice. She thrives on variety, whether she is treating children and adolescents, supporting college students transitioning into adulthood, or guiding medical students through their first experiences in psychiatry.

Her career reflects a consistent integration of community engagement and respect for vulnerability. “I love empowering my patients,” she says, with a warmth that is naturally disarming. “I want them to understand why we’re doing something, to build trust and to feel confident in their journey.”

Shaped by Service

Dr. Harper traces her path to psychiatry back to her formative experiences and a deeply rooted sense of service. Growing up in a family in which striving to make a difference was second nature, she learned early on that helping others was a lived responsibility.

Her mother, a special education teacher, and her father, a social worker, led by example. Holidays weren’t just family celebrations, they were often spent volunteering in the community. “We’d have our moment as a family, and then it was time to go down and serve food or do various activities where you give back,” Dr. Harper recalls.

Service also extended into everyday life. She smiles at the memory of her younger self grumbling when her dad woke her early on a Saturday morning. “All right, let’s go,” he’d say. “I’ve signed us up to help paint this community center.” Looking back, Dr. Harper feels that these acts of service shaped the person she has become. “It was a privilege to give back to my community and do those things,” she says.

This foundational perspective on service was crystallized by a far more painful experience: the sudden death from cancer of a close family friend when Dr. Harper was just 13. “He was 15. I remember that shock of seeing that we’re not invincible and that bad things can happen,” she says. It was a stark reminder for a teenager that loss can take many forms, and it later solidified her commitment to a career of supporting others through crises, grief and major life transitions.

When Science Meets Soul

When Dr. Harper entered medical school at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine, she initially thought she would become a pediatric oncologist, treating children with cancer. But an elective in hematology oncology revealed something different. During a consultation with a man in his 40s who had just been diagnosed with a severe brain tumor, Dr. Harper watched as her supervising physician delivered the clinical facts: prognosis, treatment options, next steps.

Yet her own focus wasn’t on the medical aspects of the diagnosis but on the man’s young family sitting by his side. “I just kept thinking about his family and what they must be going through to process this upcoming significant change in their lives. They were facing the loss of a loved one they thought would be around for decades.”

A series of similar experiences helped her to realize her true calling. During a pediatrics rotation, Dr. Harper noticed that while much of the focus was on medical interventions — like administering antibiotics or managing IVs — her instinct was to ask the parents, “How are things going at home? What are you struggling with?” She realized that her true interest lay not only in physical health but in the broader context of mental wellness and family dynamics.

Psychiatry offered a way to combine her clinical training with her instinct to support people emotionally — a blend of science and soul that felt like a perfect fit.

Therapy Mindset

Dr. Harper’s compassionate care for the well-being of her patients means she goes well beyond the approach common for many psychiatrists. Even during an otherwise straightforward medication management appointment, she finds ways to incorporate therapeutic principles, offering a holistic approach to care.

Her approach to therapy is grounded in collaboration, empathy and patience. She believes that meeting patients where they are — emotionally, mentally and in their readiness for change — is critical to fostering real progress. “I don't want my patients to feel like they have to move forward with a treatment before they are ready,” she says. “I want to have a collaborative conversation about personal goals and the treatments that are evidence-based. I work together with my patients to develop a plan that everyone can feel good about.”

Her practice integrates a broad spectrum of therapeutic techniques, from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to exploring psychodynamic and attachment factors in relationships and psychiatric disorders. For Dr. Harper, therapy isn’t just a tool, it’s a mindset that she brings to every interaction.

One recent experience highlights this commitment. Dr. Harper had been encouraging a younger patient with autism spectrum disorder, anxiety and depression to see a regular therapist as the system in which she was working limited how frequently they could meet. “He kept asking me, ‘But aren’t you my therapist?’” she recalls. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me, because therapy is such an important part of my practice.”

Spreading the Knowledge

After finishing medical school in 2015, Dr. Harper has devoted much of her career to working as an educator, amplifying her impact beyond the walls of her clinic. Since joining the medical school faculty, she has relished the opportunity to shape not only future psychiatrists but all kinds of future doctors.

“Everyone coming through my classroom is a future doctor, but not necessarily a psychiatrist,” she explains. “In fact, for many doctors who aren’t psychiatrists, the last time they learned anything about psychiatry was as a third-year medical student.”

For Dr. Harper, this gap in education presented an opportunity to make a meaningful difference. By teaching medical students how to recognize and manage psychiatric issues, she has helped to prepare future family doctors, pediatricians and surgeons to approach mental health with greater empathy and understanding.

“I’ve seen this incredible transformation in students,” she says. “They start the rotation nervous and unsure, but by the end, their minds are wide open. They’re more prepared to understand and support patients with mental health needs.”

Her passion for education extends into her clinical practice. Dr. Harper believes that knowledge is empowering; she takes the time to educate her patients about their conditions and treatments. “There has to be this level of trust between a physician and their patient,” she says. “I want them to understand why I’m recommending something and to feel confident in their care.”

Pioneering Telepsychiatry

Dr. Harper not only has extensive education and clinical experience behind her, but she has also been an early adopter of telehealth, long before the pandemic made virtual care mainstream.

For almost 10 years, she saw patients in a clinic primarily serving children, adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities and various learning disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. Many such patients struggle with changes in routine, and the ability to log in from home, school or work minimizes disruption and stress. “They are able to maintain their routine, which is so important for this population,” Dr. Harper notes.

Additionally, many of her patients lived several hours away, and without virtual appointments, psychiatric care might not have been feasible. “Telepsychiatry is something that needs to expand because it improves access to care that people otherwise wouldn’t have,” she says.

One of the unique benefits of telehealth, according to Dr. Harper, is the opportunity to see patients in their home environment. “There’s something comforting about having this space that’s yours,” she explains. “For a lot of people, their homes are their safe space, and they just feel more comfortable there versus sitting in a waiting room or clinical setting.”

She recalls moments when patients, particularly children, shared their world through the camera, from holding up their pets to sharing their personal space and meaningful objects. For Dr. Harper, these glimpses into their personal lives allow for deeper connections and have often facilitated more open and honest conversations.

For the Long Haul

For Dr. Harper, psychiatry is not just a profession. It is a lifelong commitment to patients' well-being. Her approach is rooted in building long-term therapeutic relationships, often watching patients grow and transform over the years. “There are some patients I started seeing when they were seven or eight and now they are 18,” she says. “I’ve had the privilege of watching them grow up. It’s amazing!”

One such story stands out: a young patient who had endured severe trauma and abuse as a child. When Dr. Harper first met them, they were struggling with anger, nightmares and significant PTSD symptoms. “They had been expelled from school, getting in trouble all the time.” Since then, years of therapy and support have led to a remarkable transformation. Now, the young adult is on the honor roll, applying to college and experiencing the everyday joys and stresses of teenage life, including healthy romantic relationships.

Asked how she maintains a bright demeanor while carrying others’ emotional burdens, Dr. Harper explains that her philosophy of care involves a delicate balance of holding and releasing emotional weight. “Part of my job is: when I’m with a patient, I share their burden,” she explains. “But patients won’t have the opportunity to change and move forward if I don’t also return that weight and help them carry it.” Such a mindful approach allows her to provide comfort without overstepping, empowering patients to process their experiences while knowing they are not alone.

This thoughtful balance is reflected in how Dr. Harper navigates her own life outside of work. She finds release in running, and live music offers an emotional outlet, where the stories told in lyrics offer a different kind of healing. And at home, it's the simple human connections — taking her daughter to the village sandwich shop, chatting with familiar faces — that reinforces the community spirit she brings into her practice.

Whether she’s jogging on a quiet trail, soaking in the vibes of her favorite band or guiding a patient through their darkest moments, Dr. Harper’s grounded perspective, one of calm and perseverance, remains the same. To those she cares for, her message is clear: “This is a marathon, not a sprint,” she emphasizes. “Things might not improve immediately, but I’m not giving up, and we have time to make real progress.”

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This blog post is brought to you by Apraku Psychiatry.

Apraku Psychiatry is a private practice offering video appointments with Board-certified psychiatrists licensed in multiple states. More blog articles can be found here. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Harper, patients can complete the online booking form below.