Dr. Rhea Ann Merck has worked in the field of mental health for over 32 years. An alumnus of the University of South Carolina, she received her PhD in Psychology from the University of North Texas and has maintained a private practice in Columbia since 1996. She has worked in hospital in-patient and out-patient settings, university counseling centers, has been the Director of Training for the Pre-doctoral Psychology Internship Program at the USC Counseling and Human Development Center, and currently teaches undergraduates at the University of South Carolina. She previously served the Vice-Chair of the Board of Examiners in Psychology in South Carolina as well as on the Board of Directors of NAMI. While her practice is general in nature, she especially enjoys working with adolescents, families, people with eating disorders, and adults navigating major life transitions. Professionally, she is interested in ethics, mind-body health practices, and early career mentoring. Currently, Dr. Merck teaches Abnormal Psychology, the Psychology of Personality, and the Psychology of Marriage; her philosophy for teaching is "Psychology is Life." She has begun a weekly blog with a therapist-friend, LiM-Squared, which stands for "Life is Messy. Life is Marvelous." and offers skills for managing life. In her free time, Dr. Merck enjoys yoga, painting, camping, gardening, live music and anything that brings her together with her friends and family.

Disclosure Statement for Dr. Merck; Financial: Dr. Merck receives a speaking honorarium from Mustard Consulting LLC.